Foreigners in Girona learn Catalan at weekly bar meetups

A group of around 20 foreigners residing in Girona meets every Wednesday at Cafè Essenze to learn and speak Catalan. They reject the 'expat' label and say the key to living in the city and becoming part of the community is understanding and speaking the language.

"This is a space open to everyone, regardless of their level; even native Catalan speakers are welcome to help out," organizers of the weekly meetup told the Catalan News Agency (ACN).

Marc Toone, originally from Manchester, was living for a while in the Costa Brava town of L'Estartit. He spoke English and Spanish but had little interest in learning Catalan.

"Everyone told me to learn Catalan, but I couldn’t be bothered. I just didn't feel like it," he said, before moving to Girona and changing his mind.

"One day, I asked myself: Why not? It is always a positive thing to learn a new language. There was no reason not to do it; the problem was me," he told ACN. Aside from taking part in these weekly meetings, Toone now reads the local newspaper Diari de Girona to improve his vocabulary.

The initiative grew out of 'Girona Buddies,' a group created to build connections, especially among the city's foreign residents. In addition to meetups for practicing Spanish or English, bike rides, or excursions, Keyt and Paul Jones encouraged the creation of a group to speak Catalan.

On average, about twenty people take part each week, although the WhatsApp group already has more than 200 members.

According to the organizers, the attendees are people "from all over the world" who want to learn Catalan and integrate into the community.

"At first, there were only a few of us, because many learners are shy about taking the step to speak Catalan," explains Keyt. But once they give it a try, the situation changes: "They see that there are others at the same level and they feel confident. It's a space where they feel relaxed and can speak."

Besides chatting about everyday topics, Keyt, who was born in Girona, welcomes new participants and occasionally explains aspects of current events in the city. "We talk, for example, about local traditions, concerts, or celebrations like the Diada – Catalonia's National Day – or Easter," she explains.

Paul Jones, originally from the UK, started learning Catalan eight years ago when he moved to Girona, after meeting a woman from Girona in Canada. At first, he wanted to learn Spanish because it was a "more international" language, but when he arrived in Girona he realised that "everyone spoke Catalan," and thought, "wow, I really need to learn this language."

Susan Smith, from the United States, participates because she wants to "speak Catalan better and be part of the Catalan community." She says that every week she feels "more fluent and comfortable" with the language.

For Jones, the benefits are clear: "First, immigrants can learn Catalan; second, it's a social space to make friends; and third, it helps build bridges between locals and people from elsewhere."