Spanish

Course summary

Spain and the countries of South and Central America offer an incredibly diverse and fascinating language and culture for students to learn about and enjoy. From the rhythm of flamenco in Andalucia to the Mayan temples in the jungles of Guatemala, there are endless opportunities to discover the true Hispanic culture. The A Level course is a natural continuation from GCSE with a focus on the four skill areas of reading, speaking, writing and listening. Students will have an opportunity to work with interactive technology in their learning and to access primary source material from language assistants, visitors and internet links. Students will study topics similar to those at GCSE but looked at from a more mature perspective. In the Leisure topic, for example, we examine how football has taken over from Catholicism as the principal activity for Spaniards on a Sunday. In our studies of Lifestyle we compare the laid-back, siesta-filled work day in Spain with the stress-filled approach in Northern Europe. When looking at Media we discover how Spanish youngsters are equally obsessed with mobiles and the internet and how these have changed attitudes in Spain.