Spanish

Spanish is the second most widely spoken European language in the world and is the second language of the USA. Our degree builds on many aspects of the history, literature and culture of Iberia and Latin America.

We have exchange links with Spanish universities (including Barcelona, Zaragoza and UPO Sevilla), as well as with universities in Chile, Mexico, Colombia and elsewhere in Latin America. The department has a cosmopolitan and student-focused atmosphere.

Spanish courses

Single honours

Joint honours

Why study Spanish at Bristol?

Our courses are built around the study of the Spanish language, with options in the history, literature and cultures of Spain and Latin America.

Building on a broad programme in year one, in years two and four you choose from a wide range of options covering the languages, literature, history, politics and culture of the Spanish speaking world. These may include: From Frontiers to Football: Nations in Latin America; Spain and Portugal in the Atlantic World, 1430-1830; Social Conflict and Political Upheaval in Spain, 1833-1931; The Indian in the Latin American Novel; and Women’s Writing in Contemporary Spain (1940-1998). You may also choose to study other optional units offered by the School of Modern Languages

What kind of student would this course suit?

The Spanish programme at Bristol will suit those with an enquiring mind as well as a passion for exploring the culture of another country and society. Studying a modern language in the context of its speakers’ history, literature, experience and outlooks opens horizons and challenges preconceptions, including about one’s own language and country. Spanish at Bristol aims to ensure that you not only achieve mastery of the language but also to develop your skills of investigation and analysis which can be deployed in a range of graduate employment opportunities.

The Bristol department of Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin American Studies has an outstanding reputation and has always been a close community with an active student society and extra-curricular events such as the annual Semana Cultural. The year abroad is a particular opportunity for you if you would relish the challenge and enjoy the satisfaction of living in a different language and culture.

How is this course taught and assessed?

In addition to a central programme of language study, core units in the first year you introduce you to Hispanic and Latin American Studies. We then offer a broad range of options in later years, so that you can find a pathway through the course which best suits your personal interests. In the final year you may choose to pursue an independent study option, in which you are guided in researching a project of your own devising. A small part of our course is delivered in lecture format, but language teaching and most of the other elements take the form of seminar-style classes. Learning is supported by online materials.

Language work is assessed by a regular programme of exercises, translations, essays and guided-writing tasks, as well as by written and oral exams. The other elements of the course may be assessed by essays, projects, exams, or a combination of these. As well as structured teaching, students are encouraged to engage fully with activities in the department.

What are my career prospects?

Our graduates are attractive to many employers, including international organisations for which fluency in a language and knowledge of foreign institutions and customs is a useful qualification. Our graduates enter a wide variety of careers, including journalism, banking, marketing, tourism, translation, interpreting, accountancy, the Civil Service and teaching.

What have you gained from your year abroad?

My answer to this is very cliché but the thing I most gained from my year abroad was cultural awareness, and the difference between my language skills before and after was huge.

Kit Meeson
BA Spanish and Portuguese