Course Content
With the growth of new technologies our economic, political and cultural horizons have widened dramatically and we now regularly communicate with people all over the world, many of whom do not have English as a first language. Spanish is spoken by 400 million native speakers and is the second most widely spoken language in the world. If you want to develop your ability to converse in Spanish at a high level and to develop your knowledge of Hispanic culture then Spanish is the course for you. It is a useful bridge between almost all subject areas and combines especially well with Mathematics, Geography, History, Business Studies and English.
3.1.1 Aspects of Spanish-speaking society: current trends; 3.1.2 Aspects of Spanish-speaking society: current issues;
3.3 Grammar; 3.4.1 Literary Texts & Films; 3.5 Individual Research Project
A-Level Spanish offers students the opportunity to develop an in-depth knowledge of the language through the exploration of Hispanic culture and society. The curriculum demands students to develop knowledge and an informed opinion on a variety of cultural and social themes in relation to Hispanic countries. This varied and challenging course incorporates the study of two literary works from the fields of Literature and Film. Using the linguistic skills developed in Year 1 students will learn how to analyse and debate the set works in Spanish. In Year 2 students will embark upon an independent research project which allows them to choose a topic of interest related to the key themes of the course and study this in greater detail. The research project will be a unique opportunity to develop individual interests and must be distinct from the topics chosen by others on the course. A comprehensive grammar programme underpins the topic areas to enable students to develop the linguistic skills to use the language independently. Completion of the course will enable students to express their ideas verbally and in writing with a high level of proficiency.
Assessment
Paper 1 : Listening, Reading & Writing (2½ hours)
• Aspects of Hispanic society, Artistic culture in the Hispanic world, Multiculturalism in Hispanic society, Grammar
Questions will require some translation into Spanish and English, summaries in Spanish of written and spoken passages
Paper 2 : Writing (2 Hours)
• Literary Works: Students will be required to write two essays on each of the set works studied. Set works are selected from a prescribed list. Each essay should be at least 300 words in length with no access to the texts or dictionaries.
Paper 3: Speaking (21-23 Minutes)
Expectations
To be accepted onto this course, a minimum of a Grade 6 at GCSE in this subject is required. However, it is highly recommended that students have a Grade 7 or above. The course demands good essay writing skills and a willingness to contribute to discussion in a foreign language. You will be set independent learning tasks every week and will also be expected to carry out your own reading in Spanish. You will be expected to read a quality online newspaper to keep abreast of current affairs and you will also be expected to spend time each week learning vocabulary and practising new grammar structures.
Examination Board: AQA. Course Number: 7692
