THE TEAM

Miss N Leon

Teacher of Modern Foreign Languages

INTRODUCTION TO THE DEPARTMENT

As a department, we believe that learning another language is invaluable and that it can help individuals to broaden their horizons, understand more about the world they live in and appreciate the differences in our cultures. We aim to build on transferable language skills that students may have acquired at Key Stage 2 and develop them through Key Stages 3 and 4 so that they are confident expressing themselves in spoken and written work and are able to infer meaning from texts they have read or spoken Spanish they have heard.

WHY STUDY SPANISH?

Whatever plans you may have for the future, knowledge of another language is a valuable life skill, which can create many new and exciting opportunities, for example travel, as well as appreciating cultural differences in the world today.

Spanish works well with any subject due to the wide range of topics that is covered in the course content. Not only will you learn about Spain itself, but you will also acquire essential communication skills and will gain a greater appreciation for Spanish literature and cinema. By studying Spanish, you will have chosen a subject that is highly regarded by all universities in the country and it will certainly open a multitude of career paths for you in the future.

FUTURE ACADEMIC AND CAREER PATHWAYS

By the end of the Spanish course, you will be able to successfully communicate with over 400 million Spanish speakers around the world and potentially use this ability as an advantage in the international job market. The subject is versatile and combines well with most subjects and is certainly a highly desirable A Level to have on your CV.

COURSE CONTENT

Students will be studying the AQA syllabus.

In addition to studying Spanish film and literature (taken from the exam specification) students will study a range of topics that explore social and political trends in Spanish speaking society.

Year 12 topics include: modern and traditional values, cyberspace, equal rights, modern day idols, regional

identity and cultural heritage.

Year 13 topics include: immigration, integration, racism, youth of today, monarchies and dictatorships and popular movements in Spain.

ASSESSMENT

Paper 1: Listening/Reading/Writing – 2 hours and 30 minutes, 100 marks, 50% of A Level

Paper 2: Writing – 2 hours, 80 marks, 20% of A Level

Produce two essays; one on the novel and one on the film that you have studied.

Paper 3: Oral exam: Discussion of topic card followed by discussion of independent research project, 21-23 minutes, 60 marks, 30% of A Level

EXTRACURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES

• Language Ambassadors to assist in learning clubs for Years 7-9

• Spanish exchange trip to Granada

• Flamenco dancing workshop

• Participate in university led MFL competitions eg Poetry competition, Translation Challenge

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Minimum of grade 6 in GCSE Spanish.