While we foster our students’ interest in the Spanish language in its own right as an academic subject, we go much further by exploring the importance of the language in the modern world and discovering the history, arts, traditions, and popular culture of Spanish-speaking countries. Through their study of Spanish, our students develop their oral and analytical skills, as well as their linguistic accuracy and their ability to express themselves in a persuasive manner, both orally and in writing. Students have a weekly individual lesson with the oral language teacher to improve their skills in spoken Spanish. These intensive lessons are invaluable in helping them develop fluency and the ability to debate and defend their point of view confidently, and to prepare for the oral exam. In addition to the A level, we offer the Diplomas de Espanol como Lengua Extranjera (to supplement the A level). Students examine aspects of contemporary Hispanic society, including: Changing family values and the influence of the Catholic church The growing role of social media and our increasing reliance on technology Aspects of equal rights such as gender equality and gender identity Artistic culture also has a central place in the syllabus. Students study the culture of fame and celebrity as manifested in the Spanish-speaking world, as well as examining regional differences within Hispanic countries, regional languages spoken alongside Spanish, and art, architecture and traditional music genres. Upper Sixth students will complete the final two themes of the AQA specification which cover contemporary social issues, including: Multiculturalism Immigration Racism The involvement of young people in politics The evolution of Spain’s monarchy The role of dictators in Latin American politics The impact of trade unions and social movements Students will also be required to carry out an independent research project on a Hispanic subject of their choosing, which will form a topic of discussion as part of their final oral exam.