Modern Languages

#1 in Sydney
Top 30 in the world
2020 QS World University Rankings

Faculties and schools_

Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies

Study one of the world's most widely spoken languages

Exploring the diverse, vibrant cultures across Spain and throughout the Americas.

Learn the world’s second most widely spoken language at Sydney's #1 university for Modern Languages*. Engage with the cultures and histories of more than 400 million people. Like a Gaudi mosaic, the Spanish-speaking world comprises a multitude of unique parts that come together to form a complex and inspiring whole.

Our work integrates language teaching and cultural research to offer a comprehensive understanding of the social contexts and uses of Spanish around the world. We investigate Spanish in its spoken, written, narrative, historical and contemporary modes.

*2020 QS World University Rankings by Subject

Our study offering

Spanish and Latin American Studies

Spanish is the official language of 21 countries and is spoken by more than 400 million people. Studying Spanish will equip you with a deep knowledge of the language and offer you the tools to examine and understand politics, society and culture in the Spanish-speaking world.

Undergraduate

*Available as a major and minor within the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Economics and Bachelor of Visual Arts, as well as all combined Bachelor of Advanced Studies degrees.  

Research

Our research

Our research regularly crosses disciplinary boundaries into areas that include sociology, anthropology and psychology and address issues relating to nationalism, identity, gender, politics, ethnicity, social movements, and migration among others. We proudly maintain strong connections to the Spanish and Latin American communities of Australia. Our research areas include:

Critical discourse analysis of media and law
Sociology of law and political cultures in Mexico
Gender and sexuality in contemporary Latin American contexts
Migration studies
Politics of identity in Latin American statecraft
Ethnicity and race in electoral politics
Fiction of contemporary Spain and its role in navigating reality
Themes of war, memory and trauma in Spain’s narrative
Identity, memory and space in Spanish women’s writings
Second language acquisition pedagogy
Spanish and Latin American literature and film
Islam, Europe and Spain
Cultural dislocation in contemporary Europe.

Research_

Sydney University Research Community for Latin America

Advancing knowledge of Latin America in Australia

Exchange

Our advanced exchange programs provide life-changing experiences in Spain and the Americas, where eligible students exercise their language skills and develop an understanding of cultural intricacies first hand.

Partner institutions

Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogota, Colombia
Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico (multiple campus locations)
Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima, Peru
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
University of Valladolid, Spain

Learn more: Study abroad and student exchange

Our people

Academic staff

Dr Luis Angosto Ferrández
Dr Beatriz Carbajal Carerra
Dr Vek Lewis
Dr Macarena Ortiz-Jimenez
Dr Fernanda Penaloza
Dr Ruben Perez-Hidalgo
Dr Marta García-Balsas (Spanish Government Lector)

Key academic contacts

Undergraduate Coordinator: fernanda.penaloza@sydney.edu.au
Honours Coordinator: luis.angosto-ferrandez@sydney.edu.au
Exchange Coordinator: beatriz.carbajal@sydney.edu.au
Postgraduate Research Coordinator: ruben.perez-hidalgo@sydney.edu.au

Honorary Associates

Professor Roy C Boland
Emilia Saez-Nieto
Honorary Associate Professor Estela Valverde

Research affiliates

Ines Duran Matute
Dr Christian Tym

Events

Visit the School's Events calendar to see our full listing of upcoming events.

UPDATE: In light of COVID-19 developments, please be advised this University event will no longer take place in the short term. Some of our events are transitioning to online, and these will be advertised accordingly. Let us know what event you're interested in via our online form, and we'll update you as the situation changes.

Learn more about the University’s advice regarding COVID-19 here.

World Literatures and the Global South Conference

The third international congress of the World Literature Association on 'World Literatures and the Global South' was proudly hosted by the School of Languages and Cultures at the University of Sydney from 23–25 August 2019.

Co-convened with the Peking University Australian Studies Centre and the World Literature Association, this international conference engaged with literary production on and from the Global South in their own languages as well as in translation.

Learn more