When I enrolled at UMass, a big part of my decision was based upon the fact that the university offered courses in Catalan. I had almost no knowledge of the language prior to enrolling in the university, but was very interested in taking some courses. What I did not know was that my experience with Catalan at UMass would change my social life completely, as well as set me up with multiple career options after college.

I had my first experience with Catalan the summer after my freshman year in high school, when my family hosted a boy named Marc from Cabrera de Mar, a small town about half an hour north of Barcelona on the Mediterranean coast. At first, I didn’t even know that the language existed, and I originally mistook it for Spanish, but soon learned that it was in fact a distinct language from Castilian Spanish, and one of the 2 official languages in Catalonia, the north-easternmost region in Spain. Catalan is spoken by around 12 million people worldwide, mostly within mainland Spain, but also in the principality of Andorra, in some parts of southern France, the Balearic Islands, and even in small parts of the Italian island of Sardinia. If I had to describe it briefly, I would say that it’s a mixture of Spanish and French, but that it is still very much its own language. Catalan is also a source of both cultural and political pride for the people of Catalonia, and the language has a rich history that dates back centuries.

After spending a total of five months living with Marc, half of which were spent in his home in Catalonia, I decided that I wanted to learn the language, and therefore did a quick search for which universities offered Catalan classes. This in part led me to UMass.

Without a doubt, the Catalan program at UMass has been the most successful language learning program that I’ve ever experienced (and I’ve studied five foreign languages to some degree, so that is saying something.) This is in large part due to the professors and the class sizes. Guillem Molla, whom I have had for three Catalan classes and one Spanish literature class, has been unbelievably helpful throughout my Catalan journey, both inside and outside the classroom, and has played a huge role in helping me get to the level that I am at now. I can now say confidently that I have achieved fluency after just three years, as a result of classes, my own personal studies, and my study abroad experience.

Last year I was fortunate enough to spend the entire academic year in Barcelona where I studied at Universitat Pompeu Fabra through direct enrollment. I set off alone for Catalonia in September 2015 with two years of Catalan under my belt, and went to live with two natives in the neighborhood of Sants. In addition, every class that I enrolled in, with the exception of one, was composed entirely of native students. Right from the start, people commented to me how impressed they were with my level of Catalan and the fact that I even spoke Catalan at all. I observed that if one were to travel to Barcelona and speak fluent Spanish, many natives would be impressed and applaud his/her accomplishment. However, if a foreigner speaks Catalan, there is an entirely different level of respect. The Catalan language is a symbol of their culture and allows one to connect with the people of Catalonia on a deeper, more interpersonal level. It also prevents marginalization from conversations. Because of Catalan I was able to meet literally over one hundred people, and establish strong friendships. I still use Catalan every day as I talk to close friends and colleagues via WhatsApp, Facebook, E-mail, and Skype. Had I gone abroad without my knowledge of Catalan, my experience would not have been remotely similar, and so the Catalan program and professors have played a crucial part in my college experience.

Towards the end of my stay, while talking with some classmates and a professor at the end of class, my professor (who is also a co-founder of a translation agency located in Barcelona) mentioned to me that there is in fact a high demand for Catalan to English translators, and that it even pays fifteen percent more than Spanish to English translation because of its specialization. He then asked for my contact information, and recently offered me a paid internship as a translator. I have since become affiliated with multiple translation companies around Catalonia and complete multiple paid translations every week. In addition, one of my Catalan friends that I met through Pompeu Fabra recently reached out to me to let me know of an opening (for a native English speaker) at the translation agency where he works, and through contact with the company and my knowledge of Catalan, I now have an interview this Spring for a full-time position after graduation.

Finally, on a cultural scale, the Catalan program, and in particular Catalan 321 have helped me to experience a completely new world. Through the friends that I made and my time abroad I was able to partake in numerous Catalan traditions, such as attend a calçotada – a special Catalan barbecue, hike Montserrat, the famous mountain in Catalonia, participate in a castell or human tower, attend four FC Barcelona games, and more. In addition I discovered various Catalan TV shows and music that help me to maintain Catalan fresh in my mind, and keep it an integral part of my life. I even joined a band in Barcelona with three Catalan friends, and we’re lucky enough to go on tour this February to Madrid, Barcelona, and Bilbao. All of these experiences would not have been possible without my knowledge of Catalan, which I attribute almost entirely to the UMass program.

Without a doubt, this program has best shaped my career at UMass. It has had a significant impact on my life, and will continue to do so in the future, and for that I am extremely grateful. Although it may not be the most popular choice, I highly recommend the Catalan program to anyone who may be interested in traveling to Barcelona, because even a small amount of knowledge of the language will completely change your experience – and it’s extremely easy to learn with a background in Spanish.