Blogger: Adam

A lot of people interested in studying Spanish in Barcelona are discouraged when they find out that there actually is another language spoken in the city and the region.  Most of them are afraid that they may mix the two languages or not be able to practice their Spanish with locals in Barcelona.

I´d like to tell you about my experience with learning Spanish in Barcelona and share my point of view with you.

But first of all, I´d like to give you a very brief introduction to Catalan language:

Catalan belongs to the Romance languages group. It´s estimated that around 12 million people speak Catalan as their first or second language.  It´s spoken on the territory of four countries:  Spain, France, Italy and Andorra, however, the majority of Catalan speakers live in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, Balearic Islands and Valencia.

During the dictatorship regime in Spain, Catalan language and culture were forbidden and people who spoke Catalan and expressed Catalan culture were oppressed.  Fortunately it´s different now, as Spanish and Catalan are both recognized official languages. They coexist peacefully and this coexistence can especially be observed in Barcelona where everyone is bilingual.

As a former student of Spanish in Barcelona I never experienced that the Catalan language was an obstacle in learning Spanish properly. Barcelonians realize that most foreigners have no idea of Catalan and therefore they always try to speak Spanish with them. What always amazes me is their ability to switch from one language to the other in a second,  depending on who they are talking to.

Thanks to its dual character Barcelona is probably the most cosmopolitan city in Spain, it combines features of both Spanish and Catalan culture and that´s what makes it so special among Spanish cities.  I highly recommend coming to Barcelona to study Spanish not only to enjoy the Mediterranean Sea or the mild climate or Gaudi´s extraordinary works but also because it´s simply a good place to learn Spanish with lots of well-prepared, dedicated Spanish teachers from all over Spain and plenty of opportunities to practice the language and interact with locals.