If you wish to study modern languages at Exeter, the BA in Modern Languages will enable you to study one, two or three languages (from a choice of French, Spanish, German, Russian and Italian), with a wide variety of different emphases. Your final degree title will reflect the combination of languages you have studied, so for example, you could end up with BA Spanish, BA Spanish with Russian or BA Spanish and German.
Spanish is one of the world’s major languages, with 350 million native speakers in 21 Spanish-speaking countries. Spain has the fifth largest population in the European Union. Because of its importance commercially, and as the language of cultures on both sides of the Atlantic which few can rival, Spanish is one of the most valuable and exciting languages you can learn. It can be picked up relatively easily from scratch, particularly if you have already studied French.
Our degree programmes give you the opportunity to study an extensive range of subjects within the field of Hispanic Studies and after the first year you have a wide variety of options to choose from. We place strong emphasis on the practical use of the Spanish language and you’ll be able to develop fluency in the understanding and use of Spanish in a wide range of contexts.
During your studies you’ll come to understand the historical development of Spain and the Hispanic world and be introduced to some of the finest and most famous works of art and literature, including the visual arts, painting and cinema. You’ll learn about the disciplines of linguistics, history and literary criticism, while gaining an insight into the life of Spain and Latin America that will be of value in itself.
All degrees involving Spanish combine core training in the written and spoken language with the critical study of aspects of Hispanic culture. The first year is a foundation year in which you will learn about key elements of the literature, film, history and society of the Spanish-speaking world, from the Muslim conquest of Spain to problems of nationhood in contemporary Latin America.
After the first year you have a broad choice of options that allow you to specialise in areas that interest you (subject, of course, to the availability of modules in any given year). That might mean pursuing an interest in Latin American studies, concentrating on literature or on film, or majoring in language studies (taking modules in linguistics or in Commercial Spanish, or picking up Portuguese or Catalan). If you choose to spend your Year Abroad in a Spanish-speaking country, we have well-established exchanges with Spanish and Mexican universities or you can apply for a teaching placement in Spain or Latin America. Other students secure work placements: if these are in Spain they can be supported by EU Erasmus Work Placement funding.
