Course summary

Spanish Studies with Italian is taught by the Department of Languages and Cultures and includes and international placement in year 3. Our approach gives you the opportunity to acquire high-level language skills and a thorough understanding of Spanish cultures and societies within a global context. The programme also offers an introduction to Italian culture and society presented in the first year and gives the opportunity to develop this knowledge in the second and third year. Your first year comprises an exploration of the Spanish language and its cultural context. Alongside this, you will study an intensive Italian language and culture module, designed for beginners with little or no prior knowledge. You will also take a minor subject that complements your degree. In Year 2, you will study Spain’s culture, politics and history in more depth, as well as selecting courses which are international in scope and promote a comparative understanding of Europe and beyond. In the core Italian modules, you will improve your linguistic proficiency in a range of settings and study Italian lexis, grammar and syntax. Spending your third year abroad in a Spanish-speaking country allows you to make a major contribution to your command of the language, while deepening your intercultural sensitivity. You can study at a partner institution or conduct a work placement. We strongly recommend spending some of your vacation time in Italy too in order to gain first-hand experience of the Italian language and its culture. This will consolidate your classroom language learning In your fourth year, you will continue developing your Spanish and Italian language alongside a choice of specialist culture and comparative courses, such as ‘Writing in the Margins: Narrating Cross-cultural Experience’. You will also develop a particular topic from your second year studies into your specialist dissertation.