Hispanic Studies BA (Hons)

This module is mapped against B1+ level in Spanish according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

The aim of the module is to work towards the expansion of the student’s already existent knowledge of Spanish language. Furthermore, the module places special emphasis on conversational fluency, grammatical accuracy and vocabulary acquisition. Students will receive three contact hours a week divided into two hours of integrated skills language seminars plus a one hour lab session of practical skills (listening and conversation) per week. In addition, students are expected to undertake regular independent language learning for which they will provided with materials and guidance via the University’s Virtual Learning Environment: Canvas.​

This module is mapped against B2- level in Spanish according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

This is a first year advanced language course taught in the second semester where students attend seminars and practical sessions in small groups and focus on spoken and written Spanish. The aim is to work towards the expansion of the student’s already existent knowledge of Spanish language. Furthermore, the module places special emphasis on conversational fluency, grammatical accuracy and vocabulary acquisition. Students will receive three contact hours a week divided into two hours of integrated skills language seminars plus a one hour lab session of practical skills (listening and conversation) per week. In addition, students are expected to undertake regular independent language learning for which they will provided with materials and guidance via Canvas.

The Introduction to Iberian and Latin American Studies I module (HISP120) provides students with a basic introduction to Luso-Hispanic history, culture and society. It focuses on key topics such as colonialism and decolonisation, race and ethnicity, and sub-state and national identities. Along with Introduction to Iberian and Latin American Studies II (HISP121) in Semester 2, this module will serve as the foundation upon which you build your knowledge and understanding of Luso-Hispanic history and culture throughout your degree.

SPAN134 is an elementary, intensive Spanish language and culture module. It aims at building language and intercultural skills, providing students with a solid understanding of the grammar, syntax, vocabulary and use of the Spanish language in context at an elementary level.

This module provides students with a basic introduction to Luso-Hispanic history, culture and society. It also covers core skills necessary for undergraduate studies, familiarising you with a range of information sources. This module is thus also aimed at developing confidence and ability in research and academic writing. Along with Introduction to Iberian and Latin American Studies I (HISP120), this module will serve as the foundation upon which you will build your knowledge and understanding of Luso-Hispanic history and culture throughout your degree.

The module is an introduction to linguistics, focusing on issues in theoretical and applied linguistics which are relevant for language learners. It aims to equip students with a better awareness of and explicit knowledge about language and language learning. The meta-awareness thus gained will assist in hypothesis testing and rule formation essential to the learning of language.

This module will introduce students to a range of literary and cultural forms which give prominence to women’s roles in cultural and social change. Students will engage with a number of key texts and gender related concepts and will consider the ways in which representations of women, whether produced by women or, indeed, by men, have both influenced and been influenced by important social and cultural movements in Spain, Portugal and Latin America from the early modern to the modern eras.  

Beginners’ Basque 1+2 equips the students with the skills needed to start communicating in Basque. It covers basic grammar structures and vocabulary and lays a solid foundation for further study. The course includes as well an introduction to a variety of aspects of Basque culture.

The principal aim of this module is to achieve greater proficiency in written and speaking Catalan and to provide a solid grammatical foundation.

The student will also have the opportunity to achieve an extra qualification by taking the International Catalan Certificate issued by the Institut Ramon Llull and held at the University of Liverpool.

This introductory Portuguese language module offers absolute beginners a comprehensive overview of basic grammatical functions and linguistic skills that will provide students with basic competence in reading, writing, listening and speaking Portuguese at A1+/A2 level according the Common European Framework of Reference.

Elementary Basque 3+4 takes the students up to the A2 Breakthrough level of the CEFRL by widening the range of grammar structures and vocabulary to be acquired and so enhancing their receptive and productive skills. The course materials keep introducing the students to a wide variety of aspects of Basque culture.

This module is mapped against A2 level in Catalan according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

This is an introductory intensive module which aims to provide students with a working knowledge of modern Catalan, written and spoken, roughly at A-level standard. The student will also have the opportunity to achieve an extra qualification by taking the International Catalan Certificate issued by the Institut Ramon Llull and held at the University of Liverpool.

This module is mapped against A2 level in Portuguese according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

This module is a continuation of PORT112 and improves upon the linguistic skills acquired in that module. It offers beginners of Portuguese a comprehensive overview of basic grammatical functions and linguistic skills that will provide students with a sound competence in reading, writing, listening and speaking Portuguese.

This second-year advanced Spanish language course consists of small group tuition (on-campus and/or online) in spoken and written Spanish. The module aims to consolidate and extend students’ existing language skills, providing them with an enhanced understanding of Spanish grammar, and significantly improved oral and writtencommunication skills. SPAN207 and SPAN208 are mapped against the B2.2 level (CEFR). Specific language objectives include: Writing objectives: Writing clear, detailed texts on a wide range of subjects related to the students’ interests; writing essays or reports, passing on information or giving reasons in support of or against a particular point of view; writing letters highlighting the personal significance of events and experiences.

Reading objectives: Reading articles and reports concerned with contemporary problems in which the writers adopt particular attitudes or viewpoints; understanding contemporary literary prose.

Speaking objectives: Presenting clear, detailed descriptions on a wide range of subjects related to the student’s field(s) of interest; explaining a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options; interacting with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible; taking an active part in discussions in familiar contexts, accounting for and sustaining the students’ views. Listening objectives: Understanding extended speech and lectures and following even complex lines of argument provided the topic is reasonably familiar; understanding most TV news and current affairs programs; understanding films in standard dialect.

This second-year advanced Spanish language course consists of small group tuition (on-campus and/or online) in spoken and written Spanish. The module aims to consolidate and extend students’ existing language skills, providing them with an enhanced understanding of Spanish grammar, and significantly improved oral and written communication skills.

SPAN207 and SPAN208 are mapped against the B2.2 level (CEFR). Specific language objectives include:

Writing objectives:
Writing clear, detailed texts on a wide range of subjects related to the students’ interests; writing essays or reports, passing on information or giving reasons in support of or against a particular point of view; writing letters highlighting the personal significance of events and experiences.

Reading objectives:
Reading articles and reports concerned with contemporary problems in which the writers adopt particular attitudes or viewpoints; understanding contemporary literary prose.

Speaking objectives:
Presenting clear, detailed descriptions on a wide range of subjects related to the students’ field(s)of interest; explaining a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options; interacting with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible; taking active part in discussions in familiar contexts, accounting for and sustaining the students’ views.

Listening objectives:
Understanding extended speech and lectures and following even complex lines of argument provided the topic is reasonably familiar; understanding most TV news and current affairs programmes; understanding the majority of films in standard dialect.

Students will build on the SPAN256 syllabus, developing and consolidating their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills.

This Module is mapped against the B2 level in Spanish according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

This module is mapped against B1 level in Spanish according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Students will build on the ab initio modules (SPAN112 / SPAN134), developing and consolidating their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills, especially through the coverage given to important elements of Spanish Grammar. Vocabulary acquisition will be consolidated.

The Basque language is the axis of a long-standing culture that came to feel at risk around the late 19th century. The Basque nation has since embarked on a fight for survival that has largely contributed to transform the Basque Country into an open, modern, and dynamic society. But contemporary Basque society is characterised by its conflicting identities, Basque and Spanish being the most noted of them. This module will analyse the most relevant areas of that conflict from a cultural, historical, and anthropological perspective. It will also offer a taste of contemporary Basque arts and the identity play between the local and the global in which they are inscribed. This is not a theoretical module. It is practical through and through. But by means of studying contemporary Basque society and culture students are invited to reflect about the concept of identity, both its importance to all of us and its striking fragility, and the way all that is linked to their own experience of nationality.

This module offers an introduction to economic and social development in Latin America over the past fifty years and more recently the effects of globalisation in Latin America. We discuss key themes in the study of globalisation and development, including the nature of globalisation and the state, and the concept of development. After the introductory sessions, different weeks will look at changes in development policies in Latin America, from the post-war period to the most recent introduction of neoliberal reforms and the turn to left-wing politics. Subsequently, we will discuss key actors in the Latin American development process (the state, civil society, social movements, and international institutions). The module finishes with an overview of the international context of Latin American development, including US-Latin American relations.

This second-year optional module will introduce students to the theory and practice of language teaching. Subject specific lectures will provide an overview of the evolution of teaching methodologies and approaches throughout history and up until the latest developments in the field, such as gamification or the flipped classroom approach. They will also guide students on applying these theories to different teaching contexts, taking into account variables such as language level, students’ profile, motivation, or the cognitive implications of second language learning. School placements and/or supervisions will provide the opportunity to apply the theory to an actual teaching context and to develop a teaching project.

Although often considered a monolingual English city, Liverpool is as diverse and multilingual as most major urban centres. This module invites students to draw on their linguistic skills and their awareness of languages more widely to consider critically the extent to which multilingualism is part of Liverpool. Taking both established theories and new ways of thinking, we will go out and physically explore parts of the city to see what resources (languages and images) are used to make Liverpool. At the same time, we look at the ways in which the city could be usefully more multilingual, and not only identify but also fill the gaps in the public space with students’ own translations into Chinese, French, German, Italian, Spanish.…

Using some of the most controversial films ever made as case studies, this module examines the relationship between film, political authority and public morality. The module examines films from the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, the German Democratic Republic, France, Italy, Spain and China. All films are shown with English subtitles and the modules is suitable for all students in HSS interested in film, propaganda and censorship.

The aim of this module is to introduce you to the cinematic dimension of Spanish and Latin American cultures. You will gain an insight into the context in which contemporary cinemas have developed in Spain and Latin America, as well as gaining an awareness of the economic forces which frame the film industry in Spain and Latin America in specific areas of contemporary political and cultural life. The module will enable you to understand cinema practices and institutions in Spanish and Latin American societies. The focus of this module will be Film Festivals as an insight into how films are funded, distributed, and consumed, and what types of films are circulated for international audiences.

This is a module that employs literature to approach issues of nationalisms and national identities in contemporary Spain. The principal aim of this module is to provide students with a detailed introduction to the nationalisms of Spain, in particular those of Castilla, the Basque Country and Catalonia. The module will enable students to acquire a broad understanding of the different nationalist identities in Spain looking at different literary texts (mainly contemporary) from the different Autonomous Communities (fiction, poetry and short stories, in Spanish) and from different time periods. The module will also enable students to acquire wide-ranging skills in literary analysis. By looking in depth at the Basque Country and Catalonia the module will enable students to gain a solid understanding of key social, political and cultural concerns in contemporary Spain.

The modern city and the cinema developed together, and as they developed they referred to each other: cities have always been a prime space for film, while many urban theorists have found it useful to think of cities as cinematic spaces. The module introduces you to cinematic ways of representing the city, through the study of a number of representative films that deal with some major metropolis.You will have the opportunity to produce your own short smartphone film of the city of Liverpool as part of a small-scale group project. This will allow you to put your ideas into practice and to reflect on the filmmaking process. No prior knowledge of practical filmmaking is required to enrol in this module but you will need to be willing to familiarise yourself with the process of shooting and editing of a smartphone film.

Students will be able to communicate effectively in a variety of different contexts and registers. Their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills will all have improved, and their ability to translate texts and interpret short interviews/talks will have been enhanced.

Students will be able to communicate effectively in a variety of different contexts. Their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills will all have improved, and their ability to write in different registers will have been enhanced.

This module will introduce students to debates about democracy in Latin American during and after the Cold War, including the breakdown of democratic regimes and democratisation. By examining the changing relationship between the state, civil society and citizens since the mid-twentieth century, we cover various aspects of the democratisation process in the region, including theoretical explanations. In the first half of the module, we examine the influence of the Cold War on Latin American politics, including the Cuban Revolution, US-Latin American relations, and the emergence of military regime. This is followed by an examination of the ‘transitions to democracy’, including topics such as transitional justice, human rights, and the memory and legacy of dictatorship. We finish by studying some of the challenges confronting Latin America societies today and the prospects for democracy.

This module develops research and critical skills when examining digital cultures with a particular focus on the Americas. It takes examples that encompass North, Central, and South America as well as the Caribbean. Building confidence in handling theoretical tools in the analysis of digital cultures it examines a range of professional and amateur content creators from social, institutional and personal perspectives and considers issues of curatorship, archival approaches, the ethics of (re)appropriation and remediation, and the relationship between the self and the public and private spheres.

This module gives students the opportunity to carry out independent research in an area of interest to them. The topic should be related to one of the research specialisms of members of staff in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures. Students are expected to take the initiative in planning, researching and writing the dissertation. Supervision and guidance will be provided from a member of staff in the Department.

The course aims at further improving the students’ fluency in spoken Catalan and their mastery of written Catalan in all the areas of comprehension, writing and grammar.

The module builds upon Proficient Catalan 11.

The course aims at further improving the students’ fluency in spoken Catalan and their mastery of written Catalan in all the areas of comprehension, writing and grammar.

The student will also have the opportunity to achieve an extra qualification by taking the International Catalan Certificate issued by the Institut Ramon Llull and held at the University of Liverpool.

This module builds on the linguistic skills acquired in previous Portuguese modules and aims to consolidate students’ knowledge of Portuguese at an advanced level. The module will focus on perfecting accurate and appropriate use of Portuguese in speech, listening, reading, and writing at C1 level according the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

This module builds on the linguistic skills acquired in previous Portuguese modules (PORT256, PORT278 and PORT311), and aims to consolidate students’ knowledge of Portuguese at an advanced level. The module will focus on perfecting accurate and appropriate use of Portuguese in speech, listening, reading, and writing at C1 level according the Common European Framework of Reference .

This module explores themes in contemporary Spanish films and television, within their broader sociohistorical, political and industrial contexts. It examines the ways in which television and film respond to and to intervene in key moments, social crises and issues in contemporary Spain. As well as providing an in-depth knowledge and understanding of Spanish film and television, the module will develop an ability to apply close analysis of film and television texts, and relate this to broader theories in cultural and media studies to understand the context and significance of media texts in the shaping of public debates.

This module will introduce students to approaches to memory and to a body of textual, visual, material representation of terror that has become a key focus for critical analysis in recent cultural studies. It will provide a context in which students can engage in systematic comparisons between European, Latin American and East Asian experiences and representations of social and political trauma. It will also encourage students to reflect systematically on the political and ethical implications of literary, material, digital and cinematic representations of traumatic histories. You will have the opportunity to study in depth and compare examples of representation through different media and across different national and linguistic boundaries. Lectures provide background both to the main theoretical approaches, and to specific representations. In weekly seminars, you will work on the case studies covered in class, and on related materials. Assessment is on the basis of a poster and an essay.

This module explores the links between language, society and identity in contemporary Spain. It draws on key topics in Sociolinguistics such as language and gender, language ideologies and language and education to ask questions such as:

– Why are some languages or accents thought of as “better” than others?
– What role does language play in identity formation?
– How does language intersect with systems of social categorisation such as gender and sexuality, race/ethnicity, and social class?

This module introduces students to the theory and practice of translation at an advanced level. Students will develop an understanding of theoretical issues surrounding translation, applying this knowledge both to their own translations and to existing texts; gain insight into the professional practice of translation; and enhance their advanced language skills in both their target language(s) and English across a range of different text styles.

This module is offered to students of Chinese, French, German and Spanish. Students studying two languages may, subject to the agreement of the relevant tutors, choose to follow seminars in both languages. Please contact the module convenor in advance to make arrangements if you would like to take up this option.

Students wishing to take this module should normally have achieved an average of 60% or above in their second year language modules. MODL311 is a prerequisite for MODL312: students will normally be required to achieve 60% or above in MODL311 in order to progress into MODL312. Students are not required to take both modules in the same language.