In all-important senses, in terms of demography, the extent of its administrative use and its cultural impact, Spanish is one of the world's major languages and the first language of more than 400 million people.
It is one of the two main languages of the Latin American countries, the principal one of Spain, and the most widely spoken language after English in the United States. It is an official language of the United Nations and the World Bank. It is the medium of such major works of literature as Don Quixote and One Hundred Years of Solitude, and such well-known film directors as Pedro Almodóvar and Luis Buñuel. Learning Spanish gives students highly employable communication skills in a competitive globalised labour market.
Our program caters to different levels of Spanish proficiency: from beginners, to the student from a native-speaking background, to students with an advanced knowledge of Spanish. Along with Spanish language, we offer subjects in Spanish and Latin American culture, linguistics, translation, literature and film. We also strongly encourage students to take electives in Latin American Studies to complement their Spanish major.
All core language subjects contain elements of general culture and civilisation analysed through the study of written, audio and visual material. A great deal of emphasis is placed on competence in the language (or languages) studied, but linguistic competence is not the sole aim of study. Understanding different cultures is paramount.
Students are encouraged to apply to do in-country study programs in Spanish (and Portuguese) through the University’s exchange programs. These are available in Spain and in various Latin American countries. Students contemplating Honours studies are particularly encouraged to pursue these opportunities as part of their degree. Students may be able to begin a language sequence in Semester 2.
Depending on students’ prior knowledge of and/or qualifications in the Spanish language when they commence their degree, students will start at one of the following entry points: Beginners, Intermediate or Advanced.
