Spanish

Spanish.

• Spanish.
• Spanish.
• Spanish.
• Spanish.
• Spanish.

Why choose AQA A Level Spanish?

As the world’s third most spoken language after Mandarin Chinese and English, Spanish is spoken by nearly half a billion people. It is the second most used language in international communication and an official language of the UN and its organizations. Spanish is becoming increasingly important in terms of the global economy with emerging markets in Central and South America. The cultural aspect of learning Spanish is particularly rich, with its influence in areas such as literature, art and cinema.

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What will I study in Year 12 Spanish?

Aspects of Hispanic society: current trends
• Los valores tradicionales y modernos
• El ciberespacio
• La igualdad de los sexos

Artistic culture in the Hispanic world
• La influencia de los ídolos
• La identidad regional en España
• El patrimonio cultural

Dosier de cine
• Study of a Spanish language film

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What will I study in Year 13 Spanish?

Multiculturalism in Hispanic society
• La inmigración
• El racismo
• La convivencia

Aspects of political life in the Hispanic world
• Jóvenes de hoy, ciudadanos del mañana
• Monarquías y dictaduras
• Los movimientos populares

Dosier de literatura
• Study of a Spanish language book

Individual Research Project (to be used in the final speaking examination)

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How I will be assessed

There are three examinations in all:
Paper 1: Listening, reading and writing
Weighting 50% of the total mark
Paper 2: Writing
Weighting 20% of the total mark
Paper 3: Speaking
Weighting 30% of the total mark

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How will I learn?

You will learn through opportunities to:

• read about a range of contemporary topics, both in the classroom and independently
• listen to authentic recordings based around contemporary topics
• regularly learn vocabulary through the online program Vocab Express
• develop the appropriate skills to be able to write essays in Spanish
• gain in-depth grammatical knowledge

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Related Degrees

Spanish can be studied as a single degree course or combined with virtually any other subject. A number of our former students have gone on to study languages at degree level, often at Russell Group universities and usually in conjunction with other languages, including Portuguese, Russian and Dutch. Anyone choosing to study Spanish at degree level would normally be expected to spend up to a year living and working or studying in a Spanish-speaking country.

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Related Careers

A knowledge of one or more foreign languages can be useful in a wide range of careers. For some jobs such as translating, interpreting, lecturing and teaching, language skills are essential. In other professions, including IT, law, finance, journalism and sales the ability to communicate in another language is a major advantage.

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Further Course Information

All students are provided with access to the Kerboodle online course and resources which include a range of listening and reading opportunities and assessment practice. Regular homework is a key part of the A level course while independent study is strongly encouraged so that students can remain up to date with current affairs and the culture of the Spanish-speaking world.

Interested in taking another Language such as Arabic, Polish, Chinese, Turkish, Russian etc?
We have a long and very successful track record at McAuley of students achieving A Level and GCSE qualifications in alternative languages such as Arabic, Chinese (Cantonese or Mandarin), Polish and Turkish. Although we are not always in a position to offer specific tuition, we can investigate the options available to anyone who has good writing and reading skills in a particular language. A wide range of A Level languages is available. Please speak to a member of the Modern Foreign Languages department or email mfitzsimons@mcauley.org.uk if you would like to find out how to make the most of your language skills.

We are officially an International School!
McAuley is a recipient of the British Council’s prestigious International School Award for the breadth and variety of our work with other schools across the globe. This is an area which we are developing further and we are always on the lookout for new ideas and suggestions. Come and join us!

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