What I want to know

Aprenc idiomes is a set of services and digital resources in a web environment for learning foreign languages, aimed particularly at Catalan university students. It includes tools and resources created by Catalan universities to help to learn languages independently and provides information and documents on the various options available to students to learn languages at Universities.

Aprenc idiomes has resources, guides and activities that will help you to learn languages independently: online self-learning language programmes, resources for writing in English and other languages, university conversation guides, etc. You can find resources and tools that are useful for all learners as well as specific resources for teachers, such as materials for teaching English. There are also tools for managing cultural diversity that can help you interact effectively with people from other cultures and countries.

The online learning resources offered by Aprenc idiomes are totally free. Consult each university or centre to find out about language courses, examinations and certificates.

Universities’ schools and language services offer numerous courses on a range of languages, levels and learning modes (classroom-based or online). You can also access Official Schools of Languages and Open Institute of Catalonia courses. You’ll find all the information in the 'Courses' section.

Catalan universities organise several examination sittings to obtain official certificates of language proficiency: the CLUC and other university language certificates. You can also enrol to take examinations at the official language schools. Further information is available in the 'Examinations and certificates' section.

The European Council’s Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) establishes common criteria for all of Europe that define communicative skills in a specific language. Level B2 indicates that the user has limited functional command of a language and can use it effectively in everyday situations.

According to Law 1/2018, of 8 May, amending Law 2/2014, students who start bachelor’s degree studies at a Catalan university in the 2018-2019 academic year and subsequent years. Law 1/2018 has established a moratorium on this requirement for certification for 4 years. Therefore, generally, only students who start bachelor’s degree studies from the 2018-2019 academic year are required to certify level B2 proficiency. However, you should keep in mind that some Catalan universities have their own regulations about certification of a specific level of proficiency in another language for bachelor’s degree studies.

The languages are those established in the university entrance exams (PAU), which are currently: English, French, German and Italian.

You can do this by attaining one of the certificates of level B2 language proficiency or higher that are recognised as equivalent to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

The certificates included in the table of certificates and diplomas that certify knowledge of another language (English, French, German and Italian) at level B1 or higher, according to the European Council’s Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, attached to the Agreement of the Board of the Inter-university Council of Catalonia, amending the agreement of 24 April 2015, on recognition of certificates and qualifications accrediting foreign language proficiency. You can find this official table in the 'Examinations and certificates' section.

The Government of Catalonia and the universities offer a range of grants and scholarships to facilitate language learning: Grants for level B2 certificates of proficiency and for courses in foreign languages as part of the Parla3 programme, grants for international mobility (MOBINT), specific grants for each university, etc. You’ll find more information on these grants in the 'Grants and scholarships' section.

Grants in the Parla3 programme and MOBINT must be applied for through the Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR). To find out about the specific grants offered by each university, you should contact each university's language service or centre.

The language and cultural exchange programmes of Catalan universities provide many opportunities to practise and improve languages that you already know or that you are learning. You can find out more information about these programmes in the Language exchanges' section.