Why study Spanish with Education at Aberystwyth University?
- In the 2019 Good University Guide published by The Times and The Sunday Times, the Department of Modern Languages is ranked 2nd in the UK for graduate prospects (employment outcomes) and a top 15 UK University for the subject area of Iberian Languages (Spanish).
- The School of Education is also ranked top 10 in the UK for Teaching Quality. (Good University Guide, The Times and The Sunday Times 2019).
- The Spanish element of this degree is one that is culturally enriching and through the choice of various core and optional modules you will experience the flavor of Spanish life, language, culture and literature that will stimulate your linguistic fluency.
- The Education component of this degree will not only improve your understanding of the Education sector but it will also strengthen your legislative knowledge.
- The School of Education offers all students the opportunity through various optional modules to uncover the latest techniques and trends through the debate of current educational issues.
- The Department of Modern Languages provides four hours of intensive language classes per week. These classes include writing/reading, aural, listening and translation. These core linguistic classes will provide the foundation of developing fluency in the target language.
- The highlight of this course for many of our students is the year abroad. You will have the option to choose whether you would like to work (paid or unpaid work experience). Many students apply for the British Council Language Assistantship scheme which will see you work in a Spanish speaking school in various Spanish speaking countries. For students who prefer to study during their year abroad, we offer various placements with our partnered Universities across Spain and other Spanish speaking countries. Find out more by visiting our Study Abroad page.
Our Staff
Undergraduate lecturers in the School of Education are either qualified to PhD standard or are experienced practitioners in their field. All teaching staff currently possess, or are working towards, a recognised teaching qualification.
All of the lecturers in the Department of Modern Languages are qualified to PhD level and are research active specialists in their chosen field. We also employ highly qualified and experienced language tutors, and native-speakers, who will ensure that your learning is of the highest possible quality and who will provide you with constant support through your years of study.
What career options are there for me after graduation?
Employability is embedded across our teaching.
Possible careers include:
- teaching and education (including SEN)
- social care
- nursing
- speech therapy
- social work
- translation
- marketing and advertising
- human resources
- tourism sector.
Further information:
Transferable Skills
Studying for a degree in Education with Spanish will equip you with a range of transferable skills which are highly valued by employers. These include:
- the ability to express ideas and communicate information bilingually in a clear and structured manner, in both written and oral form
- effective problem-solving and creative thinking skills
- the ability to work independently
- time-management and organisational skills, including the ability to meet deadlines
- the ability to express ideas and communicate information in a clear and structured manner, in both written and oral form
- self-motivation and self-reliance
- team-working, with the ability to discuss concepts in groups, accommodating different ideas and reaching agreement
- research skills.
What work experience opportunities exist whilst studying?
Click here to find out about the various opportunities that our Aberystwyth University Careers team offer.
Enhance your employability prospects with GO Wales and YES (Year in Employment Scheme) managed by our Careers department.
Personal Development Plan
You will also have the opportunity to complete a Personal Development Plan (PDP) at Aberystwyth. This is a structured process of self-appraisal, reflection, and planning, which will enable you to chart your personal, academic and professional development throughout your time at university. By recording your academic performance, and highlighting the skills you already have and those you will need for future employability, the PDP portfolio will equip you with the necessary tools to plan effectively, develop successful approaches to study, and consider your future career options and aspirations.
The School of Education place a great emphasis on employbaility. As a department they provide the following:
Academic Employability Coordinator
From Year One developing your employability is our priority and to ensure we offer the right services we have a dedicated academic employability coordinator who liaises with our link careers adviser to tailor a package of careers education, employer exposure and individual departmental based support. This person liaises with the careers service and external organisations to make links and connections, which are fed through to students on a regular basis. These include opportunities for voluntary work and paid employment both during and after your studies. Departmentally you will have the opportunity to get involved in our annual student employability conference.
Student Mentoring Scheme
Our student mentoring scheme provides opportunities to both receive peer support but to also develop mentoring and coaching skills while supporting fellow students. This scheme is recognised by the University for its high skills value, and those who engage as mentors receive recognition on their graduate transcript.
What will I learn?
The breakdown below will provide you with an illustration of what you may study during the four-year programme.
In the first year you may explore:
- policies and current issues in education
- child development
- learning in young children
- core Spanish language: written, oral, aural, translation classes
- European film
- European language, identity and culture.
In the second year you may study:
- the psychology of learning and thinking
- the core linguistic competencies in: Written, Oral, Aural, Translation classes
- specialist modules in business and literature
- an independent research project.
In the third year, you will take part in your year abroad, where you will have the option to study in one of our partner Universities in Spain or teach as an English language assistant in Spain or any other Spanish-speaking country
In your final year you may:
- critically reflect upon and evaluate the assessment of learning and skills
- master your linguistic competencies in: oral, aural, writing, translation
- Actualidades
- Spanish language of business.
How will I be taught?
Our degree is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, interactive tutorials and workshops. All lectures are recorded so that you can listen to it again in the comfort of your room.
Your Spanish programme will be delivered in a series of language workshops, allowing you to focus and improve your language competencies in the key areas of the Spanish language. Group sizes per workshop are small, allowing you to benefit and learn the most from the experts.
Most modules are assessed through exams and essays, but projects, bibliographic exercises, reflective diaries, posters, and presentations may also be utilised.
I simply love my course because the topics we discuss are interesting and relevant to the world of childhood. The lecturers are very passionate about the subject which is also reflected in the varied ways in which we are assessed - we even had the opportunity to design our own game! Much more hands-on and realistic when working with children than a dry exam! Overall, my confidence in a variety of topics and my abilities have been strengthened, which is always a good thing in any career. I would definitely recommend Aberystwyth University and the course to anyone who is interested in working with children, and I can assure you that you are given great support by staff in any kind of academic situation! Caroline Korell
