Scholarships

Aberystwyth University is able to offer a range of financial support to students, in the form of generous scholarships and merit awards. It is well worth applying. If you want to apply for a scholarship / award you have to sit an exam in two subjects. This Department sets papers in French, German, Italian and Spanish. Each paper is a two-hour paper.

French:

The French paper is an opportunity for students to demonstrate their ability to communicate effectively in French. The paper consists of an each-way translation and essay (in French). We are looking for accuracy in content and a talent for reading and interpreting texts. The most impressive scholarship papers are those which demonstrate cultural awareness of French and European issues.

German:

The German paper will test your ability to translate a passage of German into English or Welsh and to write a short essay (750 words) in German. What we are looking for is accuracy in grammar and in the choice of vocabulary, as well as in transmitting the content into another language (i.e. the information must be the same in the original and the translation). A good translation will also be written in fluent and idiomatic English or Welsh. The essay will give you the chance to express yourself more freely and to show your mastery of a range of vocabulary and grammatical structures, as well as your ability to structure your ideas clearly and logically.

Italian:

The Italian paper is intended to test your ability to translate a passage of Italian into English or Welsh and to write a short essay (350-400 words) in Italian. Through the translation exercise we are giving you the opportunity to demonstrate your competence in grammar and accuracy in the choice of vocabulary, as well as in transmitting the content into another language (i.e. the information must be the same in the original and the translation). A good translation will also be written in fluent and idiomatic English or Welsh. The essay will give you the chance to be creative by expressing yourself more freely and to show your mastery of a range of vocabulary and grammatical structures, as well as your ability to structure your ideas clearly and logically.

Spanish:

The Spanish paper will test your ability: a) to answer questions relating to a passage of Spanish; b) to translate a text in English or Welsh into Spanish; and c) to write a short essay in Spanish. In these exercises we expect: 
1. accuracy in grammar and vocabulary;
2. you to transmit the correct content from English or Welsh into fluent Spanish;
3. you to express yourself in Spanish using a range of different grammatical structures and using precise vocabulary to communicate clearly and logically.

External funding:

Students in this Department have also been successful in obtaining scholarships from external sources, such as the German Academic Exchange Service . These scholarships have enabled students to spend a month on a summer course in Germany . This is what one of our students, Lee Falconer, had to say about this scholarship:

"As an integral part of my 16-month period in France and in Germany , I spent 3 weeks on an intensive German language course at the Martin-Luther Universität in Wittenberg . This course was fully funded by the DAAD, upon my successful participation in an exam sat in January and a written interview in March. In addition to this fully funded course and accommodation, I also received around 300 euros, which covered my travelling expenses and leisure activities.

The well-adapted course was of great interest to me, not only on a linguistic level, but also on a cultural one. Firstly, the course allowed me to further consolidate my language skills before the undertaking of my work experience placement in Pforzheim with a high-tech medical firm. Secondly, the course permitted me to visit an area of Germany that was otherwise unknown to me, as well as allowing me to visit one of the major cultural centres of the German language - Wittenberg, renowned as the home of the 'founder and promoter' of the German language - Martin Luther. Furthermore, the surrounding towns of Leipzig , Halle and Dresden were also of great interest, and I also managed a week-end visit to Berlin which proved to be of great historical interest.

However, this course was not only of educational importance to me: it also allowed me to meet fellow students of German from all over the world, many of whom I am still in regular contact with. I would recommend participation in such a course to anybody who wishes to improve their command of German. Such courses are not only of a high quality, since they are approved and funded by a well-established body with the aim of promoting the German language overseas, but are also good fun, and allow you to spend an enjoyable 3 weeks of your year abroad without having to constantly worry about how much money is left in your wallet."