Arabic is taught at postgraduate level on the MA degrees in Translation and Interpreting and Professional Translation. We also have a thriving community of Arabic scholars working on PhD projects in Translation and Interpreting under the direction of the academic lead in Arabic Studies, Dr Salwa El-Awa.
French has been taught at Swansea since the University’s foundation in 1920. Professor Mary Williams, the first woman to hold a chair in any academic subject in the UK, was the first head of department. Today, French is available on two single honours BA programmes (BA Modern Languages and BA Modern Languages, Translation and Interpreting) and a range of joint honours combinations, either at post-A level or from Beginners. French is taught by seven permanent members of staff, three of whom are native speakers. They are: Dr Greg Herman; Dr Kathryn Jones; Dr Jo Langley; Professor Andy Rothwell; Dr Sophie Rouys; and Dr Alison Williams.
Our BA Modern Languages allows you to study French by itself (what used to be called single honours French) or in combination with German and Spanish. Optional modules include Paris, France and the Second World War, Contemporary French Cinema and The History of the French Language, as well as Interpreting, Translation Workshop and, in your final year, a dissertation. We have partnerships with the following French universities where you can spend your year abroad: Angers, Besançon, Brest, Chambéry, Lyon III, Pau and Toulouse. You can also work as a British Council Language Assistant or undertake a work placement. BA Modern Languages offers a broad-based curriculum via three pathways, in Culture, Education and Translation.
In BA Modern Languages, Translation and Interpreting you take French alongside another language and specialist modules such as Computer-Assisted Translation and Concepts in Translation. You are obliged to split your year abroad, practicing Translation and Interpreting in two languages at two institutions from our list of prestigious partners. Those for French are based in Brussels, Geneva, and Paris.
All students of French can take part in the weekly Café Causette and join the University French Society.
After your BA, you can specialise in French on the MA degrees in Translation and Interpreting and Professional Translation, which also have options of internships and study abroad, or take an MA by Research in French, leading to an MPhil or PhD.
German has a long established reputation at Swansea and has five members of staff, including two native speakers: Ms. Christiane Günther, Ms Ute Keller-Jenkins and Professor Julian Preece. German can be studied from beginner’s level on our two single honours BA programmes (BA Modern Languages and BA Modern Languages, Translation and Interpreting) and a range of joint honours combinations.
In BA Modern Languages you can study German by itself (what used to be called single honours German) or in combination with French, or Spanish. You choose from options including Song Cultures, German Cinema since the Millennium, Power and the Personal, Berlin in the Twentieth Century, Improving your German with Poetry, and Underground Vienna, as well as Interpreting, Translation Workshop and, in your final year, a dissertation. We have partnerships with the following German universities where you can spend your year abroad: Augsburg, Bamberg, Mannheim, Regensburg, and Würzburg. You can also work as a British Council Language Assistant or take a work placement. BA Modern Languages offers a broad-based curriculum with three pathways, in Culture, Education and Translation.
In BA Modern Languages, Translation and Interpreting you take German alongside another language and specialist modules such as Computer-Assisted Translation Tools and Concepts in Translation. You are obliged to split your year abroad, practising Translation and Interpreting in two languages at two institutions from our list of prestigious partners. Those for German are based in Cologne, Innsbruck, Mainz, and Zurich.
All students of German can take part in the weekly Sprachcafé and join the University German Society.
You can specialise in German on the MA degrees in Translation and Interpreting and Professional Translation, which also have options of internships and study abroad. We currently have two research students writing projects on German topics in the Research Centre for Contemporary German Culture (CCGC).
Final-year BA German students with staff, May 2019
Italian has three permanent members of staff, Ms Chiara Ariotti, Dr Giovanna Donzelli, and Ms Adriana Rizzo-Dunnage, supported by Dr Luca Paci, all native speakers. Italian is available on two single honours BA programmes (BA Modern Languages and BA Modern Languages, Translation and Interpreting) and some joint honours combinations, either at post-A level or from Beginners.
On our BA Modern Languages you study Italian in combination with French, German, Mandarin, Arabic or Spanish. Your language learning is supplemented by our pathway options in translation, teaching or European culture, and in your final year you have the option of writing your dissertation on an Italian theme. We have partnerships with the following Italian universities where you can spend your year abroad: Bergamo, Bologna, and Siena. You can also work as a British Council Language Assistant or take a work placement.
In BA Modern Languages, Translation and Interpreting you take Italian alongside other language and specialist modules such as Computer-Assisted Translation Tools and Concepts in Translation. You are obliged to split your year abroad, practising Translation and Interpreting in two languages at two institutions from our list of prestigious partners. For Italian you study in Bologna.
All students of Italian can take part in the weekly Piazza where they practise their language skills with exchange students from Italy, and join the University Italian Society.
You can specialise in Italian on the MA degrees in Translation and Interpreting and Professional Translation, which also have options of internships and study abroad.
For native speakers of Mandarin, Swansea University offers a BA (Hons) in English-Chinese Translation and Interpreting. This programme is delivered principally by Dr Sabrina Wang, a specialist in conference interpreting. Sabrina will be joined in September 2019 by a new colleague.
All students of Mandarin, whatever their level, can take part in the weekly Café Cha Cha where they are able to practise their language skills with exchange students from China. Students can also join the University Chinese Society.
At postgraduate level, native speakers of Mandarin can develop their areas of specialisation via our MA degrees in Translation and Interpreting and Professional Translation, both of which feature internships and the chance to study abroad. We have a thriving community of postgraduate research students working on topics involving Mandarin in Translation and Interpreting.
Spanish is available on two single honours BA programmes (BA Modern Languages and BA Modern Languages, Translation and Interpreting) and a range of joint honours combinations, either at post-A level or from Beginners. Spanish is taught by six permanent members of staff, five of whom are native speakers, from Columbia, Spain, Uruguay, and Venezuela. They are: Dr Lloyd Davies, Dr Maria Fernandez-Parra, Dr Fede Lopez-Terra, Ms Tanya May, and Dr Rocio Perez-Tattam. They are specialists in both Iberian and Latin American Studies.
In BA Modern Languages you can study Spanish by itself (what used to be called single honours Spanish) or in combination with French and German. You choose from options including ‘The Evolution of the Spanish Language’, ‘Barcelona / Buenos Aires’, and ‘Hispanic Identities’, as well as Interpreting, Translation Workshop and, in your final year, a dissertation. We have partnerships with the following Spanish universities where you can spend your year abroad: Alcalá de Henares, Bilbao, Cáceres, Madrid, and Seville. You can also work as a British Council Language Assistant or take a work placement. BA Modern Languages has a broad-based curriculum with three pathways, in Culture, Education and Translation.
In BA Modern Languages, Translation and Interpreting you take Spanish alongside another language and specialist modules such as Computer-Assisted Translation Tools and Concepts in Translation. You are obliged to split your year abroad, practising Translation and Interpreting in two languages at two institutions from our list of prestigious partners. For Spanish you choose between Barcelona, Granada, Madrid, Seville, Valencia, and Valladolid.
All students of Spanish can take part in the weekly Café Guay and join the University Spanish Society.
You can specialise in Spanish on the MA degrees in Translation and Interpreting and Professional Translation, which also have options of internships and study abroad. We currently have three students enrolled on research degrees working on Spanish topics and based in the Centre for the Study of Portugal, Spain, and the Americas (CEPSAM).
