Linguistics with Spanish

Linguistics with Spanish is a combination that gives you a scientific understanding of how language works alongside genuine communicative competence in one of the world's most widely spoken languages. Linguistics examines the structure of language at the levels of sound, grammar, meaning, and use, asking how languages are organised, how they vary across communities and contexts, how they are acquired, and how they change over time. Spanish brings the practical dimension of language learning, developing your fluency and opening access to the cultures, literatures, and societies of Spain and Latin America.

At the University of York, this three-year full-time programme develops your linguistic knowledge alongside your Spanish proficiency, with instruction in the language and a focus on Spanish society, politics, and culture. The combination means you are not just learning Spanish in isolation but understanding it within a broader scientific framework for thinking about language, which makes you a more reflective and effective language learner and communicator. A sandwich year and work placements are available, giving you professional experience and the opportunity to apply your language skills in real contexts.

York's linguistics department is well regarded for its research in phonetics, syntax, and language acquisition, providing a strong academic foundation for the linguistic component of the programme.

Graduates go on to careers in translation, interpreting, teaching, language technology, international business, journalism, and the civil service, where Spanish fluency combined with linguistic understanding is a distinctive asset. The analytical skills that linguistics develops are also valued in roles in data, communications, and research. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in linguistics, applied linguistics, translation studies, or Hispanic studies, and some pursue research careers in language science or language teaching.