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Spanish & Catalan Language, Catalan history and culture.
On these pages I'd like to touch upon not only the Catalan language but include something about its long, proud history and to mention some of the many traditions here, and its famous inhabitants.
Catalan is the primary language in Catalonia and spoken by almost ten million people, and also in other places like Mallorca and even some parts of Sardinia and France.
If you know Spanish beyond beginner level then a few words in Catalan will 'sound' the same in Spanish. Equally, many will also sound a bit French but it does have its own distinct sound and pronunciation.
To begin learning Spanish we've found a good resources here below:
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Most Catalans are bilingual in that they also speak and understand Spanish or 'Castilliano' as they prefer to call it. But, if you can manage a few words in Catalan then it might make all the difference! Friends tell me you get treated differently.
Some native Catalans have told me that in the bigger cities like Barcelona, the Catalan language is spoken or used less than in places like Girona. On the other hand, in some inland towns like Olot or Ripoll the Catalan language is more strongly used and has a dialect of its own.
Many of the Town Halls in Catalonia (ajuntament) as in Girona do offer free Catalan language course (twice weekly) for beginners and beyond. Courses normally begin in October and last until the following June. Although tuition is free you'll be expected to buy your own textbooks and notebooks.
Below are some of the most commonly uses words and phrases: (forgive me if the punctuations or spelling are wrong or missing).
Hello - Hola
Yes /No - Si/No
Thanks - Gracies (merci is also often heard)
Many thanks - Moltes gracies
Please - Sisplau
Goodbye - Adeu'
Good morning - Bon dia
Good afternoon - Bona tarda
Good evening - Bon vespre
Pleased to meet you - Molt de gust
How are you ? - Com estas?
Fins de ma-until tomorrow / fins ara / see you soon
Fins despres-see you later
Excuse me - Perdoni
Sorry - Ho sento
Beer - Cerveza
Coffee with milk - Cafe amb llet
Open - Tancat
Vale-OK
Esmorzar-breakfast
dinar-lunch
sopar-evening meal
Pa-bread
Monday - dilluns
Tuesday - dimarts
Wednesday - dimercres
Thursday - dijous
Friday - divendres
Saturday - dissabte
Sunday - diumenge
spring - primavera
summer - estiu
autumn - tardor
winter - hivern
Do you speak English? - Parla angles?
How do you say...? - Com es diu...?
What is this? - Que es aixo?
I'm from London - Soc de Londres
I'm English - Soc Angles.
What's your name-Com et dius?
My name is.... - Em dic....
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Learning Catalan or Spanish in Girona. It always helps to learn the 'lingo' even if you're just a holiday visitor but where do you start?
Here are some useful resources and places where you can buy books and various courses. Learning a language like Spanish does take plenty of time, practice and patience! I know myself that no one book seems to have all the answers and I have a vast 'toolkit' I've built up over the years of various books, tapes, Cd's etc.
You can never beat having a personal tutor, if you can afford it or by going to evening classes (cheaper) which cover all degrees of learners from basic to advanced. Personal ono-to-one classes or even group classes will probably be cheaper when you're in Spain but try to begin studying before you go as it will make a difference to your stay.
Learning Catalan, the co-official language of this region is not a must but as anywhere if you make an effort it will make life easier, even if you just learn a few of the basic phrases like 'bon dia' for good morning. You will certainly 'get-by' if all you know is just Spanish as it's their second language after Catalan. Even so, the trick is trying to understand Spanish when it's spoken to you as most people seem to speak too quickly to you ! I try to catch the gist of what theyr'e saying and to answer back without too much thinking about sentence structure but getting all the grammar and pronunciation correct is worthwhile.
If you're looking to learn Spanish or Catalan in Girona there are quite a few private language schools but Girona also has an Official Language School or EOI (Escola Oficial d' Idiomes) where you can study languages such as English, Spanish, Catalan, Italian, Russian, Arabic and even Chinese! It's at C/ Josep Viader I Moliner 16, Girona 17005 Tel. 972 219 100 www.xtec.es/centres/b7004852/ email: eoigirona@xtec.cat.
Here's a couple of very useful sites I found for help in learning Spanish: Just click on the individual links below.
Learn Spanish with SpanishPod.com
Learn Spanish with free lessons, vibrant community, web review, vocab study & more.
and, another good one to try for FREE!
Learn to speak Spanish with the Locals for Free!
When you live here you might want to consider taking one of the free Catalan language courses on offer from the local town hall or Ajuntament. In Girona just go to the main offices and pick up a leaflet. The time to register for these course is in early September and they have classes for beginners and slightly more advanced learners. There's a bit of form-filling involved and a couple of visits to get it all sorted, none of which is available in English. The only costs are the course books, about 30€, you need to buy and you're given all these details
Have a look at our Catalan Phrases page also.
We actually tried the free beginners course, which was held twice-weekly but I must admit to finding it a bit of a struggle, as the teaching methods weren't what I expected, so reluctantly I gave up after a few weeks.
Also check this site http://www.catalunya-lliure.com/
Some famous Catalans. As far as Girona goes, Rafael Maso was quite an influence on the city and designed many buildings like the Farinera and the green-tiled roof of the Punx building (below).
