GCSE Spanish

Spanish
Spanish has features which make it easy to assimilate in the early stages:

• It has a very simple sound system, with just five vowel sounds
• There is a direct correspondence between spoken and written forms
• The basic points of grammar are quite simple.

And also did you know that Spanish . . .

• Is spoken in 23 countries
• Is the third most spoken language after Mandarin Chinese and English
• Is one of the official languages of the European Community and the United Nations
• Is the second most widely spoken language of the United States.

What Will I Learn on the Course?

This is a one year integrated course of 5 hours per week for students who have never studied Spanish before.
To enable you to practice all four language skills in an integrated manner, a wide range of activities and exercises will be used, as appropriate, in the teaching of each topic.
These include role plays, listening and comprehension tasks with audio visual elements, oral practice, reading and writing projects and the use of the Internet.

Course Content and Method of Assessment

Topics : The following topics will be studied (this list is not intended to be prescriptive)

• Myself
• Family and friends
• Free time
• The Environment you Live in
• Life at home
• The Weather
• Finding your Way
• Getting Around
• Holidays
• Accommodation
• Food and Drink
• Shopping
• College Life
• Education and Employment
• Health and Fitness
• The Environment
• The Hispanic World

Internal Assessment : There is regular testing of vocabulary and structures as each topic is completed. Timed examination practice on elements of the syllabus will be introduced during the later stages of the course.

External Assessment : The purpose of the examination is to assess the candidate's ability to understand the spoken and written language and to communicate in the spoken and written form. In order that candidates of all abilities may demonstrate their achievement, three levels of examination are offered within each skill.

The syllabus followed is that offered by AQA.

After the Course

If you enjoyed learning the language at this level, you can go on to study AS and A Level Spanish.

Subject Combinations

You can also study this course alongside AS Spanish. This means that you will receive five hours of GCSE and five hours of AS Spanish weekly. This will enable you to be exposed to many hours of the language. This option is intensive and the pace is fast, therefore you will have to learn how to take a greater responsibility for your own learning as well.

Entry Requirements

Grade A*, A, B, in another foreign language at GCSE and English Language