Galician

Language Lecturer: Inés Fariña

Introduction

Galician, historically the origin of present-day Portuguese, is a Romance language currently spoken by more than two million people, mainly in Galicia (northwestern Spain), as well as in some border areas of the neighbouring regions of Asturias, Castile and León, and even Extremadura, in addition to the Galician migrant communities around the world.

The Centre for Galician Studies at the University of Oxford, housed in the Queen’s College, was founded in 1991 under the Directorship of Dr John Rutherford with the support of the Xunta de Galicia. It was the first academic institution to offer Galician Studies outside Spain.

Within the framework of the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages, the Centre organises a wide variety of cultural and research events each year and co-organises the biannual Forum for Iberian Studies, which brings together the different languages and cultures of the Iberian Peninsula on an equal footing.

The library of the John Rutherford Centre for Galician Studies is a well-stocked and welcoming space, offering an ample collection of books, dictionaries, and audiovisual materials related to Galician culture, where teaching and research take place.

Why study Galician?

Galician culture has been shaped to a large extent by its peripheral condition throughout the centuries, developing a genuine and strong sense of identity. It has fostered a fascinating collective imagination that embraces a founding myth shared with Irish legends (the Sons of Mil, Breogán and the Tower) as per its Celtic heritage. It also incorporates numerous appearances of the Arthurian legends in its literature since the Middle Ages —when Galicia was the cradle of one of the most important literary movements of all time, the Galician-Portuguese lyric— up to the present day.

Despite the historical and political changes that led to their current differences, Galician and Portuguese are still considered part of the same linguistic system. This makes Galicia and the Galician language a privileged bridge between Spain and the enthralling Portuguese-speaking world.

Undergraduate Studies

Although Galician is not available as a full Modern Languages degree subject, it can be studied as a language/cultural/translation course (both for undergraduate and graduate students) in combination with the main language subject(s), especially for those who are reading Portuguese and Spanish or other Romance languages. It can also be taken as an optional Paper at Finals (Paper VIII, XII or Extended Essay in Galician Literature or Linguistics):

Language courses

Beginners Galician

This course offers an introduction to the Galician language and culture for complete beginners (CEFR A1+). By the end of the course, students will be able to manage everyday situations such as introducing themselves, ordering in a café, or asking for directions. The main objective is to build a foundation in grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation while gaining confidence to speak from the very first class.

Activities include role-plays, interactive games, storytelling, and brief cultural tasks such as comparing Galician with Spanish and Portuguese or exploring traditional gastronomy.

Intermediate Galician 1

This course is for students who have completed Beginners Galician or have a background in Spanish or Portuguese (CEFR A2–B1). It aims to expand vocabulary and grammar to narrate past events, talk about plans, and express opinions more clearly and accurately. Cultural topics, such as myths, gastronomy, and everyday traditions, are integrated throughout the course.

The course combines communicative practice with cultural exploration. Activities include guided debates, interactive writing games, and translations. Students will also complete creative projects such as designing a tourist brochure or presenting a Galician myth, connecting language learning with authentic contexts.

Intermediate Galician 2

For students with a B1 level of Galician (CEFR B1–B2), this course aims to strengthen fluency and spontaneity, while improving control of more complex structures. By the end of the course, students will be able to debate familiar cultural and social topics, narrate experiences in detail, and use a wider range of connectors and idiomatic expressions.

Learning is supported through activities such as storytelling, mini-presentations on cultural topics, role-plays, and collaborative projects. Students will express their own views through a group podcast.

Advanced Galician

Intended for students who have already completed previous levels or spent time in Galicia. (CEFR B2–C1). The main objective is to refine both oral and written proficiency and to develop the ability to argue, debate, and write with sophistication.

Students will engage with authentic materials such as films, podcasts and literary texts, and use them as a springboard for discussion and analysis. Activities include debates, critical short essays, and individual or group presentations on cultural and sociolinguistic topics.

Exploring Galician Culture

Students are invited to explore Galicia through music, cinema, traditions, legends, and contemporary society. The course encourages critical reflection on how cultural identity is represented and transmitted across media. Activities include group discussions, guided debates, and collaborative digital projects, such as designing interactive cultural maps, creating podcasts, or developing virtual tours.

Galician Speaking

Focusing on spoken interaction, this course strengthens oral communication and builds confidence across levels of proficiency. Students practise a variety of genres—from everyday conversation to debates and short theatrical sketches—supported by tools such as role-play cards, storytelling prompts, and digital platforms for collaborative feedback. Oral practice is complemented by mini-debates on cultural issues, encouraging both fluency and critical engagement.

Creative Translation: Literature & Audiovisual Media (GL→EN)

Centred on literary and audiovisual texts, this course introduces students to the creative challenges of cultural transfer. Students learn the basics of subtitling with Aegisub and work with authentic materials such as poems, comics, memes, or short films. Activities emphasise reflection on cultural loss and gain, while fostering creative solutions to translation problems.

Applied Translation: Advertising, Tourism and Cultural Services (GL→EN)

With an emphasis on professional practice, this course examines translation in contexts such as tourism, advertising, and cultural promotion. Students translate real materials—leaflets, festival programmes, and digital campaigns—using design tools to produce bilingual promotional content. The focus is on adapting messages for different audiences, and classroom debates encourage critical awareness of the balance between fidelity and cultural adaptation.