Learner shops
Comerços aprenents is a project that provides local businesses with essential Catalan language training for people who provide customer service but speak very little Catalan. These people often cannot attend a Catalan course due to their work schedules, and for this reason, the linguistic normalisation officers come to the shop to offer them these training sessions.
FOR THE SHOP
What do you gain?
- To be able to understand and reply to Catalan-speaking customers.
- Dissemination as a learner shop on the CPNL’s website and social networks.
- A certificate of recognition to display in your establishment.
How do we do it?
- CPNL officers s come to your shop once or twice a week, Monday to Friday, at the time that suits you best.
- There are a total of 15 training sessions lasting about 15 minutes adapted to the needs of the workers. We also monitor their progress.
What can you learn?
- Formulas for greetings and farewells, numbers for prices, days of the week, etc.: basic Catalan for understanding your customers.
- The vocabulary for the products in your shops.
- Aspects of linguistic awareness so that you understand the advantages of serving customers in Catalan.
FOR CITIZENS
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The people who participate in the Comerços aprenents project need you to help them speak more and better Catalan.
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To begin with, say ‘good morning’ in Catalan (‘bon dia’).
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Ask them simple questions
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Continue speaking in Catalan so that they can practise it with you.
During the face-to-face visits, the employees’ language skills are worked on for 15 minutes. Based on their knowledge of Catalan, the contents are adapted to the communicative needs of each situation. Thus, the vocabulary, phraseology and communicative situations meet their practical needs.
This project requires the CPNL to have a great deal of flexibility to adapt to the timetables, shifts and the need to attend to customers. Therefore, the content that is taught and practised is adapted to the workers’ specific needs so they can make the most of it and create more opportunities to interact in Catalan with customers who wish to do so.
The participating businesses are mainly bars, greengrocers and grocery shops.
Since 2021, the pilot phase of Comerços aprenents has been carried out in 23 Catalan cities (Badalona, Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Cornellà de Llobregat, Girona, Granollers, Lleida, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Manresa, Mataró, Mollet del Vallès, El Prat de Llobregat, Reus, Rubí, Sabadell, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Tarragona, Terrassa, El Vendrell, Vic, Vilafranca del Penedès and Vilanova i la Geltrú). Other cities, often linked to the Ofercat plans, will be joining this project.
Check the projects carried out so far.
