The School of Modern Languages of UB celebrates its 60th anniversary with 5,369 students
This year, the School of Modern Languages (EIM) of the University of Barcelona, which was the first university language school in Catalonia, celebrates its 60th anniversary. Founded by the writer and professor Ramón Carnicer in 1953, EIM introduced modern ideas regarding language teaching at the university. Now, sixty years later, it continues teaching languages to a high number of students: around 5,000 every year. To commemorate the anniversary, the School presents the book 20 languages, 40 stories, 60 years. The Escola dʼIdiomes Moderns (1953-2013). Edited by Publicacions i Edicions de la UB, the publication (bilingual Catalan-English) makes a review of EIMʼs history and includes forty reports made by different people —executives, teachers, members of the administrative staff, grantholders and students— who have contributed to the success of the centre throughout these sixty years.
This year, the School of Modern Languages (EIM) of the University of Barcelona, which was the first university language school in Catalonia, celebrates its 60th anniversary. Founded by the writer and professor Ramón Carnicer in 1953, EIM introduced modern ideas regarding language teaching at the university. Now, sixty years later, it continues teaching languages to a high number of students: around 5,000 every year. To commemorate the anniversary, the School presents the book 20 languages, 40 stories, 60 years. The Escola dʼIdiomes Moderns (1953-2013). Edited by Publicacions i Edicions de la UB, the publication (bilingual Catalan-English) makes a review of EIMʼs history and includes forty reports made by different people —executives, teachers, members of the administrative staff, grantholders and students— who have contributed to the success of the centre throughout these sixty years.
The presentation of the book takes place on Monday 7 April, at midday, at the Aula Magna of the Historic Building. The rector of UB, Dr Dídac Ramírez, chairs the event. Participating personalities are: Lluís Jofre, director general for Universities of the Government of Catalonia; Doireann MacDermott, widow of Ramón Carnicer and co-founder of EIM; Xavier Varea, director of EIM and the Àrea de Formació Complementària of UB, and Philip Banks, EIMʼs former director and current teacher. Moreover, Andrés Sarri, EIMʼs student in 1953 and nowadays, and M. Pau Huguet, TV3 journalist and EIMʼs student, explain their experiences at the School.
More than eighteen languages and 5,000 students every year
At present, with more than eighteen languages being taught and five thousand students, the initial aim of offering quality courses continues to be achieved every year. “Probably, the aspect that most differentiates us from other language schools in Barcelona is the connection we have with UB: EIM offers courses at different UBʼs campus and a flexible timetable which is not offered by any other centre”, highlights the director, Xavier Varea. So, EIM is the university language school that offers the largest number of language courses in Catalonia. This academic year, EIM has 5,369 students and offers courses in eighteen languages: German, English, Arabic, Danish, Finnish, Franch, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Dutch, Norwegian, Farsi, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish and Chinese.
Generally, English is the most popular foreign language; in 2013-2014 academic year it has 3,847 students. The other most studied languages are German, French and Italian; this year, they have a total of 1,253 students.
Badalonaʼs office and EIMʼs accreditation
At its headquarters —located at the Casa Jeroni Granell, in Barcelonaʼs downtown—, EIM wants to promote the relationship between the University and Catalan society, and be an opportunity for UB graduates to keep in contact with the activity carried out at the University. “If some time ago it was considered an academic support for UB students, nowadays EIM provides the society with a service that is gaining importance”, states Varea.
In this sense, in the academic year 2013-2014, EIM crossed the borders of Barcelonaʼs city and opened a new office at El Carme Culture Centre in Badalona. EIM is having an important impact in Badalona. “Badalonaʼs citizens have welcomed UB and are quite interested in its courses and activities”, emphasizes Varea. Figures prove it: in Badalona, the School has 493 students and offers courses in five languages (German, English, Italian, French and Russian).
Its vocation for public service led the School to commit itself to high-quality language learning. The EIMʼs accreditation for language schools was created; it means a new way of ensuring rigour and excellence in language teaching. EIM is also one of the promoters of the Language Certificate of Catalan Universities (CLUC) —unheard-of at other Spanish universities—, an examination that proves peopleʼs English level. “Nowadays, language skills can be gained by many different ways. Therefore, accreditation is more and more our task in the society because public institutions must guarantee that scattered language education is levelled down”, concludes Varea.
Teaching foreign languages for sixty years
The ministerial order of 15 March 1954 established the official creation of EIM, although it had already been working for five months (teaching activity started the previous year in October). It was founded by the professor of Philology from UB Ramón Carnicer (1912-2007), together with his wife, the philologist Doireann MacDermott —they also created the Spanish Language Courses the previous year. “Its objective did not differ so much from todayʼs one: to offer affordable foreign language training to the university community in order to help them to work with materials written in other languages and contact with international experts”, explains Philip Banks, one of the oldest hands among Schoolʼs teaching staff. EIM became the first university language school in Catalonia at a moment when borders began to be opened, but opportunities to learn foreign languages were very limited.
In its first year, only two languages, namely English and German, were taught, and a total of 457 students took courses; the following year French and Italian were added to the offer, and the number of students rose to 669. In the next decade, a fifth language was added, Russian, “it was a brave action, particularly if we consider that time political situation”, remembers Banks.
From the eighties, the School extended its course and service offerings to adapt it to modern times; the number of students increased from 1,425 students in the academic year 1980-1981, to 3,220 students in 1990-1991. With a wide offer of courses of varying duration and characteristics, the School has met the needs of the University which has experienced an important process of internationalization —Erasmus exchanges are an example. Furthermore, the School started to offer other services, for instance courses for the administrative and service staff, the Language Consultancy Service and the Self-Access Language Learning Centre.