A Level Spanish
Examination Board: AQA A Level
Languages are all around us; we live in a multilingual global society and having an A level in Spanish will offer you a wide range of career options at the end of the two years.
Over the two year course students will develop their Spanish and grasp of grammar whilst exploring the society and the multiculturalism of the countries where Spanish is spoken. The A level course takes us on a journey into the Spanish language and culture: art, literature, film, music, politics and society. Topics include modern and traditional values, equal rights, immigration and racism. Students will also study a film (Volver by Pedro Almodóvar) and a play (La Casa de Bernarda Alba by Federico García Lorca) and have the exciting opportunity to carry out an independent research project on an area of their choice.
Lessons involve analysis of authentic magazine, online or newspaper articles as well as watching news bulletins and films to broaden vocabulary knowledge. Students learn to debate and express their opinions and also to counter others’ opinions. They are encouraged to use language internet sites. Writing and grammar skills are developed and students learn how to manipulate language. Dedicated time is allocated for individual speaking sessions with a native speaker of Spanish. Students are encouraged to experiment with language and they experience increasing success over the course.
Assessment is linear, exams will be at the end of the two-year course.
Paper One: Listening, reading and writing (two and a half hours, worth 50%)
Paper Two: Writing (two-hours, worth 30%)
Paper Three: Speaking (21-23 minutes, including five minutes preparation time, worth 20%
Languages are an invaluable skill to have and are highly regarded by employers across a wide range of industries, such as tourism, government, politics, media, publishing, and journalism. Language learning teaches problem solving skills which are valued across the curriculum and give you the ability to see things from a different cultural and political perspective. A level Spanish is beneficial for a wide variety of careers and compliments many other subjects. Being a Spanish speaker allows you to communicate with over 485 million native Spanish speakers across the world. At degree level Spanish can often be combined with another subject allowing students to maintain a high level of language skill whilst specialising in other areas, such as Business, Marketing, Accounting and Law.