Two different types of modules are offered in first year: intensive foundation courses for beginners or students with an SQA National 5 or GCSE in Spanish, and advanced language and literature courses for those with higher entrance qualifications such as a SQA Higher or GCE A-level.
Students who are beginners or who have studied Spanish to National 5 or GCSE-level are required to take the following compulsory modules in their first year:
- Spanish for Beginners 1: initiates Spanish language acquisition with a firm grounding in the syntax, morphology and vocabulary of the language.
- Spanish for Beginners 2: builds on Spanish for Beginners 1 and further develops the understanding of Spanish grammar and language.
Students who have an SQA Higher or a GCE A-level in Spanish are required to take the following compulsory modules in first year:
- Spanish Language and Texts 1: provides grammar and language instruction alongside reading Spanish texts to provide language in context.
- Spanish Language and Texts 2: builds upon Spanish Language and Texts 1 through contemporary and early Spanish texts and increased linguistic difficulty in the study of spoken Spanish.
Students who are ex-beginners in Spanish who wish to move into mainstream studies of Spanish language and literature are required to take the following compulsory modules in their second year:
Advanced students must take the following compulsory modules in their second year:
- Spanish Language and Critical Approaches to Texts 1: skills in reading, listening, speaking and writing Spanish are developed through prepared work and class activities. Language material will reflect cultural aspects of the Spanish-speaking world, and major critical approaches in texts are studied with reference to the genres of poetry, prose and drama.
- Spanish Language and Critical Approaches to Texts 2: further develops skills learnt in Spanish Language and Critical Approaches to Texts 1. Language material will reflect cultural aspects of the Spanish-speaking world and literary texts are studied in the context of regions and eras including Middle Ages and Renaissance in Spain and modern Spanish America.
All students (both advanced and ex-beginners) also have the option of taking the following module, recommended in particular for students wishing to continue their Spanish studies at Honours level:
- Spanish Language and Critical Approaches to Cinema: enhances the language skills of the student, with intensive practice in oral, spoken and written skills. The syllabus is based on a selection of films from Spain and Latin America, which are used as sources for thematic discussion and linguistic development. Weekly film viewings in advance of scheduled classes are part of the programme. Ex-Beginners will normally take this module in Semester 2.
If you take Spanish in your third and fourth years, you will choose from a variety of advanced options which incorporate literary, historical and cultural studies into language learning. Students of all language levels take the same core modules in Spanish language, including advanced oral, writing and communication skills.
Modules at Honours level in previous years have included (but are not limited to):
- Strange Girls and Domestic Angels: Women’s Writing in Spain
- Post-1975 Writing in Spain 1
- Autobiographical Writing in Twentieth-Century Spain
- The Argentine and Chilean Avant-Garde (1920s-1930s)
- Literary Translation
- Spanish American Literature 1 (Gauchos and Indians)
- Linguistic Study of the Spanish Language
- Mexico in the Nineteenth Century
- Action Heroes and Anti-heroes in Early-Modern Spain
- Tales of the Nation.
In fourth year, students have the option of undertaking a dissertation of up to 5,000 words or 10,000 words, written in English, on a topic agreed with a supervisor. This independent project enables you to develop key research skills which are desired by both prospective employers and by graduate schools offering postgraduate degrees.