Dr Siân Edwards

Bywgraffiad

Before joining the School, I was a Senior Lecturer in Spanish at Swansea University and Associate Dean of Undergraduates at the College of Arts and Humanities. I have lectured in Spanish language and Spanish contemporary history and cultural studies, with a particular interest in Catalan history and politics. I studied French and Spanish from my first degree and this followed with an MPhil on the Mobilisation of Catalan Identity, the case of Avui (1994) and with a Doctorate on the programmes of the Catalan political parties towards national identity between 1979 and 2000 (2004). I was appointed a Tutorial Fellow in Spanish in Cardiff University in 1993, then Lecturer in French at Swansea University (1997) and Lecturer in Hispanic Studies in Swansea University (2000).

Professional Translations and Adaptations

‘The Virtual Reality of Catalonia’ (from Catalan) inA Week in Europe (Cardiff: The Welsh Academy 1995)

‘The Catalan Used on Television’ (from Catalan) in Mercator Media Forum (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1995)

Translation into Spanish (from Welsh) of the filmscript Branwen (1995)

The Security and Defence Policies of European Christian Democracy’ (from French) in David Hanley (ed), Christian Democracy in Europe: A Comparative Perspective (London: Pinter 1994)

Le Français pour l’École primaire; A programme to introduce French for primary school teachers, in cooperation with Trinity College Carmarthen (1992)

I review material for the Journal of Contemporary European Studies, the Bulletin of Hispanic Studies and West European Politics.

I have experience of working as a professional translator, and as an examiner and assessor for WJEC A level Spanish. I have worked closely with the British Council in my role arranging the year abroad in Spain and Latin America, and worked with Routes into Languages and the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol. I have contributed to BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Cymru Newyddion on issues relating to contemporary Spain.

Safleoedd academaidd blaenorol

Previous academic positions

• 2015 -present: Senior Lecturer in Hispanic Studies and Academic Coordinator for the Languages for All programme, Cardiff University
• 2000-2015: Lecturer and Senior Lecturer in Hispanic Studies, Swansea University
• 1997-2000: Lecturer in French, Swansea University
• 1993-1997: Tutorial Fellow in Spanish, University of Wales Cardiff.
• 1992-1993: Tutor in French and Spanish, University of Wales Cardiff.

Ymrwymiadau siarad cyhoeddus

• 7th-10th September 2016 'Enseñar el español en un contexto multilingüe en Gales, Reino Unido' XXVII Congreso Internacional de ASELE, Universidad de La Rioja, Logroño, Cilengua, San Millán de la Cogolla Panhispanismo y variedades en la enseñanza del español L2-LE.

• 2nd-4th September 2015 'Teaching Spanish in a Bilingual Environment', The Association of Contemporary Iberian Studies, Universidad Autónoma, Madrid.

• 3^rd- 4^thSeptember 2014: ‘War, Propaganda and ‘’Communicating the truth’’: the Spanish Civil War and the Welsh perspective, The Association of Contemporary Iberian Studies, University of Westminster.

• 2-4^th July 2014 ‘Multilingual teaching- a comparative perspective of the Autònoma University and Swansea’, International Conference of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, Cardiff. Pa le i’n hiaith mewn addysg uwch? (What is the role of our language in Higher Education?)
• September 2012 ‘Ymgyrchu ieithyddol yng Nghatalwnia’ International conference on language campaigning, Aberystwyth.
• 14^th June 2012 ‘Egwyddor a Phropaganda: Cyfundrefn Franco a Chôr y Rhos’ Cynhadledd Ieithoedd Cyfrwng Cymraeg, Swansea University.
• 12^th April 2011 ‘Wales, Workers, and Francoist Spain.’ Association of Hispanists of Great Britain and Ireland, Nottingham University.
• 6^th -7^thApril 2011 Seminari L’estat de la recerca dels processos d’institucionalització del franquisme’, University of Barcelona (Invited speaker)
• 3^rd-4^th October 2009 ‘Confessions of a Catalan Falangist Supporter’, Women in Spanish and Portuguese conference, Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford
• 6-7 July 2006: ‘Immigration, Representation and Identity in Catalan Politics’ at the international conference on Immigration in Catalonia: History, discourses, Representations, Queen Mary, University of London
• 3-4 June 2005: ‘Re-charting Catalonia’ in ‘Charting Transfers: Remapping Iberia’, Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages, Trinity College, Oxford
• 23^rd February 2005: ‘The Cultural Policies of the Catalan Political Parties since the 1980s’ Hispanic Studies Research Seminar
• 17^th-19^th September 1999: ‘Towards a new regionalist culture in the policies of the Catalan parties’, International Conference of the Association of Regional Studies Association, ‘The New Nationalism and Regionalism in Europe’, University of Bilbao.
• 3^rd-4^th September 1999 ‘Regional identity and Cross-border cooperation: the case of Languedoc-Roussillon, Midi-Pyrénées and Catalonia’. Association of Modern French Studies, ‘Towards the new millennium: Re-inventing France’, Cardiff.
• 11^th September 1996 ‘Media Representations of Political Identity’, University College Keele.
• 3^rd July 1996 ‘Reading comprehension and written expression’, using plays for University first year language teaching, Salford University.
• 10^th May 1996 ‘Mirall Trancat’: Regionalism and Nationalism in Europe, International Seminar on Regionalism and Nationalism, Cardiff University.
• 8^th September 1995 ‘The Press and the mobilisation of Public Sentiment’ International Conference ‘Identities in Flux’, University of Portsmouth

Cyhoeddiadau

• Date
• Type
• Selected

Addysgu

I have over twenty years experience teaching languages in Higher Education, having taught both French and Spanish language at all undergraduate levels, including translation, grammar and essay writing. My teaching interests have also focussed on contemporary Spanish history and culture, particularly national and regional identities. I have created and led my own specialist modules on national and regional identity in Spain and in France, including modules on the Franco regime and Franco, Fascism and the Transition to Democracy. My particular specialism is Catalan national identity. I have supervised a large number of undergraduate dissertations on socio cultural, political and historical aspects of modern Spain from football and nationalism to gender representation in Spanish political parties to film and politics.

I have taught MA programmes on the Cultures of Fascism and co-supervised PhD dissertation on language policy. I would welcome prospective postgraduates with an interest particularly in Catalan society and politics, as well as within the broader context of the politics of identity and diversity in Spain or in terms of language teaching in the areas of bilingual teaching and what motivates language learners.

I have long been involved in introducing the study of Modern Foreign languages through the medium of Welsh. I have innovated in terms of Welsh medium provision in both French and Spanish and continue to cooperate with colleagues from other HE institutions in Wales and the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.

I am currently an External Examiner in Spanish at Salford University (Spanish language Degree programmes, translation and interpreting and University wide language programmes).

I am a representative for Higher Education for Spanish and also for Welsh medium provision for the WJEC Subject advisory board for GCE and GCSE qualifications in Modern Languages

My research interests have focussed on national and regional identities in Spain. My MPhil examined how the press mobilised public opinion in Catalonia during the transition to democracy in Catalonia and my PhD analysed the policies of Catalan political parties towards national identity between 1979 and 2000. I have also written on Welsh experiences of Spain, particularly during and following the Spanish Civil War. In terms of language teaching I have recently been working on research into the motivations of learners in bilingual contexts and the influence of multilingual environments on language learning.

Supervision