Spanish Language and Culture in Barcelona

The University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia offers a four and three-week summer programs on Spanish Language and Culture in Barcelona. The objective of both programs is to provide students with an understanding of Spanish culture and acquire the basic knowledge of Spanish language by developing basic speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills so that they can communicate in this language in a simple way.

These programs combine Spanish language sessions with cultural lessons, which are comprised of lectures, workshops, seminars, and guided visits.

This program is aimed at undergraduate students who would like to do a four-week summer program on Spanish Language and Culture in Barcelona.

Program 4 weeks

Click here to view the Spanish Language and Culture - June Edition (4 weeks) brochure

Module 1: Culture

1. Spanish culture and society: Discovering the key issues that shape modern Spanish society.

• The land and its people
• Values and customs
• Adapting to multiculturalism
• Spanish economy

2. Architecture in Barcelona: Gothic and Modernism: Barcelona as a referent city of European architecture.

• Gothic architecture and its historical context
• The importance of Modernism in the construction of the new Barcelona: Gaudí, Domènech Montaner, Puig Cadafalch

3. Cross-cultural communication: Effective communication. Successful understanding between people from different cultures: the Spanish communication style.

• Cross-cultural communication
• Verbal and non-verbal communication style
• Doing business in Spain

4. Fashion and design in Spain: Understanding the Spanish culture and society through Fashion and popular brands such as Zara, Mango, Desigual.

• Clothing before the haute-couture system
• Dress and revolution
• Contemporary designers and industry: a global market

5. Spanish cinema: Providing a historical overview of Spanish cinema.

• The origin of Spanish cinema (the silent era)
• Spanish cinema during the civil war (Bardem and Berlanga)
• Contemporary cinema. The end of censorship and the Spanish cinema for the world (Garci and Almodóvar among others)

6. Spanish Art: Picasso, Dalí, and Miró: Uncovering the brilliant work of the three great geniuses of Spanish art.

• Cubism art by Pablo Picasso
• Surrealism art by Salvador Dalí and Joan Miró
• The artists' personalities and their relationship with Barcelona

7. Food culture in Spain: The relevance of fine cuisine in Spanish society.

• Spain as a land of master chefs: Ferran Adrià, Juan Mari Arzak, Roca brothers
• Eating as a social act

8. Sports in Spain: the case of F.C. Barcelona: Discovering the Catalan and Spanish sport system through F.C. Barcelona.

• Popular sports in Spain
• Political issues involved in the Spanish sports context
• Sport management and business

9. Wine management in Spain: Understanding the Spanish wine industry

• Drinking as a social act
• New perspective towards the wine sector in the fields of business management
• Discovering different denominations of origin, learn about vineyards, wine production and marketing

10. Spain in the new era of Mass-communication: The structure of the Spanish media system.

• Spain as an example of a Mediterranean media system
• The media market change as a result of the economic crisis
• Opportunities, challenges, and difficulties of the Spanish media

11. Spanish music: From the typical music of bagpipes in Galicia to the feisty strumming of the flamenco guitar in Andalucía, Spanish music is one of the highlights of Spanish culture.

• Traditional Spanish music
• Spanish singers and music genres
• The case of Flamenco

Module 2: Language

1. Spanish language

The course will provide the basics of the Spanish language: grammar, vocabulary, and communication skills. At the end of the course you’ll be able to:

• Use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type
• Introduce yourself and others and ask and answer questions about personal details
• Interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly
• Read and overall understand very simple texts
• Write a short, simple postcard and fill in forms with personal details

Trips included

• Camp Nou Football Club Barcelona
• Gaudí Tour: Parc Güell
• Gothic Quarter
• Picasso Museum
• Dalí Theater and Museum (Figueres)
• TV3 (Catalan TV Station)
• Modernism City Tour
• Disseny Hub
• Winery
• Tablao Flamenco