Barcelona city council and the Catalan government have signed an agreement to expand Catalan language learning opportunities in Barcelona, starting in the 2026-2027 academic year. The deal will create around 5,000 new annual course spots for adults learning Catalan and add 23 new professionals to the Consortium for Linguistic Normalisation's Barcelona centre.
Barcelona's financial contribution to the language centre will increase from €1.9 million to €3.1 million, becoming part of the organisation's permanent structural funding. This expansion will raise the number of annual Catalan course spots in Barcelona from 30,500 to 35,500, according to officials.
Mayor Jaume Collboni stated the goal is to eliminate waiting lists and "reach practically 100% of unmet demand." The Barcelona Language Normalization Centre will also increase its workforce from 200 to 223 staff members to support the new capacity.
Boosting Language Learning Capacity
Mayor Collboni announced the agreement alongside Catalan language policy secretary Francesc Xavier Vila and Barcelona commissioner for the social use of Catalan Marta Salicrú. Collboni said that "Never before have so many Catalan courses been offered in the city of Barcelona."
Vila described the agreement as a "structural and permanent strengthening" of the system. He added that the "demand for Catalan is strong and requires significant deployment," explaining that the funding will help authorities plan long-term learning opportunities "for those who are already here and those who will come in the future."
Salicrú explained that waiting lists for Catalan courses fluctuate throughout the year. During the first quarter, around 2,000 people were on waiting lists, while the second quarter saw approximately 1,700 people waiting for a place. "Based on this estimate, we have concluded that 5,000 spots will be sufficient to meet waiting list demand throughout the entire school year," she said.
She also noted that around 6% of waiting lists are considered normal, linked to organisational and scheduling challenges that are difficult to eliminate completely.
Part of a Wider Language Plan
This agreement is part of the Catalan government's broader 'Plan to Promote Catalan'. This plan operates within the framework of Spain's extraordinary migrant regularisation process, which was approved a few weeks ago. The initiative offers more than 150,000 Catalan teaching and certification spots at A1 and A2 levels during the 2026-2027 academic year, which is around 50,000 more than currently available.
The agreement also aligns with the objectives of the National Language Pact, an initiative that the Barcelona city council joined last September. The increased funding and course availability aim to ensure that more residents can access Catalan language education, supporting its use and integration within the community.
