Spanish

Choose a major in Spanish

EL mundo habla español - the world speaks Spanish.

Study a major in Spanish to gain comprehensive skills to understand, speak, read, and write Spanish proficiently. You'll explore diverse usages and cultural expressions of Spanish across the Spanish-speaking world, through a wide range of real-life materials incorporated into classes and study resources.

Expect to be truly immersed: you will deepen your appreciation and understanding of Hispanic cultures and societies, while exploring the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of Spanish-speaking regions globally. You will be equipped to effectively communicate and engage with the Hispanic world across various professional and personal contexts.

The Spanish major is available across two streams:

Beginners (for students with no knowledge of the Spanish language)
Intermediate (for students with SACE, IB or equivalent proficiency in Spanish)

Why study Spanish?

Spanish is the second most spoken native language in the world, with over 500 million speakers across 21 countries
Increase your employment opportunities and earning potential
Learning Spanish makes learning subsequent languages easier, due to exposure to new language patterns - especially other Romance languages like French, Italian or Portuguese
Enhance understanding of your own language, as many English words have Latin roots shared with Spanish
Learning Spanish provides access to its rich literature, music, films, and other cultural works in their original form
Experience a diverse curriculum.

Your career

This major opens up a wide array of career paths.

Spanish proficiency opens up a wide array of career paths across sectors like business, healthcare, legal, education, media, and public service by enabling communication with the large global Spanish-speaking population.

Knowledge of Spanish also provides a a competitive economic advantage for individuals through higher earnings and job prospects, and for businesses by facilitating trade, investment, and access to the large - and growing - Hispanic market.

Potential occupations include:

Teacher
Tour Guide
Travel Consultant
Human Resources
International Trade Officer
Translator / Interpreter
Settlement Support Officer
International Student Advisor
Foreign Language Intelligence Analyst
Project Officer (in culturally and linguistically diverse communities)
International Journalist

Potential employers include:

Government departments and agencies
International not-for-profits
Media companies
Travel publications
Airlines and travel companies.

What you will study

This major offers a range of exciting topics.

Besides the Spanish language itself, you will explore:

The Hispanic World and Its People
Hispanic Arts and Culture
Latin American History and Culture Through Film and Literature
Contemporary Spanish Cinema and Literature.

Study options

Study this major in the following degrees:

Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts and Science
Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science / Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Languages
Bachelor of Languages / Bachelor of International Relations and Political Science
Bachelor of Laws - Legal Practice Entry / Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Laws (Honours) - Legal Practice Entry / Bachelor of Arts
Diploma in Language

How many units?

This major caters for Beginners and Intermediate (post-secondary) students. It is comprised of 36 units, including:

Two Year 1 topics (9 units)
Two Year 2 topics (9 units)
Two Year 3 topics (9 units)
Plus two additional topics (9 units) from the Year 2 or Year 3 topics.

Modern Greek can also be taken as a minor for Beginners and Intermediate (post-secondary) students. Your 18 units will include:

Two Year 1 topics (9 units)
Two Year 2 topics (9 units).

Add a year of Honours

Kickstart your career or future in research with one extra year.

By adding just one year full-time to your undergraduate degree, you can graduate with Honours. Enhance your career prospects, delve deeper into knowledge or launch yourself into the world of research.

Explore your honours year

Meet the experts

Javier Díaz-Martinez

Javier Díaz is involved in the development, teaching, and administration of SPAN, LANG and LING topics with the Discipline of Languages, Linguistics, TESOL and Communication. He has been actively involved in the training and support of language teachers in SA for a long time, and collaborates regularly with teaching professional associations (STASA, MLTASA) and education organisations (SACE Board of SA, Education Office of the Spanish Embassy in Australia), as well as with a number of multicultural community groups.

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