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Keep Beginners and Advanced Catalan as part of Hispanic Studies at Durham University

17 Comments

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Rachel Brodie-Browne
12 years ago

Catalan at Durham is an excellent module and Josep is a great teacher. The option of Catalan at Durham

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Peter Matthews
12 years ago

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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Nick Friend
12 years ago

I joined Durham with the intention of and under the impression that I would be able to study Catalan in Year 2. Please keep it that way

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Helena Redman
12 years ago Featured

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!

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Laura Colmer
12 years ago Featured

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.

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Laura Dymond
12 years ago Featured

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.

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Alfred Bevington
12 years ago

Fantastic cause.

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Hector White
12 years ago

hooldums123

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Ed Fairbairn
12 years ago

Apologies for my typing on my phone

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Archie Murdoch
12 years ago

I think the opportunity to study a minority language and its culture in one module is something of great importance and should by no means be taken out of the MLAC programme.

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GEORGE REXSTREW
12 years ago

I came to Durham with the intention of studying Catalan as part of my degree programme and so would be extremely disappointed to see Catalan removed as a second-year module.

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Becky home
12 years ago

Durham is unique in the fact it offers Catalan, this opportunity shouldn't lost

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Tom Wilkinson
12 years ago

Being able to do Catalan as part of my degree has not only been a highly enjoyable experience (with excellent teaching and course content), but also broadened my horizons on a cultural level, allowing me to study a fascinating part of Hispanic culture that would otherwise be neglected. It has definitely been one of my highlights while studying here in Durham (also providing me with my best marks), and I would hate for those future students wishing to study Catalan as part of their degree to have to do without.

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Alex Laing
12 years ago

The title of the course is Hispanic Studies, not Spanish Studies and as such all Hispanic languages and cultures should be covered where possible. Catalan is not just currently a very important language in Iberia but also increasingly so, and the region is historically, socially and culturally rich, which truly enriches any Hispanic Studies degree.

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Ed Fairbairn
12 years ago Featured

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

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Sarah Westlake
12 years ago Featured

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.

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Alexia Faus Onbargi
12 years ago Featured

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.