About the Course:
This subject is offered as an A Level course. Are you a good communicator? Do you enjoy travelling to new places? Are you interested in people and other cultures? Are you aiming for a C or above in GCSE Spanish? Then you should be considering studying Spanish to AS and A2 Level!
In addition to lessons with your teachers, each week you will have an extra conversation class with a native Spanish speaker to improve your accent and the style of your spoken Spanish. You will take advantage of the instant access to authentic materials that the internet affords us and use your language in real life situations. There will also be an opportunity to participate in a trip to Spain to practise your skills.
During the course students will develop and refine their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills as well as revising and building on the grammar already learnt at GCSE to improve the complexity and fluency of your language.
Assessment:
The course is divided into four units, two studied at AS and two at A2 Level. At AS students will study various themes including Leisure and Lifestyles and The Individual and Society. At A2 Level students study the themes of Environmental, Social and Political Issues as well a choosing a Spanish film, book or region to focus on.
AS
Unit SN1
Speaking (15 minutes) Taken in April of AS year. Examiner-led discussion of topics. General conversation.
Unit SN2
Listening, Reading and Writing (2 hours 30 minutes) Listening and Responding, Reading and Responding, Grammar tasks, Translation Spanish – English, Essay in Spanish on themes covered in lessons.
A2
Unit SN3
Speaking (20 minutes)
Taken in June of A2 year.
Structured Discussion, Exposé (Presentation).
Unit SN4
Listening Reading and Writing (3 hours)
Listening and Responding, Reading and Responding, Translation English - Spanish, Essay in Spanish on Spanish film, book or region
Reading and Responding, Translation English – target language, Guided Studies Essay
Is there anything else I need to know?
You must have at least a grade C at GCSE. There is no coursework in Spanish A Level.
Progression Routes:
More and more universities are asking for a language qualification for their courses, irrespective of your chosen career path. A Level in Spanish can lead to further study of languages at degree level and can easily be combined with other subjects such as Law, Medicine, English, Business, International Studies or other languages that can be started from scratch at university such as Chinese and Japanese. Current popular career choices for students of languages include translation and interpreting, business, journalism, computing, law, publishing and marketing, as well as teaching, both in the UK and abroad. Linguists are sought after employees for many types of business and industry.