Spanish
Introduction to Spanish
Two of the most persistent myths about languages are that the British do not need to learn foreign languages since everyone else speaks English, and that the only jobs for people with languages are teaching and translating. Both statements are false! The reality is that over 60% of British trade is with non-English-speaking countries and British businesses lose billions of pounds each year due to poor language skills. Skilled linguists have never been so much in demand! Spanish has over 530 million native speakers and is the 4th most widely spoken language in the world. In Europe, Spain is one of the UK’s major economic partners. Communication, negotiation and travel are all greatly facilitated by the ability to speak Spanish. The acquisition of Spanish will therefore be a considerable asset for 21st century adults, especially in the fields of business, marketing, tourism, law and the service industries to name but a few.
Spanish at KS3
This is a three-year key stage:Y7 study 3 lessons of Spanish per fortnight. 3 main topics are studied throughout year 7 (Myself, My bubble and Food) and after building a solid base of topic vocabulary, grammar and skills, students are able to specialise in one of the 2 languages offered for the remainder of their KS3 journey (Y8 and 9). Y8 and 9 students study 3 lessons of Spanish per week. Our spiral curriculum journey allows us to re-visit previously seen topics to build on prior knowledge and aid students' knowledge retrieval.
Spanish at KS4
The 2-year EDUQAS GCSE course will extend students’ knowledge of a range of vocabulary and grammatical concepts in Spanish, to allow them to use their language competently and express their own ideas and opinions. Throughout the GCSE, students will study cultural elements associated with Hispanic countries.
The course content is broken down into 3 themes:
- Identity and Culture
- Local, national, international and global areas of interest
- Current and Future Study and Employment.
The GCSE exam is made up of 4 assessed components and is tiered (Foundation/Higher):
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Component 1 - speaking |
25% 1-1 exam with class teacher 60 marks |
Role play, photo card, general conversation. Higher - 10/12 minutes Foundation - 7/9 minutes |
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Component 2 - Listening |
25% exam 45 marks |
Students will listen to a track and answer questions in Spanish and English as instructed. Activities may include: match up, tick box, gap fill, full sentences. Higher - 45 minutes Foundation - 35 minutes |
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Component 3 - Reading |
25% exam (takes place after the listening exam) 60 marks |
Students will read a variety of texts presented in different formats, and answer questions in Spanish or English as instructed. Activities may include: articles, adverts, literary extracts, match up, gap fill, full sentence answers. A translation into English is also included. Higher - 1 hour 15 Foundation - 1 hour |
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Component 4 - Writing |
25% exam 60 marks |
Students will write at varying lengths, in Spanish, about different topics from the themes they have studied throughout the GCSE course. Foundation: 12 mark sentence task 16 mark (60 word) writing 20 mark (120 word) extended writing 12 mark translation into Spanish.
Higher: 20 mark (120 word) extended writing 28 mark (180 word) extended writing 12 mark translation into Spanish. |
As part of the GCSE course students will have the opportunity to develop their speaking skills during our trip to Madrid. Whilst in Spain, students will be able to experience learning outside the classroom first-hand by being fully emersed in the Spanish language and culture. A truly amazing opportunity! See our student testimonials below...
Isabella (Head Girl) - "I'm so glad that I was offered the opportunity of expanding my Spanish knowledge. For me, meeting the Spanish students was my favourite experience as it allowed me to communicate first-hand with native speakers."
Thomas - "I'm very happy that I was offered the opportunity to go to Madrid with school. What I enjoyed most was meeting new people and expanding my Spanish knowledge."
