Language policy

Languages of Instruction

The languages of instruction for each course are established specifically for each group, seminar, or practical session, and are mandatory for both faculty and students. These cannot be changed without prior authorization. This commitment to maintaining the language specified in the course syllabus throughout the academic year ensures transparency and linguistic security for all parties involved, including both students and professors.

The languages of instruction are clearly indicated in the course syllabus, which is accessible for public consultation through the "Study Plan" section of the respective program on the ESIHMar website.

The language of instruction refers to the language predominantly used by the instructor for teaching, both orally and in writing, including exam statements, tests, and teaching materials prepared by the instructor. If a course includes more than one language of instruction, the instructor may alternate between them freely, both in oral and written formats. Therefore, enrolled students must be able to understand both oral explanations and written materials, as well as exam statements or tests, in any of the languages used.

Since the language of instruction cannot be modified without authorization, any student request for a change is inappropriate. Consequently, the instructor cannot agree to such requests under any circumstances, as doing so would compromise the linguistic security of both the students and potentially the instructor. In response to any request for a language change, it is essential to invoke the principle of linguistic security that governs and regulates the academic activities of the University. It is also important to remind the student that this information has already been clearly communicated through the course syllabus, the program's website, or exchange coordinators, in the case of international students. Moreover, the University offers a variety of tools and resources to the university community, including training, information, and support, to ensure that everyone can acquire the necessary language skills in at least the three main languages used at the University.

Adhering to the published language or languages of instruction is a guarantee for both students and faculty.

Responsibilities

Ensuring that the languages of instruction indicated in the course guides are respected is a shared responsibility. The duties are distributed as follows:

Program Directors (Undergraduate) and Department Directors (Master's)

  • Ensure that all courses and groups have a designated language of instruction before the start of classes.
  • Communicate to the professors the language(s) of instruction for the groups they teach.
  • Address any issues/complaints related to the languages of instruction established in the course plans.
  • Report any language-related issues/complaints to the Academic Management Service at the end of each term.

Professors

  • Be aware of the language(s) of instruction established for the courses they teach.
  • Conduct the courses in the designated language(s) of instruction.
  • Report any issues/complaints regarding the language of instruction of the groups they teach to the dean or department director.

Students

  • Be aware of the language(s) of instruction for the courses they are enrolled in before the start of classes.
  • Submit a written request to the dean (for undergraduate courses) or department director (for master's courses) in the event of a change in the language of instruction from what was initially communicated for the group.

Linguistic Complaints Box

For cases affecting teaching or general matters, please use the following form:

Linguistic Complaints Box

The established procedure for filing a linguistic complaint or incident when members of the university community feel that their linguistic rights have been affected by an internal action or omission is as follows:

  1. The individual submits the incident or complaint using a form directed to the centre's director.
  2. Requests received through the form are received by the Secretariat and forwarded to the Head of Studies, with a copy sent to the director's inbox.
  3. The Secretariat provides the information to the study direction to resolve the incident or complaint.
  4. The Secretariat implements any actions resulting from the resolution made by the study direction.
  5. The Secretariat incorporates the information into the report on incidents and complaints regarding changes in the language of instruction in undergraduate and official master's degree courses (according to the agreement of the Interuniversity Council of Catalonia).
  6. The Vice-Rectorate for Teaching at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) is responsible for collecting this data and forwarding it to the Department of Research and Universities.
  7. The annual UPF linguistic policy report includes a quarterly review of incidents or complaints related to the languages of instruction. Periodically, the detected incidents or complaints are evaluated, and improvement proposals are made to the centres.

The annual UPF linguistic policy report includes a quarterly review of incidents or complaints related to the languages of instruction. Periodically, the detected incidents or complaints are evaluated, and improvement proposals are made to the centres.