EFUOLC

EFUOLC project (Strategies for promoting the oral use of the Catalan language) focuses on the creation, implementation, and evaluation of the TuCAT program, an educational initiative aimed at promoting the oral use of Catalan in nursery, primary, and secondary schools in Catalonia. The project seeks to respond to the need to reinforce the active presence of Catalan in schools, especially in contexts where its use is weaker, such as Barcelona and the Metropolitan Area.

The fundamental objective of EFUOLC is to promote solid oral communication skills in Catalan, both among teachers and students. To achieve this, the project aims to improve teachers' linguistic confidence, update their sociolinguistic knowledge, and increase their assertiveness when managing language use inside and outside the classroom. In addition, it seeks to encourage wider use of Catalan among students, not only in the classroom but also in school playgrounds and cafeterias.

The project is rolled out through an experimental, longitudinal design, which involves selecting a sample of schools with similar characteristics. These are divided into two groups: control and experimental. The experimental group is offered TuCAT training, and the impact of the program is analyzed through observation and data collection before, during, and after its implementation. The program is specifically aimed at key grades in the education system: 5th, 1st, 5th, and 6th grades of primary school, and 1st and 2nd grades of secondary school.

TuCAT is based on an interactive and cooperative approach, which facilitates the incorporation of Catalan as the usual language of interaction in the classroom. In addition, specific strategies are designed for non-teaching time, such as group dynamics to encourage the use of Catalan during meals and playground games, with the active participation of teaching staff and cafeteria supervisors.

The project will be rolled out in four phases between 2024 and 2027. The first phase includes selecting the participating centers and developing the training materials. The second phase focuses on piloting the program and training staff. During the third phase, TuCAT will be fully implemented in the pilot centers, with active observation and monitoring. Finally, the fourth phase is dedicated to analyzing results and disseminating the project's impacts and conclusions, with the preparation of final reports.