About Us

The Department of European Languages at Aberystwyth University offers students the chance to study French, German, Italian and Spanish at both beginners' and advanced level, in a research-active academic environment.

We teach modules on the history, literature and linguistics of these languages - crucial, we believe, to gaining a full understanding of any language and its cultural context. Many of our courses pool our expertise in individual languages in order to offer a wider European perspective.

We take seriously our two major commitments: our teaching (our commitment to you, as students), and our research. You will be taught by top-flight research-active academics, from year one onwards.

Most of our teaching is done in small groups. Most staff are native-speakers of the languages they teach and so there is considerable exposure to the languages being studied, even outside formal language classes. It also makes for a strongly "European" atmosphere in the Department.

In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, we were ranked 8th/9th out of 27 units which submitted to European Studies. With 20% of our research graded 4* ('world-leading'), we had more than twice the panel average in this key category.

The Department is extensively involved in research activities at international level. We have secured several times the sector average in prestigious (and competitive) external funding. Colleagues' research in literature and linguistics is regularly published in article and book form, often in the countries concerned. Staff are active as conference organizers, both here in Aberystwyth, and in events run elsewhere (Bristol, Paris, Tangiers, Innsbruck) and in giving papers in the UK and particularly, abroad.