Departmental Services for Schools :
Visits to schools :
Staff here would be happy to visit schools in order to talk to students. Some schools may well have already received information about the Aberystwyth Schools and Colleges Lecture Service and so will know that we are happy to talk on various subjects (either relating to A-level topics or more general, e.g. careers with languages). If you have not had this information, please contact. We would also be happy to talk to younger pupils and our offerings are by no means restricted to subjects on the A-level syllabus. Amongst the subjects on which we would be happy to talk to you are: Women in Germany; Languages for Business; French Hip-Hop Culture. Other topics we would be happy to cover are Career Opportunities with Languages and The Year Abroad. We can hold the sessions in English or one of the languages we teach. We can also offer some Welsh-medium sessions. Please contact Dr Wini Davies (wid@aber.ac.uk or 01970-622557).
Visits to the Department :
It would also be possible for a school group to visit the Department (any age group) in order to have a taste of what the study of languages involves. The University holds one or two Open Days per annum: details can be found by following the link from the home page: www.aber.ac.uk. We have a state-of-the-art language resource centre with two computer suites. It may be possible for us to make a contribution towards the costs of the visit.
Scholarships :
The University of Wales Aberystwyth is able to offer a range of financial support to students, in the form of generous scholarships and merit awards. It is well worth applying. If you want to apply for a scholarship / award you have to sit an exam in two subjects. This Department sets papers in French, German, Italian and Spanish. Each paper is a two-hour paper.
French:
The French paper is an opportunity for students to demonstrate their ability to communicate effectively in French. The paper consists of an each-way translation and essay (in French). We are looking for accuracy in content and a talent for reading and interpreting texts. The most impressive scholarship papers are those which demonstrate cultural awareness of French and European issues.
German:
The German paper will test your ability to translate a passage of German into English or Welsh and to write a short essay (750 words) in German. What we are looking for is accuracy in grammar and in the choice of vocabulary, as well as in transmitting the content into another language (i.e. the information must be the same in the original and the translation). A good translation will also be written in fluent and idiomatic English or Welsh. The essay will give you the chance to express yourself more freely and to show your mastery of a range of vocabulary and grammatical structures, as well as your ability to structure your ideas clearly and logically.
Italian:
The Italian paper is intended to test your ability to translate a passage of Italian into English or Welsh and to write a short essay (350-400 words) in Italian. Through the translation exercise we are giving you the opportunity to demonstrate your competence in grammar and accuracy in the choice of vocabulary, as well as in transmitting the content into another language (i.e. the information must be the same in the original and the translation). A good translation will also be written in fluent and idiomatic English or Welsh. The essay will give you the chance to be creative by expressing yourself more freely and to show your mastery of a range of vocabulary and grammatical structures, as well as your ability to structure your ideas clearly and logically.
Spanish:
The Spanish paper will test your ability: a) to answer questions relating to a passage of Spanish; b) to translate a text in English or Welsh into Spanish; and c) to write a short essay in Spanish. In these exercises we expect:
1. accuracy in grammar and vocabulary;
2. you to transmit the correct content from English or Welsh into fluent Spanish;
3. you to express yourself in Spanish using a range of different grammatical structures and using precise vocabulary to communicate clearly and logically.
External funding:
Students in this Department have also been successful in obtaining scholarships from external sources, such as the German Academic Exchange Service . These scholarships have enabled students to spend a month on a summer course in Germany . This is what one of our students, Lee Falconer, had to say about this scholarship: As an integral part of my 16-month period in France and in Germany , I spent 3 weeks on an intensive German language course at the Martin-Luther Universität in Wittenberg . This course was fully funded by the DAAD, upon my successful participation in an exam sat in January and a written interview in March. In addition to this fully funded course and accommodation, I also received around 300 euros, which covered my travelling expenses and leisure activities.
The well-adapted course was of great interest to me, not only on a linguistic level, but also on a cultural one. Firstly, the course allowed me to further consolidate my language skills before the undertaking of my work experience placement in Pforzheim with a high-tech medical firm. Secondly, the course permitted me to visit an area of Germany that was otherwise unknown to me, as well as allowing me to visit one of the major cultural centres of the German language - Wittenberg, renowned as the home of the 'founder and promoter' of the German language - Martin Luther. Furthermore, the surrounding towns of Leipzig , Halle and Dresden were also of great interest, and I also managed a week-end visit to Berlin which proved to be of great historical interest.
However, this course was not only of educational importance to me: it also allowed me to meet fellow students of German from all over the world, many of whom I am still in regular contact with. I would recommend participation in such a course to anybody who wishes to improve their command of German. Such courses are not only of a high quality, since they are approved and funded by a well-established body with the aim of promoting the German language overseas, but are also good fun, and allow you to spend an enjoyable 3 weeks of your year abroad without having to constantly worry about how much money is left in your wallet.
Web Resources :
We are continually updating our_website and we hope that teachers and pupils will visit it not only to obtain information about this Department but to find resources that are useful for the teaching and learning of languages, e.g. we have many links to foreign-language magazines, newspapers, etc. To find these, click on the language in which you are interested and then click on ‘useful links'.
The Year Abroad :
Most of our degree schemes are four-year schemes, with the third year of study being spent in the country or countries where the language(s) of study is/are spoken. Some of you may be a bit worried about this year but rest assured that we will prepare you properly for it.
Also, remember that this year is one of the reasons why European Languages graduates have such a good employment record. During this year you acquire or deepen skills which employers value. Not only do you learn to speak the language/s more fluently but you also acquire life skills such as problem solving (in a foreign language!) and you have to get outside your own skin and learn that there are other ways of doing things than the ones you have always taken for granted as the norm. The communicative and intercultural skills you acquire during this year will stand you in very good stead when you apply for jobs upon graduating.
How to spend the year abroad :
The options are listed in detail here: http://www.aber.ac.uk/eurolangs/abroad.shtml Should you decide to look for work there are various websites which may be helpful. Information about teaching assistantships for all the countries is at British Council (application forms will be supplied through the Department). Remember that if you are studying French you don't have to spend the year in France – French is also spoken in Canada , Martinique , etc. And Spanish is spoken in Latin America as well as in Spain . Austria is a German-speaking country as well as Germany . If you want to study abroad the following websites will be useful:
Experiences of the Year Abroad: What Students Say
Information about university exchange schemes can be found here: www.aber.ac.uk/exchanges.sthml
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