Catalan language learning courses at Pompeu Fabra University doubled on 2024 figures

The number of requests to enroll in one of the Catalan language learning courses at Barcelona's Pompeu Fabra University has doubled during the first quarter of the 2025-26 academic year.

During September and December, a total of 884 people enrolled in courses at the public university, as announced on Monday by the UPF. This is a 56% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

The MOOC Catalan for Beginners at the A1.1 level has increased enrollment by 130% in one year. This is an online lesson with over 1,000 students enrolled.

The increase in the number of students is "solid proof that Catalan is an appealing language," Marcel Mauri, the university's commissioner for linguistic policies, said in a statement.

"We are confident that the interest to learn Catalan language will continue to grow in upcoming courses," Mauri added.

UPF's Catalan Landing Program has also doubled its enrollment. The in-person course combines learning about the language and the culture, and takes place in the first month of every quarter.

The university's C1 Catalan language level courses also increased by 25% compared to the same period last year.

Many of the students in UPF's Catalan learning courses are international teachers and pupils who study at the same university.

Filling the Sink

Catalan is currently spoken by more than 10 million people in four different countries: Spain, Andorra, France and Italy. It is a Western Romance language that evolved from everyday Latin spoken during the Roman Empire.

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Whilst Catalan is spoken mostly on the Iberian Peninsula, it differs significantly from Spanish in pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary.

On Filling the Sink we reveal what it’s like to learn Catalan as a foreign language, find out who is studying it and why and discover the importance of our national language.