Spanish

Course summary

Learning a modern language for GCSE is a matter of taking your first steps. You learn rudimentary grammar and vocabulary that enable you to get by but real conversations are still beyond your reach. It is at the sixth-form level that you will deepen your grammatical competence and broaden your vocabulary so that you can converse about and debate real-world issues, and immerse yourself in the culture, literature and arts of the country. Even though we live in an age where it seems English is spoken everywhere and where Google Translate will help you where it is not, there is nothing like the experience and satisfaction of being able to step inside a different way of speaking and seeing the world. The Spanish A level will introduce you to real Spanish in real situations. You will look at the media, literature and film to acquaint you with and develop your knowledge of Spain, her language and culture from past to present. In the first year, you will focus on two major topic areas, grammar and translation, and the study in depth of a film. The first topic is Aspects of Hispanic Society, which will cover everything from traditional family values to cyberspace. The second is Artistic Culture in the Hispanic World where you will be talking about Spanish regional identity, music and culture. The film you will study will be one taken from this list: Volver, El laberinto del Fauno, Ocho apellidos vascos, Maria llena eres de gracia, El bola and Las 13 rosas. In the second year, you will revise your knowledge of the two AS topics and the film, and you will cover two more topics, as well as undertake a detailed study of a literary text and its themes and context. You will also be required to research a Hispanic topic for your speaking exam. The new topics are Multiculturalism in Hispanic Society in which you will look at various issues such as immigration, racism and integration; and Aspects of Political Life in the Hispanic World, where you will look at political issues and the modern Spanish state. The study of a literary text will be a short novel or play drawn from the AQA-prescribed list.