Carys

I decided to study French and Spanish at Aberystwyth university because I thought that the course was a great opportunity to learn languages and broaden my cultural knowledge of the Francophone and Hispanic countries. I have thoroughly enjoyed the wide range of modules over the past three years as they have strengthened my understanding of the cultures. The modules on Spanish film and on Cuba in Revolution were among my favourites as I analysed the historical and cultural context of the films. I also enjoyed French literature modules as I was able to explore feminist and existentialist theory through women’s self-writings such as Simone de Beauvoir and George Sand.

The year abroad was an incredible opportunity for me to improve my languages, particularly in Spanish as I started the language as a beginner in university. I chose to study in Bordeaux and Sevilla as I had wanted to focus on translation. This was a brilliant experience as I worked with native speakers of French and Spanish so that we could produce accurate translations. In Sevilla, I made friends with many people from all around the world which meant I not only improved my knowledge of France and Spain, but also Latin America, Italy, Germany, Poland and many more. The mutual language among us was Spanish which motivated me to improve a great deal and helped me progress in my final year at university.

After becoming even more passionate about languages and culture, I decided to become a language ambassador for my final year as an undergraduate. This was an incredible opportunity for me to offer advice to the upcoming students and to encourage others to study languages at Aberystwyth by sharing my experience. I was also a peer guide during my second year and final year where I was available for students to contact if they ever had any questions or concerns.

I have now decided to continue my studies at Aberystwyth University by choosing to do a masters in translation into Welsh as I have really appreciated my time in Aberystwyth. Studying other languages has also deepened my admiration for the Welsh language and culture which has inspired me to study through the Welsh medium. I also found translation methods and translating literature very interesting and would like to continue studying this in my favourite town, Aberystwyth.