The best way to learn Catalan is a mix: mostly Catalan you can understand, plus review and real conversation, with the balance set by your goal. Catalan you can mostly understand is called comprehensible input. Below, you'll see what each way of learning builds and the mix that suits six common goals.
Which Ways of Learning Catalan Work Best?
Reading and listening to Catalan at your level works best, and each other method adds one skill on top of it.
| Method | What it builds | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and listening at your level | Words, grammar and listening | Most of your time |
| A structured course | An order for the basics | Your first months |
| A tutor or conversation partner | Speaking and quick replies | Using what you know |
| Flashcards or other review | Words that stay with you | A few minutes each session |
| TV, radio and podcasts | Natural, everyday Catalan | Fun, once you follow most of it |
| Grammar study | Why a sentence works | Small pronouns that confuse you |
Input is the base of the mix: a 2016 review of 49 studies in Reading in a Foreign Language, a University of Hawaii journal, found that reading a lot of easy material improves reading in a new language.
What Is the Best Way to Learn Catalan for Your Goal?
For every goal, the best way is the same base of reading and listening, with the rest of your time on the skill that goal needs most.
- Live and Work in CataloniaRead and hear Catalan about errands and your field most of the time, and practice speaking with a tutor or a volunteer.
- Talk With Family or FriendsRead and hear lots of everyday conversations, and spend the rest of your time talking with them or with a tutor.
- Travel to CataloniaSpend most of your time on short dialogues about ordering food and getting around, and say each one out loud.
- Pass a Catalan Certificate ExamRead and listen at your level most of the time, and try the sample tests on the Catalan government's certificate pages as the test gets close.
- Study at a Catalan UniversityRead and hear Catalan about your subject most of the time, and try Speakcat, a free course set in university life.
- Watch TV3 SeriesPut most of your time into listening, starting with Català fàcil on 3Cat and moving on to series once you can follow a scene.
To see how many hours each stage takes, read how long it takes to learn Catalan.
What Are the Best Resources for Each Part?
Each part of the mix has a good free option, such as Parla.cat for the basics or Optimot for grammar, and an app or service for when you want more. Bubblegum, which appears in a few rows, is a language app where Poppy, an AI tutor, writes Catalan lessons at your level about things you like.
| Part | Free option | App or service |
|---|---|---|
| A course for the basics | Parla.cat, the Catalan government's online course, free when you study on your own | Ling, with short lessons from beginner to advanced |
| Reading and listening at your level | Bubblegum's Catalan lessons on this site, or the University of Barcelona's simplified texts | Bubblegum or LingQ, where beginners can start with Mini Stories |
| TV, radio and podcasts | 3Cat for TV3 and Catalunya Ràdio, Couch Polyglot for podcasts | Language Reactor, which puts Catalan subtitles beside a translation on YouTube |
| Review | Anki, free on computers and Android | Bubblegum's Regenerative Review™, which brings saved words back in new lessons |
| Conversation | A volunteer through Voluntariat per la llengua | A tutor on italki or Preply |
| Grammar | Optimot, the Catalan government's guide to words and grammar | Parla.cat's paid option, which adds a tutor to the course |
What Should You Avoid?
Avoid anything that keeps you from spending your time on Catalan you can follow.
- Lists With No SentencesSave words from lines you have read, so each one comes with an example of how it is used.
- Switching Between VarietiesLearn the Catalan spoken where you will use it, such as Central Catalan in Barcelona or Valencian in Valencia, and add the others later.
- Series You Can't Follow YetSave TV3 series for when you can follow most of a scene, and watch videos made for learners, such as Easy Catalan, before that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to learn Catalan with an app or a teacher?
Use an app for the hours of reading and listening, and a teacher or conversation partner for speaking and corrections. Tutors on italki and Preply are paid. Voluntariat per la llengua, a Catalan government program, pairs you with a volunteer for free, for one hour a week over at least ten meetings.
Should I learn Catalan grammar first?
No. Learn grammar from the Catalan you read and hear, and look a pattern up when it confuses you. A rule is easier to learn once you have seen it a few times: after m'agrada la música (I like music) and m'agraden les cançons (I like the songs), the rule for liking one thing or many things is easy to spot.
Which Catalan app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Catalan, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Our Catalan app comparison covers courses, tutors and speaking apps too.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
The Catalan lessons on this site are also free and need no account.
Sources
- Jeon and Day (2016), The effectiveness of ER on reading proficiency: A meta-analysis, Reading in a Foreign Language 28(2), University of Hawaii
- Generalitat de Catalunya, Catalan certificates from A1 to C2 (structure of each test and sample tests)
- Generalitat de Catalunya: Parla.cat (free self-study option)
- Generalitat de Catalunya: Voluntariat per la llengua (one hour a week, at least ten meetings)
- Anki, official downloads (free computer version and AnkiDroid)
