Language

From the Universitat Abat Oliba we offer our students courses, workshops and resources to help you improve your language skills

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We put at your disposal courses, workshops and resources to help you improve your linguistic competences
Language Service

PRESENTATION

Abat Oliba CEU University is committed to offering excellent language training to students, both in the official languages of Catalonia and in foreign languages. Our commitment with multilingualism is key in the current globalisation context. At UAO CEU, we want to make our students aware of the importance of a solid training in languages as well as the need for consolidated communicative skills.

At the Language Service we offer a wide range of courses and workshops in partnership with international language institutes. Moreover, we offer translation and proofreading services, and language consulting.

Our services are offered to both the UAO CEU community and to external students.

 

Office hours

Monday to Thursday: 11:00-13:00 and 15:00-17:00

Friday: 11:00-13:00

servei llengues

 

DOCUMENTS AND INFORMATION

 

  • Language Service
    PDF
  • Regulation on how to certify level B2.2
    PDF
team
 

Eva Julien Jolis

Head of the Language Service

Contact

Language Service
Universitat Abat Oliba CEU
Bellesguard, 30. 08022 Barcelona
Tel. no.: 932 540 900 (extension 803)
[email protected]

courses

The UAO CEU Language Service offers a wide range of face-to-face, blended and online courses and workshops, which are aimed at UAO CEU students, University staff and external students.

Our courses are run by excellent professionals from international language learning institutions.

We prepare personalised learning plans that take into account each student’s language needs. At the start of their degree, first-year students take a level test that assesses their level of English.

 

2020-2021 courses PDF

Our course offer includes annual courses, intensive summer courses, and official exam preparation courses, as well as language workshops that focus on specific areas of language.

Below you will find more details on our courses and workshops in each language.

ENGLISH

The Language Service at UAO CEU is offering blended English courses to adapt to new needs. We work with highly qualified teachers with vast experience in teaching English as a foreign language. At the same time, this gives us access to the most innovative learning techniques and materials with a communicative approach.

We offer courses from A2 to C2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) which include an IELTS exam at the end of the course. This guarantees that all our students can officially accredit every level with the UAO CEU courses, while measuring the real impact of their learning.

For more information on a level's accreditation regulation, consult the Accreditations section.

English courses at UAO CEU PDF

University students who began their degrees after 2014-2015 can apply for PARLA3 grants (Modality B and C), which are awarded by the Catalan government.

 

With these courses, you can:

  • Make progress in all aspects of your English (vocabulary and grammar, reading, writing, listening and speaking, and pronunciation, etc.), with a particular emphasis on developing your ability to communicate in English.
  • Be in the exact level you need. We offer eight levels that follow the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
  • Combine face-to-face sessions with online tutorials using the online platform.
  • Have qualified teachers.
  • Receive professional evaluation.
  • Attend classes that link together by revising concepts as the course advances. Teachers fully adapt to the needs of each group of students.
  • Attend classes with a maximum of 14 students.

Objectives:

  • To ready yourself for the future in general and the job market in particular.
  • To demonstrate how much English you know with an internationally recognised certificate.
  • To have tangible, rigorous proof of how good your English course was.

 

What is IELTS?

IELTS is an internationally recognised certificate trusted by universities, businesses and public bodies around the world. All English classes at UAO CEU include it, so as well as certifying your level, you can validate your progress course after course. The exam takes place on one day and results are made available in approximately a week.

 
Annual courses
Registration Fill in this form.
Course type Blended learning: 60 hours of face-to-face sessions and 40 hours of online tutorials on the online learning platform.
Credits 10 ECTS
Course fee € 980 for UAO CEU students and € 1,045 for external students. The cost of the course includes the IELTS exam at the end of the course and access to the online learning platform.
Timetable Mondays and Wednesdays from 13:45 to 15:00
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 13:45 to 15:00
Friday from 10:00 to 12:30 or 14:00 to 16:30
Entry requirements A free level test taken in the last six months, or having passed an English course at UAO CEU, another university or an Official Language School (EOI).

 

*Each level needs a minimum number of students for the course to open. Contact us for more information.

 
INTENSIVE COURSES
Registration Fill in this form.
Course type Intensive learning: 60 hours of face-to-face sessions and 40 hours of online tutorials on the online learning platform.
Credits 10 ECTS
Course fee € 980 for UAO CEU students and € 1,045 for external students. The cost of the course includes the IELTS exam at the end of the course and access to the online learning platform.
Timetable Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 13:00 (intensive summer courses in July)
Entry requirements A free level test taken in the last six months, or having passed an English course at UAO CEU, another university or an Official Language School (EOI).

 

*Each level needs a minimum number of students for the course to open. Contact us for more information.

*If you are a prospective UAO CEU student, having passed the UAO CEU entry exam and having been accepted, you can also sign up to intensive summer courses.

 
 
Catalan

These courses are open to UAO CEU students and staff members, as well as international and external students. We offer blended and online courses leading to a certificate in the lower levels, or to refresh or improve communicative competences. Our courses include supervised sessions with tutors and the option to take an official Catalan exam (CLUC) organised by the Catalan Interuniversity Commission for Language Training and Certification (CIFALC).

ANNUAL COURSES
PDF

 

Blended courses combine online learning with weekly face-to-face sessions . They include the official Catalan certificate CLUC, which is organised by CIFALC and recognised by the Catalan Government. 

  • Online work is carried out through a blog where students will go through the course contents and which integrates parla.cat activities.  
  • Face-to-face sessions cover speaking skills and serve as a space to resolve any questions that may arise during the week.  
  • Once a month, teachers organise online group tutorials in which strategies are provided to maximise self-study time. 
Registration please fill in this form
Course type blended learning
Credits Levels A2 and B1: 6 ECTS (one-semester course)
Levels B2, C1 and C2: 8 ECTS (two-semester course)
Course fee Levels A2 and B1: €100 per credit. Free for UAO CEU students, international students and staff members.
Levels B2, C1 and C2: €100 per credit. UAO CEU students and international students have a 20% discount. Free for staff members.
Timetable Levels A2 and B1: Tuesday and Thursday from 13:45 to 15:00
Levels B2, C1 and C2: contact us for more information
Entry requirements Level A2: no requirements
Level B1 or higher: you need to take a level test at the Language Service or, alternatively, you an official certificate as proof of your level.
ONLINE COURSES

You can sign up for our online courses. They are taught through parla.cat and are supervised by a tutor. Apart from this option, there is a wide range of free online tools open to anyone interested in learning Catalan or improving their level. Below you will find a list of the main recommended tools.

Parla.cat. This platform also offers a free version, where you can take a level test and take courses starting at Level A2 and reaching Level C1.

Intercat.cat. This website lists online resources (learning materials, documents on sociolinguistics, information on language exchanges, etc.) to help you start discovering Catalan language and culture. It is designed for international students on exchange programmes at Catalan universities. It has two main areas: “I’m learning Catalan” and “I live in Catalonia”.

INTENSIVE COURSES

Intensive courses take place in the summer (from then end of June until mid-July) and last four weeks. We offer levels B2, C1 and C2. At the end of the course, students get an attendance certificate. The C2 course includes an official Catalan exam (CLUC) which officially certifies Level C2.

 

Registration Please fill in this form
Course type Blended learning
Credits B2 and C1: 3.5 ECTS. C2: 4 ECTS.
Course fee Levels B2 and C1: €350 (20% discount for UAO CEU students; 10% discount for Alumni; free for staff members)
Level C2: €400 (20% discount for UAO CEU students; 10% discount for Alumni; free for staff members)
Timetable Levels B2 and C1: 09:00-12:00 Mon/Wed/Fri
Level C2: 15:30-18:30 Mon/Wed/Fri
Entry requirements you need to take a level test at the Language Service or, alternatively, have an official certificate as proof of your level.
SPANISH

PDF

 

The UAO CEU Language Service also offers blended-learning Spanish language courses, which combine online work with two weekly face-to-face sessions. To join the courses, every semester, international students take a level test at the University upon arrival. According to the results of this test, we can recommend them a Spanish course that suits their language needs.

  • Online work is carried out through the Blackboard platform.  
  • Face-to-face sessions cover the course contents and focus on speaking skills. 
  • Once a month, teachers organise online group tutorials in which strategies are provided to maximise self-study time. 
Registration At the Language Service
Course type Blended learning
Credits 6 ECTS
Course fee free for UAO CEU students and international students. €100 per credit for external students.
Timetable 13:45-15:00 Mon/Wed
Entry requirements you will need to take a level test at the International Welcome Session.
GERMAN

Official German courses and exams at the Goethe-Institut Barcelona

The Goethe-Institut is the official cultural association for the Federal Republic of Germany operational worldwide, promoting the study of the German language and culture abroad. It is known all over the world recognition and its official exams are internationally recognised as evidence of knowledge of German as a foreign language.

The Goethe-Institut certificates, from the Goethe-Institut Zertifikat A1 to the Goethe-Zertifikat C2, don't lose their validity over time.
The German exams offered by the Goethe-Institut correspond to the levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), which sets the international standards defining linguistic skill.

Thanks to an agreement between Abat Oliba CEU University and the Goethe-Institut Barcelona, students, faculty and non-teaching staff at UAO CEU can take advantage of a special 15% discount for face-to-face German classes at the Goethe-Institut Barcelona or an official exam.

Promo code : UAO 15% (enter the code before payment online)

German courses
Sign up online at: 
https://www.goethe.de/ins/es/ca/sta/bcn/kur/tup.cfm

Official German exams
Sign up online at: 
https://www.goethe.de/ins/es/ca/sta/bcn/prf.html
 

The 15% discount code is valid for the whole UAO CEU community (students, faculty and other staff). Candidates from UAO CEU may be asked for identification before beginning a course or sitting an official exam.

Find more information on the Goethe-Institut Barcelona: www.goethe.de/barcelona

 
FRENCH

Official courses and exams in French from Institut français Barcelona

The Institut français is the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs’ branch in charge of promoting French culture and language around the world. The Institut français has been present in Barcelona since the 1920s. Since then, it has done a fantastic job in spreading the culture of France and the French-speaking world, and is a leader in French language teaching. 

The Institut français in Barcelona offers the following services:

  • · French language and culture courses taught by qualified, native teachers.
  • · Cultural programmes with film festivals, conferences, concerts etc. 
  • · La Mediatèque: a multimedia documentation centre with more than 20,000 titles and a reference point for the culture of France and French-speaking countries, open to Institut français students and the public in general. 
  • · Linguistic trips abroad.
 

Thanks to an agreement between Abat Oliba CEU University and the Institut français Barcelona, students, faculty and non-teaching staff from UAO CEU can enjoy personalised French classes at UAO CEU as well as a special discount if they want to do an in-house course at the Institut français. What's more, the courses include free access to the Mediatèque for a whole year.

The Institut français is also the official Barcelona centre for the DELF-DALF exams from the French Ministry of Education. These tests, that take place four times a year and evaluate levels A1 to C2, are recognised all over the world and don't expire.
If you want to do a French course or take an official exam, get in contact with the Language Service for more information.

If you want to do a French course or take an official exam, get in contact with the Language Service for more information.

More information on Institut français Barcelona

ITALIAN

Official Italian courses and exams from the Italian Institute of Culture in Barcelona 

The Italian Institute of Culture in Barcelona is the Italian government's official organisation for promoting and spreading Italian language and culture. It hosts all kinds of cultural events that cover the arts, science and the sharing of ideas.

The Italian Institute of Culture in Barcelona is offering the following services to the public:

· Courses on Italian language and culture with qualified, native teachers.

· A library with more than 19,000 items, including Italian books, magazines and newspapers, is available for students and members to browse and borrow.

Thanks to an agreement between Abat Oliba CEU University and the Italian Institute of Culture in Barcelona, students, faculty and staff at UAO CEU can take advantage of personalised Italian courses at UAO CEU with a special 10% discount on face-to-face classes from the Italian Institute of Culture in Barcelona.

Additionally, the Italian Institute is the Catalan centre for official CELI exams from the University of Perugia. There are three exam windows throughout the year and they assess levels A2 to C2. These exams are recognised all over the world and never expire.

Italian courses

Sign up online here.

Official Italian exams

Sign up online here

Find more information about the Italian Institute for Culture in Barcelona here.

CHINESE

Official Chinese courses and certificates from the Confucius Institute of Barcelona

The Confucius Institute of Barcelona is a non-profit institution that promotes the study of Chinese culture and language in Catalonia. Among its activities, we find:

-    Chinese for beginners. These courses run for a whole academic year and range between 60 and 120 hours. They're aimed at students that have no previous knowledge of Chinese.
-    Continuing Chinese courses. These courses are aimed at students that have already attended a beginners' course or that have some previous knowledge. These courses run for a whole academic year and range between 60 and 120 hours. To sign up, you will need to take a level test.  
-    HSK official certificates. The Confucius Institute of Barcelona organises sittings of the HSK official exams. This exam has six levels, from 1 to 6, which are in line with CEFR levels A1 to C2. 
-    Cultural activities and cinema forums.

Thanks to an agreement between Abat Oliba CEU University and the Confucius Institute of Barcelona, students, faculty and non-teaching staff from UAO CEU can enjoy personalised Chinese classes at UAO CEU and a 10 % discount if they take a course at Confucius Institute of Barcelona.

Chinese courses
Sign up online here

HSK official Chinese language certificates
Sign up online here

Find more information about the Confucius Institute of Barcelona here.

 

 

CERTIFICATION

Do you want to certify your level of English or Catalan with an official exam? The courses organised by the Language Service will provide you with a certificate accepted by the Catalan government, by Catalan universities and by institutions around the world. We can also give you information about other exams or certificates to certify your language level.

Remember that, at UAO CEU, before enrolling in third year (or fourth year if studying a double degree) all students need to certify that they have achieved Level B2.2 of English with an official certificate.

For more details, click on the language you are interested in below.

 

ENGLISH

At UAO CEU, before enrolling in third year (or fourth year if studying a double degree) all students need to certify that they have achieved Level B2.2 of English with an official certificate. The Catalan government has established a list of official certificates to certify this level.

 

For more information on other official exams, we provide a list of recommendations.

  • English CLUC B2
    University students can sit the exam sessions organised by the language services of Catalan universities (CLUC). Detailed information on the CLUC exam can be found on the CIFALC. website. These exams are accredited by ACLES and officially certify Level B2.

    University students who started their degree after 2014-2015 can apply for PARLA3 grants (Modality B and C) which are awarded by the Catalan government.

  • APTIS
    This is a British Council exam that certifies from Level A2 to Level C. The exam costs €77 and there are several sessions every month. This exam is accepted by the Catalan government to officially certify Level B2.

    If you have an advanced level in English, you can also take APTIS Advanced, which certifies up to Level C2.

    You can register for this exam on the British Council website. There you will also find mock exams to practise before your exam, and tutorial videos on each exam section.

  • Other exams
    Other widely accepted certificates are IELTS and Cambridge English exams (FCE, CAE, PCE).

CATALAN

Catalan language courses at UAO CEU include an official Catalan CLUC exam. The certificate obtained with this exam is accepted by the Catalan government, Catalan universities and institutions around the world. Only students who have attended the language course can sit CLUC exams.

Here you will find CLUC exam samples.

There is also the option to certify your level of Catalan by taking an open official exam. These are the Catalan certificates organised by the Catalan government. There is one session in June every year, for which registration opens in February.

SPANISH

If you would like to certify your level of Spanish, you can do it through the Spanish DELE diplomas organised by the Instituto Cervantes.

With this diploma you can certify levels A1 to C2. There are several sessions every year. In Catalonia, different institutions and language schools run this exam.

Italian

What is PLIDA?

libro de estilos
As part of an agreement recently signed with Società Dante Alighieri (SDA), UAO CEU has been officially recognised as a PLIDA (Dante Alighieri Italian Language Project) Certification Centre Italian Language Project Dante Alighieri).  

The SDA, founded in 1889, aims to “protect and disseminate Italian language and culture throughout the world”. PLIDA certificates are diplomas certifying linguistic competence in Italian —using a six-level scale based on the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework of Reference for Languages— which has been officially recognised by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1993.

This certificate is also recognised by the Italian Ministry of the Interior as a valid qualification certifying knowledge of Italian as a foreign language, and can therefore be used to obtain a residence permit in Italy and Italian citizenship. 

Furthermore, thanks to an agreement between the SDA and the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research, foreign students wishing to enrol in an Italian university can use PLIDA certification (level B2 or C1) to prove their knowledge of the Italian language. 

How to register for the PLIDA exam

Pre-registration

Those interested in accrediting their Italian language level through PLIDA certification at UAO CEU should send an email to the person in charge of PLIDA certification, Dr María Laura Giordano ([email protected]), to pre-register. The person in charge will then contact the candidate to formalise registration for the exam and payment of the registration fee.


Registering for the exam

For full information on the fees for each level of the exam, please refer to the “Quote PLIDA” file. 

To take the exam at the chosen level, you are not required to have passed the lower levels: each candidate can choose the type of test they consider closest to their competence in the Italian language and can also ask to be tested at different levels in a single session.

However, the first time the test is taken, candidates are required to register for all skills. It is not possible to register to take the individual skills tests separately if you have not taken the full test beforehand.

For more detailed information, you can consult the marking criteria for the written and oral tests, as well as a detailed description of the tests, at this link. Furthermore, once the pre-registration has been formalised, candidates will receive full details of the type of exam and the rules and regulations. 


Results and certificates

The SDA stipulates that the deadline for receipt and validation of examination documentation and issuing results is 60 days. Once the results have been issued, the marks will be communicated to the candidates within a period of less than one month. 

If the candidate is interested in receiving the official examination certificate by registered post, they should request this by sending an email to [email protected] indicating their postal address. If a candidate is unable to collect it in person, the person collecting it in their place must present a copy of the candidate’s ID card and a letter of authorisation together with their ID card.

Check prices. 

The General Rules for Continuing Studies at UAO CEU establish that, before enrolling in the third year of a degree course or the fourth year of a double degree, all UAO CEU students must accredit level B2.2 of a foreign language with an official certificate. The Government of Catalonia establishes the list of official certificates that accredit this level of Italian.

Style Guide

Abat Oliba CEU University’s Style Guide is born from the need to set style criteria that contribute to the linguistic quality of texts produced in every area of the University. In UAO CEU’s multilingual context, it is absolutely necessary that these criteria are made available in all three working languages: Catalan, Spanish and English.

The content in the three languages is presented side by side. It is conceived this way so it can be read vertically (looking only at one language) or horizontally (comparing one concept in all three languages). It combines short theory and definitions with examples that will be relevant to the user as they are specific to the university context and, in particular, to the context of UAO CEU. This combination seeks to make the manual clear and to present it not only as a query tool but also as a resource that has instructive value.

The Style Guide is aimed at the whole of the university community, but not only that; it also aims to reach all those people that may find this guide helpful.

With the goal of contributing to linguistic quality and furthering multilingualism, the Language Service provides you with a tool conceived to be useful, practical, complete and easy to use.

PDF   Access UAO CEU’s Style Guide.


style guide

LANGUAGE RESOURCES

Through our Language Advisory Unit, we make available tools and resources to help you solve language problems or doubts in different languages.

Do you have a language problem that you cannot find an answer to? Send your query to [email protected]

CATALAN

Dictionaries and terminology databases

 

Style

 

Guides for writing in specific disciplines

 

Grammar

 
SPANISH

Dictionaries and language-related websites

ENGLISH

Monolingual dictionaries

 

Multilingual dictionaries

 

Guides for writing in specific disciplines

Grammar

 

Style

 

Other useful tools

Tandem UAO CEU

Are you trying to up you Catalan and Spanish skills? Do you want to meet local students and practise the local languages? Or maybe you want to find out more about the local culture?

Whatever the reason, UAO CEU offers you the chance to find a language exchange partner and practise another language through the Tandem UAO programme. This is how it works:

  • Language exchange partners meet once a week for an hour to practise both languages. That is, if speak French and want to practise Catalan, your partner will be a native speaker of Catalan and will want to practise French.
  • The duration of the Tandem UAOCEU programme is ten weeks.
  • Language exchange partners decide where to meet and what to do.
  • At the start of the programme, we organise a welcome meeting with all language exchange partners to break the ice (there is food!)

In addition, language exchange partners can join the culture trips organised by the International Office.

If you are interested, tell us which language you are “offering” and which one you want to practise, and we will find your language exchange partner. To do so, fill in the form. Once everyone has signed up, we will ask you to join us in the welcome meeting where you will get to know your language exchange partner.

 

Schedule

  • First semester
    Sign-up: in September
    Duration: 10 weeks (October to December)
     
  • Second semester
    Sign-up: in February
    Duration: 10 weeks (March to May)

 

TRANSLATION SERVICES

The Language Service offers a translation and proofreading service. Below, you will find a list of rates for UAO CEU students and external clients (staff members can use this service with a 100% discount):

 
  Rate for UAO CEU students and Alumni (€/word) Rate for external clients (€/word)

Spanish or Catalan proofreading

0.02 0.03
English, French or Italian proofreading 0.03 0.04
Chinese or Arabic proofreading 0.10 0.11
Translation from Spanish into Catalan or Catalan into Spanish 0.05 0.06
Translation from Catalan or Spanish into English, French or Italian 0.08 0.09
Translation from English, French or Italian into Catalan or Spanish 0.07 0.08
Translation from Chinese or Arabic into Catalan, Spanish, English or Italian 0.20 0.30
 

Contact

Tlf. +34 932 540 900 (extensión 803)
[email protected]

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