Keep Beginners and Advanced Catalan as part of Hispanic Studies at Durham University
We have been given some information that there is the possibility that Catalan will be moved to the Centre for Foreign Language Study next year and that future freshers will not be able to study it as part of their degree programme for Modern Languages. Whilst it will still be available, a move to the CFLS would mean extra costs, a removal of the cultural aspects of the module and a lack of recognition/ time to be able to study Catalan. There are many of us who wish to do their dissertations about Catalunya or Catalan culture and removing this module would stop people from doing this and take away the freedom to choose an excellent non-cultural module. Obviously we had to go through this last year but a continued pressure would definitely aid our case and show that we are not willing to back down. (Just to clarify- we think that if you have already started Catalan (current 2nd and 3rd years) that you will be able to continue but there has been no confirmation of this)
Updates
March 11, 2014
I have been hearing from so many of you about how vital this language is to your research and your future academic goals. We are hard at work trying to get a clear answer from the department about what this shift means for current and future students. The uncertainty is draining but your stories keep me motivated to push for the recognition this program deserves.
March 11, 2014
Seeing this level of support for Catalan validates why I fought so hard for it last year. Your commitment reassures me that we are not alone in protecting our right to study this culture within our degree.
17 Comments
One of the deciding factors for many of us when choosing Hispanic Studies at Durham was that it offers Catalan as part of the course. We are paying a huge amount in tuition fees and so a lot of research was done when choosing our University: It seems unfair to change the course once we are already here.
As a Catalan from Barcelona, here to study for three years, I would hugely encourage Catalan still being n option for a Modern Languages degree. Its important to be able to offer a language that is currently spoken by 7 million people and the official language of Spain's sencond most important city.
It makes no sense to away the opportunity to study Catalan. The students who currently study Catalan are passionate about the subject and its popularity at Durham is clearly growing. The module offers a great opportunity to take a non-cultural module (of which there are not enough in Hispanic Studies) and to learn more about a culture which is largely ignored in Hispanic Studies. It's shameful that Durham is ignoring its students' opinions after the funding being cut while Newcastle did not see this as an obstacle, and actually added a Catalan module!
Catalan is my favourite module and has opened up so many doors for my year abroad that I think it is such a valuable and attractive part of Hispanic Studies at Durham. It is especially important considering the majority of cultural (and even language) modules in the department are focused upon Latin America, it is so important to have a module like this which places direct emphasis on such important cultural and social issues within Spain, which is, after all, the most common destination for the year abroad.
Being able to learn about Catalan language and culture has been one of the most enthralling parts of my MLAC degree studies so far. Removing the associated modules would narrow the Hispanic studies department curriculum and consequently decrease future students knowledge of the Spanish speaking world. Taking into account that the department was recently ranked top in the UK for Iberian languages and the increased tutition fees new students are paying, I believe the department has a duty to continue teaching provision of Catalan.
Catalan at Durham is an excellent module and Josep is a great teacher. The option of Catalan at Durham
I think it would be a tremendous loss to the Durham languages department if Catalan ceased to be available. As many have already said, I joined Durham University with the idea that studying Catalan would be a possibility. It seems in recent months that there is growing pressure in the languages department to try to scrap beginner language options as part of the degree which is, as one of the most unique aspects of Durham University, such a tremendous shame
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Keep Beginners and Advanced Catalan as part of Hispanic Studies at Durham University
We have been given some information that there is the possibility that Catalan will be moved to the Centre for Foreign Language Study next year and that future freshers will not be able to study it as part of their degree programme for Modern Languages. Whilst it will still be available, a move to the CFLS would mean extra costs, a removal of the cultural aspects of the module and a lack of recognition/ time to be able to study Catalan. There are many of us who wish to do their dissertations about Catalunya or Catalan culture and removing this module would stop people from doing this and take away the freedom to choose an excellent non-cultural module. Obviously we had to go through this last year but a continued pressure would definitely aid our case and show that we are not willing to back down. (Just to clarify- we think that if you have already started Catalan (current 2nd and 3rd years) that you will be able to continue but there has been no confirmation of this)
Updates
March 11, 2014
I have been hearing from so many of you about how vital this language is to your research and your future academic goals. We are hard at work trying to get a clear answer from the department about what this shift means for current and future students. The uncertainty is draining but your stories keep me motivated to push for the recognition this program deserves.
March 11, 2014
Seeing this level of support for Catalan validates why I fought so hard for it last year. Your commitment reassures me that we are not alone in protecting our right to study this culture within our degree.
17 Comments
As a third year student who studied Catalan last year and now spending my hear abroad in Barcelona, I have spent two years preparing to make Catalan a key par of my studies in 4th hear. I would feel extremely let down if I was now told that all this was for nothing and that Catalan would no longer count for anything in 4th year
One of the deciding factors for many of us when choosing Hispanic Studies at Durham was that it offers Catalan as part of the course. We are paying a huge amount in tuition fees and so a lot of research was done when choosing our University: It seems unfair to change the course once we are already here.
As a Catalan from Barcelona, here to study for three years, I would hugely encourage Catalan still being n option for a Modern Languages degree. Its important to be able to offer a language that is currently spoken by 7 million people and the official language of Spain's sencond most important city.
It makes no sense to away the opportunity to study Catalan. The students who currently study Catalan are passionate about the subject and its popularity at Durham is clearly growing. The module offers a great opportunity to take a non-cultural module (of which there are not enough in Hispanic Studies) and to learn more about a culture which is largely ignored in Hispanic Studies. It's shameful that Durham is ignoring its students' opinions after the funding being cut while Newcastle did not see this as an obstacle, and actually added a Catalan module!
Catalan is my favourite module and has opened up so many doors for my year abroad that I think it is such a valuable and attractive part of Hispanic Studies at Durham. It is especially important considering the majority of cultural (and even language) modules in the department are focused upon Latin America, it is so important to have a module like this which places direct emphasis on such important cultural and social issues within Spain, which is, after all, the most common destination for the year abroad.
Being able to learn about Catalan language and culture has been one of the most enthralling parts of my MLAC degree studies so far. Removing the associated modules would narrow the Hispanic studies department curriculum and consequently decrease future students knowledge of the Spanish speaking world. Taking into account that the department was recently ranked top in the UK for Iberian languages and the increased tutition fees new students are paying, I believe the department has a duty to continue teaching provision of Catalan.
Catalan at Durham is an excellent module and Josep is a great teacher. The option of Catalan at Durham
I think it would be a tremendous loss to the Durham languages department if Catalan ceased to be available. As many have already said, I joined Durham University with the idea that studying Catalan would be a possibility. It seems in recent months that there is growing pressure in the languages department to try to scrap beginner language options as part of the degree which is, as one of the most unique aspects of Durham University, such a tremendous shame
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As a third year student who studied Catalan last year and now spending my hear abroad in Barcelona, I have spent two years preparing to make Catalan a key par of my studies in 4th hear. I would feel extremely let down if I was now told that all this was for nothing and that Catalan would no longer count for anything in 4th year