Speaking Spanish opens up a world rich in art, culture, literature, music, sports, film and much more. Spoken in Spain, most of Latin America and increasingly in the USA, Spanish is a global language with over 400 million speakers worldwide and is fast becoming a major language in the world of business.
Spanish is available at SETU at two entry levels allowing students who already have a Post Leaving Certificate level (or equivalent) of Spanish to continue their study in Spanish or for students who want to start a new language, we offer Spanish at 'Ab Initio' or Beginners Level.
Students with no previous study of Spanish can take up Spanish as part of either the Joint Honours Arts Degree or on the Psychology degree. Students can choose to follow Spanish as a first year subject to gain a level of Spanish that will allow them to get by in any Spanish-speaking environment or they can choose to continue their study of Spanish after first year and specialise in Spanish.
Beginners students of Spanish on the Joint Honours Degree [SE200] undertake an Intensive study of Spanish in Semester 3 to eventually graduate with a B2 from the CEFR in Spanish. Post Leaving Certificate students of Spanish will do a set of bespoke modules to develop their linguistic skills and both groups will attend a series of interesting, broad-ranging modules that seek to develop an understanding of the issues and complexities arising in the modern Spanish-speaking world.
Moving from Spain to Latin America and beyond, to the growing use of Spanish as a global language, the culture and literary modules seek to explore various aspects of the historic, cultural, societal and literary perspectives that will give students an insight into the vast Spanish-speaking world and awake curiosity in distinct areas that can be further developed at post graduate level.
Students undertaking Spanish at either level on the Arts Degree will attain the requirements outlined in the Teaching Council guidelines comparable to other Spanish degrees across the country.
Spanish is a living language and a language to live; we engage with real world experiences and develop skills that encourage communication. Language graduates are recognised as having a creative and flexible approach to problem‐solving; such attributes are increasingly in demand by employers.
In SETU, you can link with our international students to practice speaking Spanish and ideally, travel to one of our partner colleges by opting in to the BA (Hons) International after your second year. This extends your degree by one year and allows you the opportunity to study in one of our partner universities, ideally immersing yourself in Spanish, enriching your studies and further enhancing your employability. Students on the BA (Hons) Psychology also have this opportunity and can extend their degree to four years and graduate with a BA (Hons) Psychology International qualification.
For more information contact Erin McNamara-Cullen or [email protected]
| Year 1 |
|---|
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 |
|---|---|
| Spanish Beginners 1 | Spanish Beginners 2 |
| Spain and the Spanish Speaking World | Latin American Literature and Culture |
| Subject 2 Module 1 | Subject 2 Module 3 |
| Subject 2 Module 2 | Subject 2 Module 4 |
| Subject 3 Module 1 | Subject 3 Module 3 |
| Subject 3 Module 2 | Subject 3 Module 4 |
| Year 2 |
|---|
| Semester 3 | Semester 4 |
|---|---|
Intensive Spanish Language [10ECTS] | Spanish Language in Use (B1) Spanish Language: Texts & Contexts |
| Hispanic Identities | 1 elective will be studied from: Trends in Spanish Literature & Culture (elective)* Hispanic Studies: Research Project (elective)* |
| Subject 2 Module 5 | Subject 2 Module 8 |
| Subject 2 Module 6 | Subject 2 Module 9 |
| Subject 2 Module 7 | Subject 2 Module 10 |
| Year 3 / Final Year |
|---|
| Semester 5 | Semester 6 |
|---|---|
| Spanish Upper Intermediate 3 | Spanish Upper Intermediate 4** |
| Advanced Spanish Translation | Spanish in the Media |
| Mexican Literature & Culture | Representations of Spain |
| Subject 2 Module 11 | Subject 2 Module 14 |
| Subject 2 Module 12 | Subject 2 Module 15 |
| Subject 2 Module 13 | Subject 2 Module 16 |
*Electives will be decided in advance of academic year; subject to Department guidelines.
**Students on this pathway attain a language competence level of B2 on Common European Framework Reference for Languages.
| Year 1 |
|---|
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 |
|---|---|
| Spanish Intermediate 1 | Spanish Intermediate 2 |
| Spain and the Spanish Speaking World | Latin American Literature and Culture |
| Subject 2 Module 1 | Subject 2 Module 3 |
| Subject 2 Module 2 | Subject 2 Module 4 |
| Subject 3 Module 1 | Subject 3 Module 3 |
| Subject 3 Module 2 | Subject 3 Module 4 |
| Year 2 |
|---|
| Semester 3 | Semester 4 |
|---|---|
| Spanish Upper Intermediate 1 | Spanish Upper Intermediate 2 |
| Spanish Language: Reading & Writing | Spanish Language: Texts & Contexts |
| Hispanic Identities | 1 elective will be studied from: Trends in Spanish Literature & Culture (elective)* Hispanic Studies: Research Project (elective)* |
| Subject 2 Module 5 | Subject 2 Module 8 |
| Subject 2 Module 6 | Subject 2 Module 9 |
| Subject 2 Module 7 | Subject 2 Module 10 |
| Year 3 / Final Year |
|---|
| Semester 5 | Semester 6 |
|---|---|
| Spanish Upper Intermediate 3 | Spanish Upper Intermediate 4** |
| Advanced Spanish Translation | Spanish in the Media |
| Mexican Literature & Culture | Representations of Spain |
| Subject 2 Module 11 | Subject 2 Module 14 |
| Subject 2 Module 12 | Subject 2 Module 15 |
| Subject 2 Module 13 | Subject 2 Module 16 |
**Students on this pathway attain a language competence level of B2 on Common European Framework Reference for Languages.
Studying Spanish as part of a Joint Honours Degree will allow students to continue with their studies in the Language at Postgraduate level and students can undertake research at Masters or PhD level. In addition, the Joint Honours Arts Degree will open up a range of taught postgraduate options in a variety of areas and include the possibility of undertaking a Professional Masters in Education to pursue a Teaching Qualification.
There are a wide range of employment opportunities open to graduates with a high-level of language competency including teaching, translation, working in the media, marketing, business opportunities and working in the tourism and hospitality sectors, among many others. Competency in Spanish is increasingly sought after in many industries for the opportunities that arise in the vast Spanish-speaking customer base around the world.
The skills gained by graduates of Arts degree are recognised as highly valuable and make graduates future ready.
In recent years, students who graduated with Spanish as part of their degree have successfully completed Professional Masters in Education, MA in Translation, MA in Global Studies and been employed in a wide range of jobs.
Teaching English as a Foreign Language is a popular first job for students and graduates who seek to spend some additional time in a Spanish-speaking environment prior to completing their degree or pursing a postgraduate qualification; many students have successfully participated in English Language Assistant Programmes through the Department of Education and Spanish Embassy.
BA (Hons) international Students can chose to study a four year BA (Hons) international degree which include study abroad for year 3. Students will then return to SETU in year 4.
Opt-in BA (Hons) International: Study Abroad/ Year 3
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 |
|---|---|
| 30 ECTS: Study Abroad | 30 ECTS: Study Abroad |
