Demand for Catalan courses booming, with 9,000 on waiting list
Since 2019, there have been 10,000 more requests, while the number of seats has only increased by 1,500
The demand for Catalan courses offered by the Consortium for Linguistic Normalization (CPNL), a group of public institutions, is at an all-time high.
In 2024, more than 9,000 people were on waiting lists. Since 2019, demand has increased by 10,000 requests, while only 1,500 new places have been created.
However, the number of places offered is higher than ever, with 91,337 places spread across 170 cities, which is also a record.
Most of those without a place, 83%, are new speakers waiting for the basic Catalan course (A2).
Barcelona is by far the city with the largest waiting list in 2024, with 3,600 people, more than double the number 10 years ago. However, it is not the place where demand has increased the most.
The city with the highest increase in demand is Manresa, in central Catalonia, followed by Tortosa, in southern Catalonia, Igualada, in the interior of Catalonia.
The new data revealed by the Catalan News Agency (ACN) sheds light on an issue first brought to light by the street vendors' union, which complained that it was "almost impossible" to access a course of Catalan since the CNPL "collapsed. "
The minister for linguistic policy, Francesc Xavier Vila, has admitted that the CPNL's offer is insufficient in the face of the "booming arrival" of new population.
In order to meet the demand, the government is working on a "relaunch" of the consortium so that "no one is left out."
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