Language resources
Do you want to improve your oral and written communications in English, Catalan or Spanish?
Check the resources below, developed by the Language Service and the Library to help you use language more correctly.
English language resources
On the UOC Language & Style site you'll find resources and criteria to help you when working in English.
Below we've highlighted pages from the site as well as some of the reference works and tools recommended in the UOC Library's English language resources guide.
This handbook, produced by the UOC's Language Service, details accepted conventions for spelling, morphology and syntax in English, comparing them to Catalan.
Check the UOC's criteria to find out what names of people, places, institutions or studies should or shouldn't be translated into other languages.
Discover solutions and alternative strategies to include the gender perspective in English.
English doesn't have a single set of rules; instead, there are conventions and their interpretations, with slight variations between English-speaking countries. Check the main differences between US and British English.
>Go to the page on differences between British and American English
The following resources – which are listed together with the UOC Language & Style site in the UOC Library's English language resources guide – are particularly useful.
- Oxford Dictionary of English (3a. ed.)
(Sign in via your institution, i.e. the UOC.) Dictionaries are a key tool when it comes to making sure that your spelling is correct and your content has the desired meaning. The example sentences showing how each word can be used are also extremely valuable. The UOC generally follows the Oxford English Dictionary spelling.
- Merriam-Webster
If you're looking for US English spelling, we recommend you use the Merriam-Webster online dictionary.
- Five tips to improve your academic writing and assessment activities
A UOC Library webpage with practical tips from the UOC's Language Service to improve the quality of your writing and ensure effective communication.
- Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)
Purdue University makes a large number of recommendations for writing all kinds of academic texts available to the public. Its Online Writing Lab (OWL) contains guidelines for, among other things, general writing and research, specific fields, and people who speak English as their second language.
Catalan language resources
On the Llengua i estil de la UOC site you'll find criteria, conventions and resources to help you perfect your language skills.
Below we've highlighted pages from that site as well as some of the reference works and tools recommended in the UOC Library's Catalan language resources guide.
This is a collection of spelling, grammar and lexical criteria that you can check if you're not sure about something or want to make your writing as correct as possible.
The content in this section has been written in accordance with the normative grammar of the Institute of Catalan Studies.
>Go to the page on language criteria (this resource is in Catalan)
Recommendations for effective writing and instructions for drafting institutional documents and texts in both academia and the professional world.
>Go to the page on effective communication and writing (this resource is in Catalan)
Language criteria to ensure the formal coherence of texts beyond the rules of grammar and spelling. This contains instructions on how to write mathematical formulae or bibliographic references, how to use abbreviations or different typefaces (such as bold or italics) or when to translate names in other languages into Catalan, among many other matters.
>Go to the page on formal conventions (this resource is in Catalan)
This is a collection of strategies and solutions to include and give visibility to both sexes in the Catalan language.
>Go to the page on non-sexist use of language (this resource is in Catalan)
You can also check this summary infographic (resource in Catalan) and download it in PDF format.
The following resources – which are listed together with the Llengua i estil de la UOC site in the UOC Library's Catalan language resources guide – are particularly useful.
-
Diccionari de la llengua catalana (DIEC2)
This is the dictionary published by the principal authority on Catalan language matters, the Institute of Catalan Studies.
-
Gramàtica bàsica i d'ús de la llengua catalana (GBU)
Abridged version of the Gramàtica de la llengua catalana produced by the Institut d'Estudis Catalans (Institute of Catalan Studies, IEC). It is directed at the general public, offering clear answers to their doubts.
-
Complete and unabridged, updated and revised Ortografia catalana, from the Institut d'Estudis Catalans (Institute of Catalan Studies, IEC). It has three main sections: "The Letters", "The Accents and the Diaeresis", and "The Spelling of Words". There are numerous sub-sections giving details on the rules and illustrating them with examples.
-
This is a language consultation service featuring a search engine where you can find answers if you're unsure about anything relating to the Catalan language.
-
This is the website of the TERMCAT terminology centre, which is tasked with creating terminology products and standardizing neologisms in Catalan.
Spanish language resources
On the Lengua y estilo de la UOC website you'll find Spanish language criteria, conventions and resources to help improve your oral and written communications.
Below we've highlighted pages from that site as well as some of the reference works and tools recommended in the UOC Library's Spanish language resources guide.
This is a collection of spelling, grammar and lexical criteria that you can check if you're not sure about something or want to make your writing as correct as possible.
Go to the page on language criteria (this resource is in Spanish).
Recommendations for effective writing and instructions for drafting institutional or administrative documents.
Go to the page on effective communication and writing (this resource is in Spanish)
Language criteria to ensure the formal coherence of texts beyond the rules of grammar and spelling. This contains instructions on how to write mathematical formulas or bibliographic references, how to use abbreviations or the various typefaces available (such as bold or italics), or when to translate names in other languages into Spanish, among many other matters.
Go to the page on formal conventions (this resource is in Spanish)
This is a collection of strategies and solutions to include and give visibility to both sexes in the Spanish language.
Go to the page on non-sexist use of language (this resource is in Spanish)
You can also check this infographic, which you can download in PDF format as a full or abridged version.
The following resources – which are listed together with the Lengua y estilo de la UOC site in the UOC Library's Spanish language resources guide – are particularly useful.
They include reference works and support tools that can be helpful if you have doubts relating to matters such as spelling, grammar, terminology or pronunciation.
- Diccionario de la lengua española
This is the dictionary published by the principal authority on Spanish language matters. It covers vocabulary used in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries.
- Wikilengua del español
A wiki page for sharing practical information about Spanish language rules, usage and style.
- Fundación del Español Urgente
This is the website of Fundéu BBVA, an institution whose aim is to promote the correct use of Spanish in the media. The site has a search engine where you can check any Spanish language-related queries you may have.