Spanish  (ELC1)

The BA in Spanish is aimed at students who wish to develop an understanding of the Hispanic world through its language, culture, literature, and contact with its people. We educate students to broaden their language competence and their analytical thinking skills to be able to understand and feel comfortable contributing to a global and multicultural society or to pursue graduate studies.

We value and encourage our students to be active, reflective, autonomous learners, and to avail of the opportunity to spend a year in a Spanish-speaking country as an essential part of their learning experience. In the course of their studies we develop confident, flexible and creative students who can communicate in Spanish, use critical and analytical skills to build their understanding of literary, cultural and social issues relevant to the Hispanic world, are sensitive to an array of academic, moral and philosophical issues and are predisposed to life-long learning.

We aim to provide a learning environment that encourages students to use and develop their language competence and their cultural knowledge of the Hispanic world.

The programme aims are delivered through lectures, interactive language classes, tutorials and the use of the virtual learning environment. As a result of this approach, learning activities and assessment approaches include individual and group projects and assignments, oral presentations, debates, on-line discussions, and reflective learning.

1 - Develop the capacity to search for and evaluate appropriate material in order to conduct informed research about the Hispanic world
2 - Develop an ability to carry out and apply appropriate research principles and practices in the design, development and analysis of academic work in the Humanities
3 - Demonstrate an advanced competence (C1 CEFR) in the Spanish language (reading, writing, listening, speaking), including a broad awareness of syntax, register and style, and the ability to mediate between English and Spanish
4 - Construct, support and communicate logical arguments to demonstrate knowledge and critically evaluate Hispanic cultural production in its varied forms (poetry, prose, paintings, film, media, etc.)
5 - Critically analyze current affairs in the Hispanic world to understand and explain their links with historical events
6 - Be able to learn independently and to make appropriate use of digital technologies to support their learning and research experiences
7 - Develop the ability to work as part of a team to design, develop and communicate ideas in clear, fluent and accurate spoken and written Spanish or English
8 - Understand the importance of academic integrity to ensure that ideas are ethically communicated in an academic context
9 - Understand the ethical implications of ideas, communications, and actions when working individually and when completing group projects
10 - Demonstrate an awareness of cultural difference and the value of interaction and dialogue with other cultures
11 - Develop an understanding of the Hispanic culture and way of life through a period of time spent in a Spanish-speaking country
12 - Apply academic knowledge and key skills to express informed K,S opinions on cultural, political and social issues of the Hispanic world and make a contribution to the development of society

The principal aim of this subject is to guide you in the critical study and appreciation of literature in Spanish. To do this effectively, you need to know the Spanish language, and so we train you to read, write and speak Spanish competently. Our additional aim is to broaden your acquaintance with the history and culture of Spain. The School accepts absolute beginners as well as students who already know some Spanish, and, of course, native speakers.

Beginners are given separate and intensive instruction to enable them to reach the same standard as other students by the start of Stage 2. All students are expected to spend some time in Spain or another Spanish-speaking country during your undergraduate career. Like other continental languages, Spanish is involved in the BA (International) programme, a four-year programme in which you spend one year (Stage 3) at a university in Spain or another Spanish-speaking country.

Spanish offers a small number of denominated entry places in this programme, thereby guaranteeing a SOCRATES scholarship. Other SOCRATES places may be competed for at the end of Stage 2. To do well in Spanish, you should be interested in the language, be keen to study the literature and to take a lively interest in the country's history and culture.

Stage 1

Students who wish to progress to Stage 2 must have passed SPAN10150 and another module in Spanish offered at Stage 1 (excluding PORT10090).