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History of Women in the Middle Ages

Code: 100368
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Archaeology OP 4
History OP 4

Contact lecturer

Name :
Vicente Royo Perez
Email :
vicent.royo@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Marina Valls Bonet

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

Have taken the compulsory subjects of the Bachelor's Degree in History and the optative subjects of th Bachelor's Degree in Archaeology relating to the Middle Ages.

Read in Catalan, Spanish, Italian, French and English.

Objectives

The aim of this course is to examine the role of women in different periods between the fifth and fifteenth centuries and across a range of geographical and political settings in Western Europe, through the study of various dimensions of social life, including family, marriage, property, the Church, social class, work, and systems of thought. The course will analyse representations of women as constructed in dominant discourses in order to understand their theoretical foundations and their changing implications for the functioning of gender relations. Particular attention will also be paid to the experiences and direct testimonies of women from different social groups, in both urban and rural contexts, with the aim of giving visibility to women from all social strata and highlighting their importance in the shaping of medieval society. The primary objective of the course is to approach the study of medieval women from a broad and diverse perspective, in accordance with the fundamental principles of gender studies and in line with the major historiographical trends in the study of medieval Europe.

All course content will be taught with due regard to gender perspective issues.

Learning outcomes

  1. Effectively expressing themselves and applying the argumentative and textual processes of formal and scientific texts.
  2. Identifying the context of the historical processes.
  3. Using the specific interpretational and technical vocabulary of the discipline.
  4. Recognising the importance of controlling the quality of the work's results and its presentation.
  5. Applying both knowledge and analytical skills to the resolution of problems related to their area of study.
  6. Autonomously searching, selecting and processing information both from structured sources (databases, bibliographies, specialized magazines) and from across the network.
  7. Using suitable terminology when drawing up an academic text.
  8. Submitting works in accordance with both individual and small group demands and personal styles.
  9. Identifying main and supporting ideas and expressing them with linguistic correctness.
  10. Applying proper techniques and analytical tools in case studies.
  11. Interpreting and analysing documentary sources.
  12. Assessing and critically solving the characteristic historiographical problems of gender history.
  13. Relating elements and factors involved in the development of historical processes.
  14. Organising and planning the search of historical information.
  15. Critically analysing informational speeches, especially in relation to ideology and ethnocentric and sexist bias.
  16. Reading and interpreting historiographical texts or original documents and transcribing, summarizing and cataloguing information produced in the Middle Ages.
  17. Knowing the main historiographical debates concerning the Middle Ages.
  18. Describing the economic, social and political structures of the Middle Ages.
  19. Identifying the main and secondary ideas and expressing them with linguistic correctness.
  20. Properly using the specific vocabulary of History.
  21. Solving problems autonomously.
  22. Recognising and implementing the following teamwork skills: commitment to teamwork, habit of cooperation, ability to participate in the problem solving processes.
  23. Engaging in debates about historical facts respecting the other participants' opinions.
  24. Recognising diversity and multiculturalism.
  25. Analysing the key issues that allow us to address the study of historical phenomena from a gender perspective.
  26. Solve the methodological problems posed by the use of medieval historiographical sources.

Contents

1. History and historiography of women in the Middle Ages.

2. Gender debates in the Middle Ages.

3. Family, heritage and lineage.

4. Daily life and work.

5. Religion, spirituality and popular culture.

6. Power, authority and influence.

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Theorical Classes 27 1.08 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26
Tutorial seasons for the preparation of assignments (oral and written) and for the preparation of theoretical and practical content. 14 0.56 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 20, 22, 25, 26
Individual Study 49 1.96 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26
Seminars and other activities guided by lecturers 13.5 0.54 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26
Elaboration of essays and commentaries. 30 1.2 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26

1. Directed activities.

  • Read and interpret historiographical texts or original documents and transcribe, summarise and catalogue information related to women during the Middle Ages.
  • Describe the gender relations during the Middle Ages.
  • Solve the methodological problems posed by the handling of medieval sources.
  • Develop analytical and synthesis skills.

2. Supervised activities (tutorials).

  • Manage information and coordinate interdisciplinary work with other groups.
  • Guidance in the preparation of the work.

3. Autonomous activities.

  • Read and interpret historiographical texts or original documents and transcribe, summarise and catalogue information related to women during the Middle Ages.
  • Describe the gender relations during the Middle Ages.
  • Solve the methodological problems posed by the handling of medieval sources.
  • Develop analytical and synthesis skills.
  • Communicate orally and in writing the results of the activities.

At the beginning of the course, the lecturers will inform students of the schedule of face-to-face tutorials that will take place during the quadrimester, with the aim of guiding students in the completion of their work and in the general preparation of the practical and theoretical content of the subject.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Partial Exam 35% 1.5 0.06 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 20, 24, 25, 26
Reading control 20% 1.5 0.06 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25
Practical Activity 35% 12 0.48 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26
Discussion 10% 1.5 0.06 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25

CONTINUOUS ASSESTMENT

Evaluation System

The continuous assessment system will be based on the completion of four activities. Below are the types of assessment and the percentage each contributes to the overall grade:


  1. Partial Exam: 35%.
  2. Practical Activity: 35%.
  3. Reading control: 20%
  4. Discussion: 10%.


Scheduling of assessment tests

The teaching staff will announce the first week of class, both in the classroom and through the Virtual Campus, the dates of the evaluation tests. Assessment dates can’t be changed unless there’s an exceptional and well-justified reason. If it is necessary to introduce changes in the evaluation procedure described in the teaching guide or in the dates published in the evaluation calendar due to unforeseen and justified situations, the teaching staff will present and discuss with the affected class group the proposed modification, which must be communicated through the Virtual Campus of the subject as far in advance as possible.

If a student has a documented chronic or acute illness, they can request to postpone the assessment, if it fits within the academic calendar. These requests must be submitted at least seven days in advance and include the required documentation. If the reason is an unexpected situation considered force majeure, the regulations allow the request to be submitted after the scheduled date, provided the documentation is delivered within three working days. This includes situations such as the birth or adoption of a child, or the death of a partner or a close relative (up to second degree). In cases of illness or other circumstances, the documentation must clearly show that the student was not in a condition to take the assessment at the scheduled time. Teaching staff may also use their discretion to consider other circumstances not explicitly listed above.

During the tests, the teachers may require the identification of the students, who must prove their identity by means of their student card, DNI, NIE or passport.

Erasmus students who need to leave before the scheduled assessment dates must provide an official document from their home university, addressed to the Degree Exchange Coordinator, confirming a calendar conflict (an overlap with academic activities at their home institution).

Erasmus and exchange students who request to advance an exam must present a document from their home university justifying their request.


Instructions for the assestment

To pass the course, students must achieve an overall average mark of 5 or higher across all assessment activities. Furthermore, to calculate the average, it is mandatory to pass at least the partial examen or the practical activity with a minimum mark of 5. Students who fail both tests must sit the resit exam, regardless of their weighted average. Any activity that is not completed or submitted will be graded as 0 for the purpose of calculating the final average.

The four assessment tasks require students to be present in the classroom at some stage of their completion. The partial exam, the reading assessment, and the debate will take place in class according to the timetable established by the Facultat de Filosofia i Lletres. The practical activity will combine students’ independent work, a visit to the Arxiu de la Catedral de Barcelona (only for students who are able to attend in person), and the completion of assessable classroom-based activities during the regular class hours. To facilitate planning and organisation, the teaching staff will provide information on the nature of these activities and the dates on which they will take place during the first week of the semester.

Students may earn up to an additional 0.5 points on their final average by attending seminars, conferences, congresses, or other activities previously approved by the course instructors, provided they are directly related to the subject matter. Attendance must be certified and a brief report on the activity submitted. The teaching staff will provide specific guidelines at the beginning of the semester. These 0.5 extra points will only be applied if the course has been passed and may not be used to reach the minimum passing grade of 5 or to avoid the resit exam. Likewise, the final coursegrade may not exceed 10.

The final grade of the subject will be rounded to one decimal place in the academic record. When the final grade is one tenth away from a qualitative grade change, it will be rounded to the subsequent score (4.9 → 5; 6.9 → 7; 8.9 → 9).

All submitted work will be evaluated on spelling accuracy, clarity of expression, and proper writing. Serious deficiencies in these areas may result in failure to pass the course.


Review and Re-evaluation

On carrying out each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place.

Students may access the resit examination provided that all required assessment activities have been submitted or completed within the deadlines set by the teaching staff. No new activity may be submitted for the first time during the resit period.

To participate in the resit process, the student must have been previously assessed in activities that amount to at least two-thirds of the total assessment weight.

In order to be eligible for the resit, students must have obtained an average mark of at least 3.5 across all assessment activities. Students who do not reach this threshold will not be permitted to take the resit exam.

The resit will consist of a written exam covering the entire course content and will take place on the date scheduled by the faculty.

Resits will not be considered an opportunity to improve marks.

Students will obtain a not assessed/not submitted course grade unless they have submitted more than 30 % of the assessment items.


Irregularities and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.

Any form of misconduct (e.g. plagiarism, copying, use of unauthorised devices such as digital watches, smartphones, headphones, or similar items) will result in a grade of 0 for the relevant activity, which will not be eligible for resit.

This subject entirely prohibits the use of AI technologies in all of its activities. Any submitted work that contains content generated using AI will be considered academic dishonesty; the corresponding grade will be awarded a zero, without the possibility of reassessment. In cases of greater infringement, more serious action may be taken.

The sessions and their contents are protected by intellectual property and data protection regulations. Recording, reproducing, or sharing classes or participants' contributions is not permitted without prior authorization. Any recording must be expressly authorized.



SINGLE ASSESTMENT

Evaluation System

The single assessment system will be based on the completion of four activities. Below are the types of assessment and the percentage each contributes to the overall grade:


  1. Partial Exam: 35%.
  2. Practical Activity: 35%.
  3. Reading control: 20%
  4. Discussion: 10%.


Scheduling of assessment tests

The teaching staff will announce the first week of class, both in the classroom and through the Virtual Campus, the single date for the completion and delivery of the evaluation tests. Assessment dates can’t be changed unless there’s an exceptional and well-justified reason. If it is necessary to introduce changes in the evaluation procedure described in the teaching guide or in the dates published in the evaluation calendar due to unforeseen and justified situations, the teaching staff will present and discuss with the affected class group the proposed modification, which must be communicated through the Virtual Campus of the subject as far in advance as possible.

If a student has a documented chronic or acute illness, they can request to postpone the assessment, if it fits within the academic calendar. These requests must be submitted at least seven days in advance and include the required documentation. If the reason is an unexpected situation considered force majeure, the regulations allow the request to be submitted after the scheduled date, provided the documentation is delivered within three working days. This includes situations such as the birth or adoption of a child, or the death of a partner or a close relative (up to second degree). In cases of illness or other circumstances, the documentation must clearly show that the student was not in a condition to take the assessment at the scheduled time. Teaching staff may also use their discretion to consider other circumstances not explicitly listed above.

During the tests, the teachers may require the identification of the students, who must prove their identity by means of their student card, DNI, NIE or passport.

Erasmus students who need to leave before the scheduled assessment dates must provide an official document from their home university, addressed to the Degree Exchange Coordinator, confirming a calendar conflict (an overlap with academic activities at their home institution).

Erasmus and exchange students who request to advance an exam must present a document from their home university justifying their request.


Instructions for the assestment

Choosing the single assessment exempt the student from attending classes.

To pass the course, students must achieve an overall average mark of 5 or higher across all assessment activities. Furthermore, to calculate the average, it is mandatory to pass at least the partial examen or the practical activity with a minimum mark of 5. Students who fail both tests must sit the resit exam, regardless of their weighted average. Any activity that is not completed or submitted will be graded as 0 for the purpose of calculating the final average.

Students opting for the single assessment scheme will be exempt from participating in any on-campus activities throughout the semester. In their case, all four assessment tasks will be completed on the same day, which will be announced during the first week of the semester, and will follow the same guidelines as those governing the corresponding tasks for students enrolled in continuous assessment. Accordingly, the partial exam and the reading assessment will take the form of written exercises; the practical activity will combine a written and an oral component; and, finally, the debate will be assessed exclusively through an oral component.

Students may earn up to an additional 0.5 points on their final average by attending seminars, conferences, congresses, or other activities previously approved by the course instructors, provided they are directly related to the subject matter. Attendance must be certified and a brief report on the activity submitted. The teaching staff will provide specific guidelines at the beginning of the semester. These 0.5 extra points will only be applied if the course has been passed and may not be used to reach the minimum passing grade of 5 or to avoid the resit exam. Likewise, the final coursegrade may not exceed 10.

The final grade of the subject will be rounded to one decimal place in the academic record. When the final grade is one tenth away from a qualitative grade change, it will be rounded to the subsequent score (4.9 → 5; 6.9 → 7; 8.9 → 9).

All submitted work will be evaluated on spelling accuracy, clarity of expression, and proper writing. Serious deficiencies in these areas may result in failure to pass the course.


Review and Re-evaluation

On carrying out each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place.

The same assessment method as continuous assessment will be used.

Students will obtain a not assessed/not submitted course grade unless they have submitted more than 30 % of the assessment items.


Irregularities and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.

Any form of misconduct (e.g. plagiarism, copying, use of unauthorised devices such as digital watches, smartphones, headphones, or similar items) will result in a grade of 0 for the relevant activity, which will not be eligible for resit.

This subject entirely prohibits the use of AI technologies in all of its activities. Any submitted work that contains content generated using AI will be considered academic dishonesty; the corresponding grade will be awarded a zero, without the possibility of reassessment. In cases of greater infringement, more serious action may be taken.

The sessions and their contents are protected by intellectual property and data protection regulations. Recording, reproducing, or sharing classes or participants' contributions is not permitted without prior authorization. Any recording must be expressly authorized.

Bibliography

Recommended basic bibliography

Aurell, Martí: Les noces del comte. Matrimoni i poder a Catalunya (785-1213). Barcelona: Omega, 1998.

Bennett, Judith M.: Women in the Medieval English Countryside: Gender and Household in Brigstock before the Plague. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987.

Bennett, Judith M. & Ruth Mazo Karras (ed.): The Oxford Handbook of Women and Gender in Medieval Europe. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013.

Canning, Kathleen: Gender History in Practice: Historical Perspectives on Bodies, Class and Citizenship. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2006.

Castrillo Casado, Janire: Las mujeres vascas durante la Baja Edad Media: vida familiar, capacidades jurídicas, roles sociales y trabajo. Madrid: Sílex, 2020.

Charpentier, Emmanuelle & Didier Lett (dir.): Le village à l’épreuve du genre dans l’Occident médiéval et moderne (Actes du 41e colloque de Flaran). Toulouse, Presses universitaires du Mirail, 2024.

Corral Díaz, Esther (ed.): Voces de mujeres en la Edad Media: entre realidad y ficción. De Gruyter, 2018.

De Pisan, Cristina: La ciudad de las Damas. Madrid: Siruela, 1995.

Del Campo Gutiérrez, Ana & Blanca Garí de Aguilera: Vidas de mujeres del Renacimiento. Barcelona: Universitat de Barcelona, 2007.

Del Val Valdivieso, María Isabel & Juan Francisco Jiménez Alcázar (coord.): Las mujeres en la Edad Media. Múrcia: Universidad de Murcia, 2013.

Duby, Georges & Michelle Perrot (dir.): Historia de las mujeres. La Edad Media. Madrid: Taurus, 1992.

Foquerne, Yves-René & Isabel Alfonso Antón: La condición de la mujer en la Edad Media.Madrid: Casa de Velázquez-Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 1986.

Gallego Franco, Henar & María del Carmen García Herrero (ed.): Autoridad, poder e influencia. Mujeres que hacen Historia. Barcelona: Icaria, 2017.

García Herrero, María del Carmen: Del Nacer y el Vivir. Fragmentospara una historia de la vida en la Baja Edad Media. Saragossa: Institución “Fernando el Católico”, 2005. Online: https://ifc.dpz.es/recursos/publicaciones/25/10/_ebook.pdf.

García Herrero, María del Carmen: Artesanas de Vida. Mujeres de la Edad Media. Saragossa: Institución “Fernando el Católico”, 2009. Online: https://ifc.dpz.es/recursos/publicaciones/29/52/_ebook.pdf.

García Herrero, María del Carmen & Cristina Pérez Galán (coord.): Las mujeres de la Edad Media: actividades políticas, socioeconómicas y culturales. Saragossa: Institución “Fernando el Católico”, 2014. Online: https://ifc.dpz.es/recursos/publicaciones/34/06/_ebook.pdf.

Graña Cid, María del Mar (ed.): Las sabias mujeres: educación, saber y autoría (siglos III-XVIII). Madrid: Asociación Cultural Al-Mudayna, 1994.

Muñoz Fernández, Ángela & Cristina Segura Graíño (ed.): El trabajo de las mujeres en la Edad Media Hispana. Madrid: Almudayna, 1988.

Pelaz Flores, Diana: Poder y representación de la reina en la Corona de Castilla (1418-1496). Valladolid: Junta de Castilla y León, 2017.

Saranyana, Josep Ignasi: La discusión medieval sobre la condición femenina (siglos VIII al XIII). Salamanca: Publicaciones de la Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca, 1997.

Segura Graíño, Cristina: Las mujeres en las ciudades medievales: Actas de las III Jornadas de Investigación interdisciplinaria sobre la mujer. Madrid: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 1988.

Solórzano Telechea, Jesús Ángel et alii (coord.): Ser mujer en la ciudad medieval europea. Logroño: Instituto de Estudios Riojanos, 2013.

Vinyoles Vidal, Teresa: Història de les dones a la Catalunya medieval. Barcelona: Eumo-Pagès Editors, 2005.

Woodacre, Elena: Mediterranean Queenship; Negotiating the Role of the Queen in the Medieval and Early Modern Era. Palgrave Macmillan, 2013.



Complementary bibliography

Aguado, Ana María & GloriaNielfa Cristóbal (coord.): Textos para la historia de las mujeres en España. Madrid: Cátedra, 1994.

Amt, Emilie: Women’s lives in Medieval Europe: a sourcebook, 2010.

Bolufer Peruga, Mónica: Mujeres y hombres en la Historia. Una propuesta historiográfica y docente. Madrid: Comares, 2018.

Cardini, Franco: Magia, brujería y superstición en el occidente medieval. Barcelona: Península, 1982.

Colesanti, Gemma, Blanca Garí de Aguilera & Núria Jornet i Benito (coord.): Clarisas y dominicas: modelos de implantación, filiación, promoción y devosión en la Península Ibérica, Cerdeña, Nápoles y Sicilia. Florència: Firenze University Press, 2017.

Del Val Valdivieso, María Isabel & Cristina Segura Graíño: La participación de las mujeres en lo político: mediación, representación y toma de decisiones. Madrid: Asociación Cultural Almudayna, 2011.

Domingo, Dolors: A la recerca d'Aurembiaix d'Urgell. Lleida: Universitat de Lleida, 2007.

Dronke, Peter: Las escritoras de la Edad Media. Barcelona: Crítica, 1994.

García Herrero, María del Carmen: Las mujeres de Zaragoza en el siglo XV. Saragossa: Prensas de la Universidad de Zaragoza, 2 vol., 2006.

Garí de Aguilera, Blanca & Victoria Cirlot Valenzuela: La mirada interior: escritoras místicas y visionarias en la Edad Media. Madrid: Ediciones Siruela, 2008.

Gies, Frances % Joseph Gies: Women in the Middle Ages: the lives of real women in a vibrant age of transition. Nova York: Barnes and Nobles Books, 1978.

Hartnell, Jack: Medieval Bodies. Life, Death and Art in the Middle Ages. Profile Books, 2018.

Lafuente Gómez, Mario & Ángela Muñoz Fernández (coord.): Campesinas, burguesas y señoras en la Baja Edad Media. Saragossa: Prensas de la Universidad de Zaragoza, 2024.

Mercuri, Chiari: La revolución del amor cortés. María de Francia y el nacimiento del feminismo medieval. Altamarea: 2026.

Moral de Calatrava, Paloma: La mujer imaginada. La construcción cultural del cuerpo en la Edad Media. Múrcia: Nausicaä, 2008.

Pallarés Méndez, María del Carmen: Historia das mulleres en Galicia. Idade Media. Santiago de Compostela, 2011.

Pelaz Flores, Diana: La casa de la reina en la Corona de Castilla (1418-1496). Valladolid: Universidad de Valladolid, 2017.

Pelaz Flores, Diana: Reinas consortes: las reinas de Castilla entre los siglos XIV-XV. Madrid: Sílex, 2017.

Rivera Garretas, María Milagros: Textos y espacios de mujeres (Europa siglos IV-XV). Barcelona: Icaria, 1990.

Roca, Maria Carme: Abadesses i priores a la Catalunya medieval. Barcelona: Base, 2014.

Rodríguez Casillas, Carlos J. (ed.): Mujer y guerra en la Edad Media: liderazgo militar femenino en la Península Ibérica y el ámbito mediterráneo. Cáceres: Universidad de Extremadura, 2023.

Sardina, Patrizia (ed.): Dissentire, lottare, trasgredire: “donne contro” nell’ Europa Medievale. Officina di Studi Medievali, 2026.

Segura Graíño, Cristina (ed.): La voz del silencio I. Fuentes directas para la historia de las mujeres (siglos VIII-XVIII). Asociación Cultural Al-Mudayna, 1992.

Segura Graíño, Cristina (ed.): La voz del silencio II. Historia de las mujeres: compromiso y método. Asociación Cultural Al-Mudayna, 1993.

Varela Rodríguez, Maria Elisa (ed.): Duoda, mare, escriptora, teòloga i comtessa del segle IX: el manual pel seu fill. Biblioteca Virtual de Investigación Duoda, 2013. https://www.ub.edu/duoda/bvid/text.php?doc=Duoda:text:2013.07.0001.


How to cite and preparate the bibliography: https://www.uab.cat/web/estudia-iinvestiga/com-citar-i-elaborar-la-bibliografia-1345708785665.html

Software

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Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Catalan first semester morning-mixed