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UNICAEN | UNIVERSITÉ DE CAEN NORMANDIE | UFR Langues vivantes étrangères

Undergraduate courses Foreign and Regional Languages, Literature and Civilisations Track Spanish

This programme is taught in French.

field(s) of training :

Arts, Literature, Languages

diploma level :

Bachelor's degree (three-year degree)

duration of the program :

3 years

Course overview

Spanish is the official language of 21 countries on 3 continents and the third most spoken language in the world. You want to master this language and discover new perspectives by studying cultures spread all over the world? The Foreign and Regional Languages, Literature and Civilisations specialised in Spanish is made for you!

This three-year full-time programme is multidisciplinary and aims at proficiency in various aspects of the Spanish language. To do so, the curriculum offers comprehensive courses on linguistics, literature and culture. Moreover, you will study the history and exchanges between the Iberian Peninsula and Iberian America, including an introduction to Portuguese and the Portuguese-speaking world.

Highlights

You wish to practice Spanish and benefit from consistent tutoring? What about meeting native speakers and taking part in immersive events? With the bachelor’s programme specialised in Spanish language, you will benefit from:

  • Numerous cultural activities to practice Spanish and discover Spanish-speaking cultures (movie club, theatre, exhibitions, conversation session…)
  • Personalised support in a student-oriented programme, including extra tutoring if needed
  • Discovery of teaching Spanish through an optional course in Year 2

Welcoming international students

Since 2019, the University of Caen Normandy has been awarded the "Bienvenue en France" label by Campus France, highlighting the quality of the university's welcome for international students.

 

 

Application requirements

Entry requirements

To enter this master’s, you should

  • Be interested in studying, reading, following international news, and various fields of culture
  • Have completed secondary education, and obtained a high school diploma equivalent to the French baccalaureate

Language proficiency requirements

Minimum French proficiency level required: B2

Minimum Spanish proficiency level required: B2

Specific conditions

Within the Faculty of Foreign Languages, the Applied Foreign Languages and the Foreign and Regional Languages, Literature and Civilisations bachelor’s degrees belong to the same department. As such, if you are registered in one of these programmes, you can change programme any time during the year to attend another bachelor’s of the same department.

Apply and register

The registration process takes place in 3 steps:

Application process

Admission and registration requirements may vary depending on your nationality, country of residence, foreign secondary school leaving certificate, and the nature of your programme of study. Discover how to apply to the University of Caen Normandy.

Course structure

Courses

  • Take place on site in Campus 1 (Caen), within the Faculty of Foreign Languages of the university of Caen Normandy
  • Are completed by documents on the e-learning platform eCampus
  • Amount to 500 hours a year, around 20 hours a week

Course units

Spanish proficiency is essential to the bachelor’s degree in Foreign and Regional Languages, Literature and Civilizations specialised in Spanish. From Year 1 to Year 3, you will deepen your mastering of this language, with main courses in:

  • Grammar
  • Linguistics
  • Translation

As well as courses related to the Spanish-speaking world:

  • Literature
  • Civilisation

You will also attend a course related to French, as well as vocational courses to support your professional prospects.

In Year 1, in addition to linguistic and cultural courses, you will learn university methodology. You will also be able to choose an optional course either to broaden your knowledge in linguistics, benefit from extra tutoring, or study another language.

In Year 2, you will have to choose between various options:

  • One language: to deepen your knowledge and skills in Spanish
  • Two languages: to attend complementary courses in another language
    • As a second language: English or Italian
    • As a third language: Portuguese or Italian
  • Teaching: to specialise in teaching Spanish

Internships and placements

If you choose the Introduction to Teaching optional course in Year 3, the programme will be completed by a compulsory internship. This internship will not be graded, however, it can be acknowledged as student commitment. 

Coursework and assessment

The course lasts 3 years and is divided in 6 semesters. Courses are gathered in skills to be acquired, which make up course units. Course units are gathered in 2 skills units, a disciplinary skills unit and a transferrable skills unit.

Each course is graded through coursework only, from 0 to 20, 20 being the best grade: assessments can take place either in class, during the 12 weeks of training, or at the end of these weeks, during the 2 weeks dedicated to exams, or both. There are no final exams at the end of the semester or of the year, and you cannot retake an exam. 

Grade compensation is organised without eliminatory marks and on the basis of the general average obtained in every course unit:

  • For the courses of a same course unit and a same skill unit
  • Over each semester
  • Over the 2 semesters of a same year

Years do not compensate each other.

To successfully complete a semester, you must have an average mark of at least 10 points out of 20. If you have not completed your semester, you can retake the courses units you failed; you do not have to retake the courses in which you have obtained at least 10 points out of 20.

Language

French

Spanish

Study abroad

“In a text, there is always a part up for interpretation, a proposition of a world one could inhabit and, as such, envision as a very personal possibility.” The question is: how can one grasp “the work’s world” if one has never experienced a change of scenery themselves? And how can one grasp the fundamentals of a society without exposing themselves daily to the society’s contemporary politics, society and culture?

You wish to improve your Spanish proficiency in full-immersion? Perfect your academic training and study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country, in Europe or all around the world:

In addition to the compulsory internship in Year 3, the Department of Applied Foreign Languages offers to travel all around the world as part of:

  • Erasmus+ European exchange programme: Almería, Granada, Murcia, Oviedo, Salamanca, Santiago de Compostela, Girona, les Illes Balears, València
  • University exchanges through networks and programmes such as the Quebec student exchange programme (BCI), the ISEP and Asia Exchange, allowing you to travel in various destinations: Africa, South America, Asia, Australia, Canada, United States of America, Europe, United Kingdom (including Warwick and Birmingham). You can’t speak Thai, Korean or Norwegian? Don’t worry: many universities offer courses in English.

Is going abroad expensive? It may be, depending on the destinations. You can go abroad for less than 500 euros, and you can benefit from cumulative financial supports (including scholarships).

When can I go abroad? Most students go abroad in Year 3, for a year or for the second semester. To do so, you need to apply for an exchange during the previous year.

You want to learn more about financial supports or discover other ways to go abroad? Read more on the dedicated pages of the Faculty of Foreign Languages and the Service for the international mobility programmes, which co-organises study exchanges and international placements. Students who also share their memorable experiences!

Learning outcome

By the end of this course, you will acquire knowledge and skills in Spanish culture and language, notably in:

  • Linguistics
  • Translation
  • Literature
  • Civilisation

As such, you will be able to:

  • Analyse and present any type of documents
  • Use informatics, digital, audio-visual supports
  • Master research and documentation tools
  • Master written and oral skills
  • Listen, understand and interact with English speakers and content
  • Work in autonomy and in group
  • Plan and manage a personal project
  • Develop critical thinking 

Further study

Once you’ve obtained your bachelor’s degree, you can pursue studies in literature, civilisation, linguistics, translation and multicultural exchanges. The University of Caen Normandy offers the following master’s degrees:

  • Foreign and Regional Languages, Literature and Civilisations
    • Cultural Studies: Literature and Civilisation
    • Multilingual Linguistics
  • Teaching, Educating and Training
    • Secondary Education: Spanish as a Foreign Language
    • Primary Education
    • Training Practices & Engineering: Educational Mobility and Tourism
  • Linguistics
    • French as a Foreign Language
    • Linguistics and Data Processing
  • Translation and Interpretation
  • Book and Publishing
    • Publishing
    • Library science
  • Applied Foreign Languages
    • European Projects Manager
    • Sustainable development: Consultation and Communication Strategies
    • Starting a Business Abroad

Careers

The bachelor’s degree is the first step to pursue careers related to Spanish language. According to our last surveys, 8 out of 10 students went further with their studies after graduating from their bachelor’s degree. Hence your career will depend on your specialisation and the diploma you pursue after your bachelor’s.

Once you have specialised in Spanish language and culture, you can work in the following fields:

  • Culture
  • Teaching
  • Communication
  • Administration
  • Cultural mediation
  • Translation
  • Publishing, documentation, library
  • International public services
  • Research, after completing a PhD

You will find work in both private and public sectors, and will be able to take the public service examinations.

Address

Université de Caen Normandie

UFR LVE · Langues vivantes étrangères

MLI · Maison des langues et de l’international

Esplanade de la Paix · CS 14032 · 14032 CAEN cedex 5

France

Course leader

formation : Loann Berens · loann.berens@unicaen.fr

formation : Nadia Ait Bachir · nadia.aitbachir@unicaen.fr

more information