New Catalan conversation groups aim to promote language use to 2,400 speakers

Catalonia will strengthen the ‘Xerrem Junts’ Catalan conversation language project with a subsidy of €150,000.

In accordance with the National Language Plan to increase opportunities for learning Catalan, authorities hope to expand the project to create over sixty new groups, bringing the total to almost 300, and serve around 2,400 people.

‘Xerrem Junts’ brings together Catalan language learners according to their level in a non-formal setting, from total beginner to those who understand it but lack fluency. The groups generally meet weekly with Catalan-speaking volunteers to practice. 

Since its creation in 2007, ‘Xerrem junts’ has grown into a project backed by expertise, methodology, training, and materials, developed autonomously and easily adaptable to different social environments.

The conversational groups are organized in conjunction with the Coordinator of Associations for the Catalan Language (CAL). 

Currently, CAL promotes 230 conversation groups throughout Catalonia with a wide variety of social areas, in urban and rural areas, and in-person and online.

In general, regular participants in the program tend to be people who live in areas with a low level of Catalan use who do not have access to formal education and want an environment to practice it.