Humanities and Social Sciences

Spanish Program

What is Spanish (Portuguese and Catalan)?

Spanish

Spanish is an official language on four continents, as well as of the United Nations and the European Union, and is one of the two main languages of Latin America and the principal one of Spain.

It is the most commonly spoken language after English in the USA. It is the medium of such major works of literature as Don Quixote and One Hundred Years of Solitude, and such well known film directors as Pedro Almodovar and Luis Buñuel. History, politics, the arts, agriculture, exploration… no matter the area, Spanish speaking nations have made significant and enduring contributions.

The Spanish Program also incorporates Portuguese language in both its forms (those of Portugal and Brazil), Catalan and Galician.

Portuguese*

Portuguese is the second most widely spoken Romance language after Spanish, having approximately 200 million speakers spread across four continents and Oceania. It is the language of an old empire, and it has an expanding linguistic future. Australia has economic relations with countries from all over the Portuguese speaking world.* offer subject to availability of external funding.

Catalan

Catalan is a Romance language, closely related to French, Castilian (Spanish), Portuguese and Italian, and the key to a rich culture with a long and vibrant history. It is spoken by approximately seven million people. The study of Catalan at La Trobe is supported by the Generalitat (Catalan Government).