Spanish is the second-most spoken language in the world in terms of native speakers, totalling around half a billion.
Its presence in diplomacy, business and popular culture makes it one of the most valuable languages to learn, and studying it at degree level and becoming a proficient speaker can open the door to a range of careers.
What opportunities are available to Spanish degree graduates?
Translation is a key aspect of any language degree, and is an element you will study throughout your course, building up expertise and your knowledge of the language.
This means that once you graduate, you’ll have various career opportunities available to you in translation and interpreting, whether that be on a diplomatic level, such as with the European Union, or carrying out literary translations.
What are the other jobs a degree in Spanish can lead to?
Another career pathway for Spanish graduates can be language teaching, whether that’s giving Spanish lessons in the UK or English in Spain and Latin America. The popularity of the language means that Spanish teachers are increasingly in demand, with the number of students taking GCSE Spanish trending upwards since the turn of the century, while languages such as French and German are on the decline.
Other options open to language graduates include moving on to positions in media, diplomacy and finance – all industries where the communication and critical thinking skills you will have gained during your degree are useful.
Can I go into a career in law with a Spanish degree?
Another industry in which a Spanish degree is valued is law – with many law firms dealing with international clients, language skills are a must and having expert knowledge of one of the world’s major business languages will undoubtedly help you stand out as a candidate.
The experience you’ve gained by going on a year abroad – whether that’s in Spain or across the Atlantic – is also useful for firms who set up operations abroad, with many offering their trainee solicitors the chance to complete a placement abroad.