University undergraduate student studying in Nightingale Hall accommodation's library, University Park

English and Hispanic Studies BA

University Park Campus, Nottingham, UK

Course overview

Are you passionate about language, literature and culture and eager to develop your skills in a language that will take you all over the world? If so, you will love the opportunity to immerse yourself in English language and literature together with Hispanic Studies on this joint honours course.

Your time will be divided equally between these two complementary subjects, in which you'll discover parallels and points of comparison throughout the course. In English, you'll take modules covering drama and performance, English language and applied linguistics, literature (from 1500 to the present) and medieval language and literature. We are proud to be ranked top 20 for English in the UK (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 and Complete University Guide 2024).

On the Hispanic Studies side, the course combines core language studies and opportunities to explore the cultures and histories of the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking worlds. If you're a beginner in Spanish, an intensive beginners' course will develop your language skills rapidly, ensuring that you reach degree level by your final year. If you begin the course with A level Spanish (or equivalent), you'll study Portuguese as an additional language in year one, with opportunities to continue throughout your studies in order to reach degree level. Alongside your language modules, you'll gain expertise in Spanish and Portuguese literature and culture and the multinational histories associated with both languages.

Indicative modules

Optional

Year 1

Spanish 1

Optional

Year 1

Spanish 1: Beginners

Optional

Year 1

Portuguese 1: Beginners

Optional

Year 1

Literature in Spanish

Optional

Year 1

Drama, Theatre, Performance

Optional

Year 1

Studying Literature

Optional

Year 1

Studying Language

Optional

Year 1

Beginnings of English

Optional

Year 2

Spanish 2

Optional

Year 2

Spanish 2: Beginners

Optional

Year 2

Portuguese 2: Beginners

Optional

Year 2

Nation Building and National Identities in the Lusophone World

Optional

Year 2

Luso-Hispanic Cinemas

Optional

Year 2

New World(s): Contacts, Conquests and Conflict in Early Modern Hispanic History and Culture

Optional

Year 2

Modern Spanish and Spanish American Literature

Optional

Year 2

From Talking Horses to Romantic Revolutionaries: Literature 1700-1830

Optional

Year 2

Literature and Popular Culture

Optional

Year 2

Modern and Contemporary Literature

Optional

Year 2

Shakespeare and Contemporaries on the Page

Optional

Year 2

Victorian and Fin de Siècle Literature: 1830-1910

Optional

Year 2

Language in Society

Optional

Year 2

Language Development

Optional

Year 2

Literary Linguistics

Optional

Year 2

The Psychology of Bilingualism and Language Learning

Optional

Year 2

Chaucer and his Contemporaries

Optional

Year 2

Ice and Fire: Myths and Heroes of the North

Optional

Year 2

Old English: Reflection and Lament

Optional

Year 2

Names and Identities

Optional

Year 2

From Stanislavski to Contemporary Performance

Optional

Year 2

Twentieth-Century Plays

Mandatory

Year 3

Year abroad

Mandatory

Year 4

Spanish 3

Optional

Year 4

Portuguese 3

Optional

Year 4

Business and Society in Spain

Optional

Year 4

Making the Cuban Revolution: Ideology, Culture and Identity in Cuba since 1959

Optional

Year 4

Brazilian Slave Society

Optional

Year 4

Literature and Film under Franco

Optional

Year 4

Translation, Power and Gender in the Spanish-speaking World

Optional

Year 4

Spanish American Narrative and Film

Optional

Year 4

Politics and Literature in Contemporary Spain

Optional

Year 4

Memory and the Future in Iberian and Latin American Culture and Politics

Optional

Year 4

Dissertation in Hispanic Studies

Optional

Year 4

Communicating and Teaching Languages for Undergraduate Ambassadors

Optional

Year 4

Songs and Sonnets: Lyric poetry from Medieval Manuscript to Shakespeare and Donne

Optional

Year 4

Contemporary British Fiction

Optional

Year 4

Single-Author Study

Optional

Year 4

The Gothic Tradition

Optional

Year 4

The Self and the World: Writing in the Long Eighteenth Century

Optional

Year 4

Making Something Happen: Poetry and Politics

Optional

Year 4

Reformation and Revolution: Early Modern literature and drama 1588-1688

Optional

Year 4

Modern Irish Literature and Drama

Optional

Year 4

One and Unequal: World Literatures in English

Optional

Year 4

Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Optional

Year 4

Advanced Stylistics

Optional

Year 4

Language and Feminism

Optional

Year 4

Language and the Mind

Optional

Year 4

English Place-Names

Optional

Year 4

Dreaming the Middle Ages: Visionary Poetry in Scotland and England

Optional

Year 4

The Viking Mind

Optional

Year 4

Theatre Making

Optional

Year 4

Changing Stages: Theatre Industry and Theatre Art

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About modules

The above is a sample of the typical modules we offer, but is not intended to be construed or relied on as a definitive list of what might be available in any given year. This content was last updated on Thursday 29 August 2024. Due to timetabling availability, there may be restrictions on some module combinations.

When you begin studying at university, you will probably find that you cover material much more quickly than you did while studying for your A levels. The key to success is preparing well for classes and then taking the ideas you encounter further in your own time.

Lectures – provide an overview of what you are studying, using a variety of audio and visual materials to support your learning.

Seminars and workshops – give you the chance to explore and interact with the material presented in lectures in a friendly and informal environment. You will be taught in a smaller group of students, with discussion focusing on a text or topic you've previously prepared.

Workshops are more practical, perhaps through exploring texts, working with digital materials, or developing presentations.

Tutorials – individual and small-group tutorials let you explore your work with your module tutor, perhaps discussing plans for an essay or presentation, or following up on an area of a module which has interested you.

eLearning – our virtual-learning system, Moodle, offers 24-hour access to teaching materials and resources.

Peer mentoring

All new undergraduate students can opt into our peer mentoring scheme. Your peer mentor will help you settle into life at Nottingham, provide advice on the transition to university-level study and help you access support if needed.

Teaching quality

Our staff know that studying complex subjects can sometimes seem challenging (they've all been where you are!). Their contributions to high quality teaching and learning are recognised through our annual Lord Dearing Awards. View the full list of recipients.

Teaching methods

  • Lectures
  • Oral classes
  • Practical classes
  • Seminars
  • Tutorials
  • Workshops

You will be assessed by a wide variety of methods, consisting mainly of coursework and exams, but you may also be tasked with commentaries, dissertations, group work, in-class tests, portfolios and presentations.

Each module has its own methods of assessment and we strive to make these as varied as possible so that everyone can perform to the best of their abilities. When choosing optional modules, you will be able to see how the module is assessed in advance.

Assessment methods

  • Commentary
  • Dissertation
  • Essay
  • In-class test
  • Oral exam
  • Portfolio (written/digital)
  • Presentation
  • Reflective review
  • Written exam

An average week will have between 12 and 15 hours of classes.

As well as scheduled teaching you’ll carry out extensive self-study such as preparation for seminars, assessments and language practice. As a guide 20 credits (a typical module) is approximately 200 hours of work (combined teaching and self-study).

Studying languages can open up a world of opportunities. From banking to charities and from teaching to MI5, businesses and organisations across the globe seek to employ language specialists.

During this degree you’ll be able to choose from a wide range of modules, allowing you to tailor your studies around personal interests. In doing so you’ll start to identify potential career paths and begin to discover your areas of professional interest.

In addition to language skills, you’ll develop transferable skills highly sought after by employers such as confident communication skills, strict attention to detail and the ability to work within different cultures and organisational styles.

Combining language studies with English will help you develop the ability to communicate effectively, present your ideas engagingly and critically examine diverse forms of communication.

“My [language] studies have helped me to develop excellent communication skills, as well as helping me to hone my reading, writing, listening and speaking skills for both my target languages.  I have also become a much more resilient learner, being able to persevere when things start to get tough and independently solve issues where possible.” Charlotte Allwood , French and Contemporary Chinese Studies BA

Find out more about careers of Modern Language students

Average starting salary and career progression

78.8% of undergraduates from the Faculty of Arts secured graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation. The average annual starting salary for these graduates was £23,974.

HESA Graduate Outcomes (2017 to 2021 cohorts). The Graduate Outcomes % is calculated using The Guardian University Guide methodology. The average annual salary is based on graduates working full-time within the UK.

Studying for a degree at the University of Nottingham will provide you with the type of skills and experiences that will prove invaluable in any career, whichever direction you decide to take.

Throughout your time with us, our Careers and Employability Service can work with you to improve your employability skills even further; assisting with job or course applications, searching for appropriate work experience placements and hosting events to bring you closer to a wide range of prospective employers.

Have a look at our careers page for an overview of all the employability support and opportunities that we provide to current students.

The University of Nottingham is consistently named as one of the most targeted universities by Britain’s leading graduate employers (Ranked in the top ten in The Graduate Market in 2013-2020, High Fliers Research).

University undergraduate student Cole Pearce studying in Nightingale Hall accommodation's library, University Park. November 5th 2021.

I’ve found studying two subjects so rewarding. You get to study things from different perspectives which you probably wouldn't be able to do as much as a single honours student. If you want to study more than one subject, you aren't being indecisive and you won't regret it! 

Ellie Abbey

Course data

Open Day June 2022