Teaching the Catalan language abroad

Catalan is a language that lives far beyond the borders of modern-day Catalonia. It is the 9th most spoken language in the European Union, with around 10 million speakers, more than several official languages of the EU such as Bulgarian, Danish or Slovak. 

It is spoken in Catalonia, of course, but also in the Balearic Islands, the region of Valencia, parts of Aragon that border Catalonia, Andorra, Perpignan and the surrounding area of southern France that once lay within Catalonia’s borders, as well as the city of L'Alguer on the Italian island of Sardinia. 

But beyond these areas where the locals speak the language, Catalan is also taught in over 100 universities worldwide, including some of the most prestigious and internationally recognizable, such as Harvard, UC Berkeley, and Cambridge University. 

Altogether, over 3,500 students take up Catalan courses around the globe each year.