BA Modern Languages and Linguistics (Spanish)

Programme overview

Entry requirements

Entry Requirements are available on the Course Search entry

Programme specification

Combine your passion for speaking languages with a fascination for how they work, by studying linguistics alongside one of ten languages. You'll develop the spoken and written skills in your chosen language and explore the cultures and histories of the countries where the language is spoken.

Developing expertise in linguistics will help you navigate the uniquely complex phenomenon of language. You’ll explore language acquisition, structure and change, the mental and social processes that shape and sustain human interaction, as well as phonetics – the study of how speech sounds are physically produced.

Studying a language will complement this expertise as you’ll be able to use these linguistic concepts and theories to enhance your language learning. Your year abroad will further enhance your language learning.

In your final year, you'll develop a project on a topic of your choice to demonstrate the skills and knowledge that you have gained during this four-year degree.

This joint honours degree offers you teaching of the highest standard, in a research-intensive environment where enthusiastic experts and students come together to explore linguistics and languages. You’ll also be encouraged to get involved in a range of activities organised by the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies and Language@Leeds.

We offer the following languages at two entry levels: beginners or with prior experience (e.g. A-level or equivalent). If you have prior experience in Arabic, please contact us before applying:

* Arabic (from beginners' level only)
* Chinese
* French
* German
* Italian
* Japanese
* Portuguese
* Russian
* Spanish
* Thai

You must include your chosen language in the ‘Further Details’ section of your UCAS application.

Year 1

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
View Timetable

At Level 1, students must study 120 credits.

Students on Route B must take 120 credits across their two subjects. Students are required to take 60 credits in Linguistics and 60 credits in Spanish.

Overall, students on Route A must take 100 credits across their two subjects.
Students on Route A are required to take 60 credits in Linguistics and 40 credits in Spanish.
Students on Route A may take the remaining 20 credits as
discovery modules or as further options with Linguistics or Spanish.

Compulsory Modules

All students will be required to study the following compulsory modules

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
LING1100	Language: Meaning and Use	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)	PFP
MODL1060	Language: Structure and Sound	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)	PFP

Optional Modules

Route A

Students with prior knowledge of Spanish (B1 of the CEFR) will be required to study the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
SPPO1260	Upper Intermediate Spanish (B2)	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)	PFP
SPPO1420	Researching Spanish and Latin American Studies	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

Route B

Students with no prior knowledge of Spanish will be required to study the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
SPPO1250	Beginners Spanish (A1)	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
SPPO1255	Pre-intermediate Spanish (A2)	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)	PFP
SPPO1410	Researching Spanish and Latin American Studies	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

Route A

Students with prior knowledge of Spanish (taking SPPO1260) may take up to 20 credits from the following list of optional modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
SPPO1045	The Historical Development of Spain and Hispanic America	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
SPPO1145	Catalan Language and Culture I	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
SPPO1160	Introduction to the Cultural Production of Spain and Spanish America	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
SPPO1230	Beginners Portuguese (A1)	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

Please note that optional modules run subject to enrolments. An optional module may not run if only a low number of students choose it.

Route A
Students with prior knowledge of Spanish (taking SPPO1260) are required to take a minimum of 20 credits and may take up to 40 credits from the following list of optional modules.

Route B
Students with no prior knowledge of Spanish (taking SPPO1250 AND SPPO1255) are required to take 20 credits from the following list of optional modules.

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
LING1065	Languages of the World	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MODL1090	Intercultural Competence: Theory and Application	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
MODL1401	Discourse, Culture and Identity	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

Please note that optional modules run subject to enrolments. An optional module may not run if only a low number of students choose it.

Discovery Modules

Route A

Students with prior knowledge of Spanish(taking SPPO1260) may take up to 20 credits of discovery modules.

Route A
Students with prior knowledge of Spanish (taking SPPO1260) may take up to 20 credits of discovery modules.

Year 2

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
View Timetable

At Level 2, students must study 120 credits. Students are required to take a minimum of 40 credits in Linguistics and a minimum of 40 credits in Spanish. Overall, students must take 100 credits across their two subjects.
The remaining 20 credits may be taken as discovery modules or as further options with Linguistics or Spanish.
Please note that not all modules will be available every year.

Compulsory Modules

Students will be required to study the following compulsory modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
LING2330	Phonetics	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)	PFP
LING2340	Syntax	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)	PFP

Optional Modules

Route A

Students who took SPPO1010/SPPO1260 in year 1 will be required to study the following module:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
SPPO2010	Practical Language Skills in Spanish 2	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)	PFP

Route B

Students who took SPPP1091/SPPO1255 and SPPO1093/SPPO1250 in year 1 will be required to study the following modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
SPPO2215	Politics and Social Issues in the Contemporary Spanish-speaking World	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
SPPO2220	Spanish Language Skills B1/B2	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)	PFP

Route A
Students taking SPPO2010 are required to study a minimum of 20 credits and may study up to 40 credits from the following list of optional modules:

Route B Students taking SPPO2220 and SPPO2210 may study up to 20 credits from the following list of optional modules. Students on Route B CANNOT select SPPO2110:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
SPPO2100	Issues in Hispanic Cinema	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
SPPO2110	Literature and the Arts in the Spanish-speaking World	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
SPPO2510	Latin America since Independence (c1800 - c1930)	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
SPPO2680	Modern Spain (1868-1975)	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

Please note that optional modules run subject to enrolments. An optional module may not run if only a low number of students choose it.

Route A
Students taking SPPO2010 may study up to 20 credits from the following list of optional modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
SPPO2580	Translation Theory and Practice in a Spanish - English Context	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
SPPO2595	Catalan Language and Culture II	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)

Please note that optional modules run subject to enrolments. An optional module may not run if only a low number of students choose it.

All students may study up to 20 credits from the following optional modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
MODL2090	Languages in Action: from Theory to Practice	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
MODL2250	Digital Communications Across Cultures	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

Please note that optional modules run subject to enrolments. An optional module may not run if only a low number of students choose it.

All students may study up to 40 credits from the following optional modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
LING2065	Data Science for Linguists	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
LING2131	Psycholinguistics	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
LING2360	The Life Cycle of Languages	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
LING2370	Representation, Identity and Control	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
LING2380	Language and Gender	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
LING2390	Language Acquisition	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
LING2410	Language Change	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
LING2420	Interactional Linguistics	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
LING2421	Multilingualism in Society	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

Please note that optional modules run subject to enrolments. An optional module may not run if only a low number of students choose it.

Discovery Modules

All students may study up to 20 credits of discovery modules.

Year 3

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
View Timetable

Compulsory Modules

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
MODL9500	LCS Year Abroad	120	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)	PFP

Year 4

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
View Timetable

At Level 3, students must study 120 credits. Students are required to take a minimum of 40 credits in Spanish and a minimum of 40 credits in Linguistics.
Overall, students must take 100 credits across their two subjects. The remaining 20 credits may be taken as discovery modules or as further options with Linguistics or Spanish.
Please note that not all modules will be available every year.

All students must take 40 credits as a Final Year Project (FYP) module, which can be taken in - and count towards - either of their two subjects (EITHER Linguistics OR Spanish).

Compulsory Modules

All students will be required to study the following compulsory modules: 

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
SPPO3010	Practical Language Skills in Spanish	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)	PFP

Optional Modules

All students will be required to study ONE of the following Final Year Project (FYP) modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
LING3200	Linguistics Dissertation	40	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)	PFP
MODL3050	Final Year Project	40	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)	PFP

Students who take their FYP in Linguistics (LING3200) may take up to 40 credits from the following list of optional modules.
Students who take their FYP in Spanish (MODL050) are required to take a minimum of 40 credits from the following list of optional modules.

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
LING3065	Experimental Syntax	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
LING3180	Language and Gender	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
LING3190	Language Acquisition	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
LING3220	Representation, Identity and Control	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
LING3250	The Life Cycle of Languages	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
LING3290	Language Change	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
LING3310	Interactional Linguistics	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
LING3350	Language Processing	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
LING3390	Linguistic Technologies	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)
LING3421	Multilingualism in Society	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
LING3600	Sociophonetics	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)

Please note that optional modules run subject to enrolments. An optional module may not run if only a low number of students choose it.

Students who take their FYP in Linguistics (LING3200) are required to take a minimum of 20 credits and may take up to 40 credits from the following lists of optional modules (from Basket 1 AND Baskets 2). Students who take their FYP in Spanish (MODL3050) may take up to 20 credits from the following lists of optional modules (from EITHER Basket 1 OR Baskets 2).

Basket 1

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
SPPO3062	Spanish in an Economic and Business Context	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
SPPO3071	Contemporary Spain: Politics, Culture and Society After Franco	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
SPPO3420	Spanish-English Translation	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
SPPO3535	Catalan Language and Culture III	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
SPPO3800	Icons and Stars: Celebrity and Revolution in Spain and Latin America	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
SPPO3900	Race and Representation in the Spanish-speaking world	20	Not running in 202627

Please note that optional modules run subject to enrolments. An optional module may not run if only a low number of students choose it.

Basket 2:

All students may study up to 20 credits from the following optional modules:

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
MODL3130	Languages in Action: from Theory to Practice	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
MODL3620	Decolonial Approaches	20	Semester 1 (Sep to Jan)
MODL3650	Minoritised Languages, Dialects and Cultures from Past to Present	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

Please note that optional modules run subject to enrolments. An optional module may not run if only a low number of students choose it.

The following modules can be taken in and count towards either Linguistics or Spanish credits. Students may take up to 20 credits from the modules below instead of Linguistics or Spanish optional modules. 

Code	Title	Credits	Semester	Pass for Progression
MODL3130	Languages in Action: from Theory to Practice	20	Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun)
MODL3650	Minoritised Languages, Dialects and Cultures from Past to Present	20	Semester 2 (Jan to Jun)

Students wishing to choose MODL3130 as one of their Spanish options must take a minimum of 60 credits in Spanish in the final year including SPPO3010.

Discovery Modules

All students may study up to 20 credits of discovery modules.

Last updated: 07/05/2026 16:55:57

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