What combinations are on offer in your Department?
You can study two languages as Joint Honours or Major/Minor OR three languages (= R900: European Languages degree scheme), OR a language with another subject (e.g. Marketing, Fine Art, History, Pure Maths. A full list is available in the prospectus). There are also single honours degree schemes in Modern German Studies and Romance Languages (French/Italian/Spanish). French, German and Spanish are available as Joint Honours, Major and Minor subjects; Italian is available as a subsidiary subject, i.e. you can take a first-year course in it, or it can be the third language in the R900 degree scheme.
What is the difference between Joint Honours and Major / Minor?
If you study two subjects as Joint Honours you devote roughly 50% of your time to each subject. In a Major/Minor combination the major subject makes up 2/3 of your studies, and the minor accounts for 1/3.
How many credits do I have to take in the first year?
120.
What is the smallest number of credits I can take in a subject if I want to carry on with it after the first year?
Normally 40 (in the Department of European Languages always 40), with some exceptions elsewhere.
What is the maximum number of credits I can take in any one subject?
Normally 60, again with some exceptions elsewhere.
How do I know how many credits each module has?
Each module has a name and module identifier, e.g. GE10910: Ways of Reading German Literature. The GE1 means it’s a German module at level one. The last two digits represent the number of credits – so this module is a ten-credit level-one German module. On the same pattern, SP20130 is a 30-credit level-two Spanish module.
Where can I find out exactly what modules are on offer in any particular year?
The most up-to-date list is on the web at: http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/modules/deptcurrent/?d=European+Languages
Do I have to take more than one subject in my first year?
Yes. You are also strongly recommended to have two ‘pathways’ out of the first year: that is, to allow for not getting on well with the subject (or the possibility of failing it), you should try to make sure there’s something else you could carry on with instead.
If I want to carry on with a language beyond the first year, how many credits should I take in it?
We’d recommend you take at least one module over and above the minimum 40 credits, in order to have a better grounding in the language. This includes EL modules as well as FR/GE/IT/SP modules.
Do I have to study something outside my intended degree scheme?
No, but you are welcome to do so as long as you are taking the required number of modules in your intended degree scheme.
Do Beginners’ Language modules (FR10740, GE10740, SP10740) let me carry on into a degree in the language concerned?
Yes. After Part One (first year) you go straight on into the degree course (occasionally there may be some extra help in the form of extra classes). For IT10740 this is only true for the schemes R900 and Q990.
Can I do more than one Beginners’ Language module?
Not normally. We think it is just too much work for one year. However, if you are taking R900 you can study one beginners’ language in year 1 and one in year 2; but you cannot take three beginners’ languages.
Do the ‘Languages for Non-Specialists’ modules (Basic French, Basic Spanish) let me carry on and do a degree in the language?
No. However, you might be allowed to 'upgrade' from LNS to the Beginners' course in the same language at the end of the first semester of your first year of study if you are sufficiently keen and able.
Are there any core modules which are obligatory?
Yes, in each year of study you have to take 30 credits of language modules (40 at level one if you are a Beginner). In order to find out which modules are obligatory (core) and which are optional for any degree scheme please refer to the degree scheme specifications to be found at http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/study-schemes/deptcurrent/?d=European+Languages
How do I spend the year abroad (the third year)?
Students are required to spend the intercalary year in an academically acceptable manner. Typically, ways in which it is spent include: for those going to one country – a post as an English language assistant in a primary or secondary school (paid, and organized from London), or other employment (organized by individual students and subject to departmental approval); for those going to more than one country – attendance at a university course in each country, either under the Erasmus scheme or independently.
What scholarships and bursaries does Aberystwyth offer for students of languages?
There are a range of scholarships and bursaries for which you can apply. Amongst these are excellence bursaries which are specifically linked to degree schemes in European Languages (the language has to account for at least half of the degree scheme). Full details are available here: http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/scholarships/
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, what grades would I require in order to come to this Department?
Our usual offer is 280 points (it depends how many subjects you are taking, whether you are a mature student, etc.), and we expect a B at A level in one of the languages or the language you want to study (UNLESS you intend to learn the language from scratch here in which case we don’t ask for an A level in the language but we do look for evidence of language-learning ability). General Studies and Key Skills can be used to make up the offer. Full details of our offers, including international qualifications, can be found at:
http://www.aber.ac.uk/eurolangs/offers-requirements.shtml
Remember that you can study a language to degree level with no previous knowledge of it - you don’t have to have an A level in it before you start.
Contacts
Dr Wini Davies, Admissions Tutor: wid@aber.ac.uk; 01970-622557
Departmental Office: 01970-622555
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