Welcome to the Department of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies

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Welcome to theDepartment of Spanish, Portuguese
and Latin American Studies
School of Modern Languages and Cultures
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Introduction

• We are one of the oldest and largest departments
  in the country
• we have 21 academic members of staff including
• 7 native speakers of Spanish
• 3 native speaker of Portuguese
• 1 native speaker of Catalan
• we have over 500 students studying Spanish,
  Portuguese or Catalan in the Department
• this includes over 100 students on their Year
  Abroad.

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Programmes

• Single Honours Spanish
• Hispanic and Latin American Studies
• Joint Honours Portuguese and/or Spanish
• Joint Honours combinations include
• foreign languages such as Arabic, Chinese,
  French, German, Italian, Japanese or Russian
• non-language subjects such as Economics, English,
  European Studies, Geography, History, History of
  Art, International Development, International
  Relations, Linguistics, Management Studies,
  Philosophy, Politics, Russian Civilisation,
  Sociology or World Cinemas.

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What do you study?Level 1
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Electives Available

• Students on most degree schemes can take
  electives, particularly in Level 1
• Electives are modules taken outside of the degree
  subject(s)
• Electives run by our Department include
• Beginners Spanish
• Post-GCSE Spanish
• Beginners and Intermediate Portuguese
• Beginners Catalan
• A wide variety of other subjects are taught
  throughout the University that students can also
  take.

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How is Spanish taught?

• Teaching is done through the medium of Spanish
  via two one-hour classes per week
• there are regular debates, oral presentations and
  role plays in class
• the coursebooks Abanico, Sueña 4 and Te Toca are
  used
• we have online learning resources in the
  Universitys Virtual Learning Environment
• students are required to do weekly language
  exercises and preparation of oral activities
• assessed by several pieces of coursework, a
  written exam at the end of the year and oral
  assessments including an oral exam and
  participation in classes.

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How is Portuguese taught?

• Beginners Portuguese is taught via four language
  classes per week
• the course is intensive
• the tutors aim to take students to A-Level
  standard in one year.
• Students who have prior knowledge of Portuguese
  take instead an Intermediate Portuguese module
• aimed at students who have spent time in Portugal
  or Brazil, who have a Portuguese A-Level or who
  have a native Portuguese background.
• Both modules are assessed by two written
  examinations, an oral assessment and by language
  coursework which is done throughout the year.

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What else is studied in Level 1?

• Approaches to Spanish and Spanish American
  Studies
• aims to provide a broad introduction to the
  Hispanic world, reflecting the major disciplinary
  areas you will study during your degree
• topics covered include history, politics,
  translation studies, cinema, economics and
  literature
• enables you to make an informed choice on what
  you want to study in further years.

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What else is studied in Level 1?

• The Historical Development of Spain and Spanish
  America
• gives a broad understanding of the history and
  development of the Hispanic world.
• Introduction to the Cultural Production of Spain
  and Spanish America
• aims to familiarise students with the work of
  some of the most outstanding writers and film
  directors from the Hispanic world.

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What do you study?Level 2 and Level 3

• Compulsory language in both levels 2 and 3
• Students then choose modules from a range of
  options
• So in each year
• Single Honours Spanish students study compulsory
  Spanish language plus a minimum of 3 additional
  optional modules
• Hispanic Latin American Studies students take
  compulsory Spanish language, compulsory
  Portuguese Language plus 4 additional optional
  modules
• Joint Honours Spanish and Joint Honours
  Portuguese students take the relevant compulsory
  language plus 2 additional optional modules
• plus elective modules where possible.

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Optional ModulesLevel 2

• España Descentralización politica e integración
  en la UE
• Spain Under the Franco Regime, 1939-1975
• Culture and Society in the Portuguese-Speaking
  World
• Introduction to Writing in Portuguese
• Modern Spanish American Literature
• Latin America Since Independence (c1800 to c1930)
• Literature and Cinema in Modern Spain
• Translation Theory in a SpanishltgtEnglish Context
• Catalan Language II
• Liberalism, Revolution and Reaction in Modern
  Spain.

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Optional ModulesLevel 3

• Spanish in an Economic and Business Context
• Extended Essay or Dissertation
• Innovation and Experimentation in 20th Century
  Portuguese Literature
• Writing and Society in the Spanish Realist Novel
• The Crisis of the Spanish Nation? Nationalisms
  and National Identities in Spain 1868-1978
• Identity in Chicano/a Literature and Film
• Spanish American Literature Cross Currents and
  Cinematic Reworkings
• Brazilian Literature into Film
• Spanish-English Translation
• Porfiriato and Revolution in Mexico (c1870-1920)
• Poetry, Politics and the Avant-Garde in
  Twentieth-Century Argentina, Uruguay and Chile
• From Toussaint to Obama Resistance in the
  African Diaspora in the Americas
• Form and (dis)content in twentieth-century
  Spanish theatre
• Catalan Language 3
• The 'Religious Question' and Political Change in
  Spain (1808-2008)
• Postcolonial Narratives from the Lusotopic
  World.

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Year Abroad

• Options for the Year Abroad (usually in year 3)
• study at a University
• teach English as a Language Assistant with the
  British Council
• in Spain or Spanish America only
• find your own Work or Voluntary Placement
• all placements must be organised by yourself
  approved by the Department.

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Year Abroad

• We organise study placements at Universities in
  the following places
• Alcalá de Henares, Barcelona, Cádiz, Cantabria,
  Castilla La Mancha, Deusto, Girona, Jaén, Madrid,
  Murcia, Navarra, Oviedo, Valencia and Zaragoza in
  Spain.
• Coimbra, Lisbon and Porto in Portugal.
• Buenos Aires in Argentina, Santiago in Chile,
  Heredia in Costa Rica, Guadalajara and Puebla in
  Mexico and Montevideo in Uruguay.
• João Pessoa, São Paulo, Belo Horizonte and Rio de
  Janeiro in Brazil.

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Term Abroad

• Students doing two languages will generally spend
  the year in the country of their weaker language
  and the term in the country of the other subject.
• The Term Abroad (three months) usually takes
  place at the end of year 2.
• The study possibilities available for the Term
  Abroad are either Granada or León in Spain or
  Lisbon in Portugal.

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After Graduation?

• A wide variety of career opportunities are open
  to the modern languages graduate. Previous
  graduates have gone onto jobs in
• teaching
• interpreting and translating
• tourism
• administration
• international banking
• marketing
• law
• the media
• the civil and diplomatic services etc.
• Other students choose to spend time travelling
  after they graduate. No matter what career you
  eventually choose a modern languages graduate is
  a highly employable person.

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After Graduation?

• Further study or research in the form of an MA or
  even PhD!
• MA in Modern Languages and Cultures
• MA in Applied Translation Studies
• MA in Conference Interpreting and Translation
  Studies
• MA in Screen Translation Studies
• MA in Translation Studies and Interpreting
• MA in World Cinemas
• MA by Research.

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Links

• Instituto Cervantes (Spanish)
• Leeds is one of only three centres in the UK
• Instituto Camões (Portuguese)
• The Camões Centre for Portuguese Language is one
  of the first of its kind in the UK
• Institut Ramon Llull (Catalan)
• All three Institutes provide language tutors for
  the Department and they each organise cultural
  events in Leeds.

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Student Societies

• Spanish, Latin American and Portuguese Society,
  also fondly known as SLAPSoc (!) and the
  Luso-Brazilian Society
• two of the largest student run societies in Leeds
• organise a variety of social events including
• Salsa classes
• Sangría nights
• trips abroad
• members include international students studying
  in Leeds.

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Contact Us

• Email
• d.j.baldwin_at_leeds.ac.uk
• Telephone
• 0113 343 7004
• Post
• Undergraduate Admissions School of Modern
  Languages and CulturesUniversity of LeedsLeeds,
  LS2 9JT

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Any Questions?