Spanish (AS/A level)

Specific Entry Criteria

Grade C in Spanish, B is preferable.

About the Subject

The purpose of studying Spanish at advanced level is to develop your skills beyond GCSE so that you can use and understand a much wider range of language and, if you want, move on to studying Spanish at university.

At GCSE you learn the language you need to talk about yourself and to cope with a visit to Spain or another Spanish-speaking country. At advanced level you learn to expand this range of language so that you can talk about things that are happening in the world and learn more about life in the countries where the language is spoken.

You can combine Spanish with virtually any other subject. Spanish is a very useful qualification to have, whether at A-level or degree level. Obviously employers like the fact that you can communicate with their colleagues and customers abroad – and making the effort to speak the foreign language goes down much better than expecting every conversation to be in English.

At the same time having a qualification in Spanish means that you are aware of a different country and its culture and habits, and you will probably have had some experience of life in the country. You will also be particularly good at listening and summarising. Statistics show that modern languages graduates experience the lowest rates of unemployment after university.

If you study Spanish at New College you will have the opportunity to spend time in Spain and living in a Spanish family by taking part in our exchange. The exchange is organised with a school near Valencia, and includes visits in the surrounding area.

Course Content

Year 1

The two major topics, in which you cover as you develop our language skills are: Leisure and Lifestyles (including travel, sport, entertainment, customs, traditions, healthy and unhealthy living) and The Individual and Society (including relationships, gender issues, youth culture, education and careers). In parallel to this you will revise and expand your knowledge of grammar, so that you can handle the language with confidence and adapt what you know to new situations. For example, you will learn more verb tenses and practise using them in lots of different contexts.

In lessons we use a variety of methods to promote learning and you will do individual, pair and group work, writing and reading tasks, listening activities, presentations, interviews and role-plays. IT will play a part in your learning, for listening, grammar practice and topic research.

You will have half an hour each week, in a group of 2 or 3 students, with a native Spanish speaker, to practise your spoken Spanish.

Year 2

The two major topics are: Environmental Issues (including pollution, global warming, transport, forms of energy and recycling) and Social and Political Issues (including the media, racism and terrorism). In addition you will also study a region of Spain and a Spanish film.

There will be a small amount of new grammar and lots of revision.

Your half hour conversation practice will be 1-to-1 with the native Spanish speaker.

Assessment

Year 1

• SN1: Oral (with your teacher)
• SN2: Listening, reading and writing

Year 2

• SN3: Oral (with a visiting examiner)
• SN4: Listening, reading and writing