More than the language.
The places, festivals, food, and social customs of Barcelona and Catalonia, in short notes within the lessons, read aloud in Catalan.
The whole A1 level is free: no limits, no credit card.
Culture notes within the story.
When the story covers something worth knowing, a short note explains it: a picture, a few lines read aloud in Catalan, and their translation.
- "Did you know?" cards add one fact worth telling, checked against its source.
- Short enough to read in a minute, and never a test.
From Gràcia to Catalonia.
Marta's apartment is in Gràcia, where the story begins: its streets, corner bar, and market. Here are two notes about the neighborhood from an early episode.
- The first season takes place around Barcelona: the airport, the metro, the city office, and Poblenou.
- Later seasons travel across Catalonia, as far as the Empordà coast.
The year, festival by festival.
The story follows the Catalan calendar: what people do, eat, and say on each occasion, and where.
Food and drink
What people eat, when they eat it, and what they say at the table.
Small social rules
Greetings, politeness, and what to say in different situations.
Places
Neighborhoods, streets and towns, and the stories behind their names.
Curiosities
The origin of a word or custom, explained in a short card.
The Catalan of Barcelona.
The course teaches modern Central Catalan, as spoken in Barcelona today, following the standard of the Institut d'Estudis Catalans. Informal, colloquial language is welcome; textbook stiffness is not.
- Every word you learn to use, every card, and every key phrase is in the Barcelona variety.
- Later in the story, you meet people from Valencia and the Balearic Islands who speak their own varieties. A short note explains what you hear, and you're never asked to use those varieties.
Questions about culture.
Where does culture come in?
Inside the lessons, with an occasional note when the story covers something worth knowing. There's no separate culture course to keep up with.
Are the notes in Catalan?
Yes. The notes are read aloud, with a translation in your language.
Are the facts checked?
Each fact comes from a source, rather than being a guess. If you spot a mistake, tell us.
Is it only Barcelona?
The story starts there. Later seasons travel across Catalonia and introduce people from other Catalan-speaking places.
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