Course summary

During your time as a student on our Spanish and German course, you will be able to choose from a range of modules which appeal to a variety of interests. The Department is relatively small and staff and students form a close-knit and friendly community. You will be taught by staff who are experts in their fields and who are active members of national and international research communities. Spanish is spoken by over 350 million people globally, with increasing cultural and commercial importance in North America and Asia, whilst German, with over 90 million speakers, is the language of the greatest economic power in Europe. Skills in these languages are vital to the UK’s economic, political and strategic interests, and language graduates are in demand by employers. This course is open to students who would like to commence studying German and Spanish as well as those who are at advanced level. Beginners’ level students will follow an intensive course in the first year including guided and independent work in the Language Resource Centre. You will gain a high level of linguistic competence and a solid knowledge of the culture within which the language you are studying is used. At Aberystwyth University, we endeavour to provide you with an enriching, memorable student experience that will be cherished. In the recent National Student Satisfaction survey, the Department of Modern Languages scored 93% student satisfaction (NSS, 2017). Employability is embedded across our teaching within the Department of Modern Languages. 100% of our students who graduated from Aberystwyth University in 2016 were in work or further study sixth months after graduating (HESA, 2017). The Year Abroad is compulsory for all language students in the department. You will have the option to choose from studying or applying for a work placement in your chosen country. Students traditionally choose to study in one of our partner Universities or undertake a British Council English Language Assistant where you will be based in a primary or secondary school assisting the students with additional English Language classes. On successful completion of the Year Abroad, students return with an increased skill set, stronger language competencies and the ability to adapt in any situations. On successful completion of your degree you will have developed a broad range of specialist and transferable skills and capabilities. Our graduates have been successful in seeking employment after graduation in a number of fields including: Translation and Interpretation; Broadcasting; Education; Marketing; Human Resources; Digital Copywriting; International Banking; Civil Service. If you are interested in developing your language competencies and exploring these languages further in a social, cultural and professional aspect, then the BA Spanish and German is the course for you.