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Spanish A Level Course Outline
Advanced Level 3
Awarding Body: AQA
Study Spanish
Learning Spanish teaches you things which you'll find invaluable later when you get into work and private life. Using Spanish to persuade, argue or explain, preparing presentations, for different audiences - all these are vital skills for the workplace.
Learning how to interact with Spanish speakers can help you to see things from a range of perspectives - making you more adaptable, creative, and insightful. If you have Spanish at A Level, you will be able to take part of your degree in any of the 21 countries where Spanish is an official language (not to mention the many countries where Spanish is widely spoken) or get work experience abroad.
The opportunities are endless!
Entry Requirements
The General entry requirements for A Level courses are six GCSEs grades 9-4 and above, including English Language.
Grade 4 English - 6 in the subject
Content
Awarding Body: AQA Linear 2 year A level course: Themes:
- Social issues and trends
- Aspects of Hispanic-speaking society: current trends
- Political, Intellectual/Artistic areas of interest
- Grammar
- 1 Book & 1 Film
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 of a film. The first topic is Aspects of Hispanic Society, which will cover everything from traditional family values to the 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 the AQA prescribed list.
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 undertaking 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.
Assessment
- At both levels, learners are assessed regularly using past questions papers with a range of exercises.
- Progress is recorded in the college mark book system and is accessible by all students, on the portal.
- Mock exams.
- Homework is set every day and AQA standardisation is used for marking. There is no coursework for Spanish but one individual research project to present and discuss in the speaking assessment.
The three A level exams cover all four general topic areas together with the film and literary text.
Paper 1 (Listening, Reading, and Writing) will check your comprehension of a variety of texts and extracts, with all the questions being in Spanish. You will also have two translations of 100 words each: one into Spanish and one into English.
- lasts 2 hours 30 minutes and is worth 50% of the A level
Paper 2 (Writing) consists of two 300-word essays in Spanish with questions set on the film and the text studied.
- lasts 2 hours and is worth 20% of the A level
Paper 3 (Speaking) will be a discussion of a theme based on a stimulus card followed by a presentation and a discussion of an individual Hispanic research project.
- lasts 21-23 minutes and is worth 30% of the A level
Progression
Studying AS/A2 Spanish will allow you to communicate with more than 580 million people worldwide. Knowing Spanish will also greatly increase your employment options with many of the world's leading economies demanding Spanish speakers. You'll be surprised how much you can do, and how your fluency will increase with practice.
Learning Spanish at A2 level will open doors to job and trade opportunities internationally. Latin American countries have been experiencing strong economic growth. Hispanic culture continues to have a global impact on architecture, art, literature, and culture. Hispanic actors and singers have gained worldwide recognition and fame.
Spanish is the second-most spoken language in the United States, after English, and there are also forecasts that predict that the USA will be the largest Spanish speaking country by 2050, making Spanish a key language for doing business with the States. It also happens to be an extremely beautiful language that is as useful as it is melodic.
Student Testimonials
"I feel very comfortable in my Spanish lessons as our group conversations are always very meaningful and interesting. The teacher is always very interested in what we have to say and how we feel about certain subjects. This allows us to gain more confidence in speaking Spanish, which in the long run benefits us for our oral A level exam."
"I would say that Spanish is one of my favorite subjects I have ever done. I find the themes we are doing very interesting, so I am motivated to put more effort into the subject. The way the teacher teaches this subject is very good, as she gets everyone involved and time just flies when we are doing Spanish."
"Spanish has not only strengthened my vocabulary and knowledge of the language, but also taught me about the history and culture of Spain which I find really interesting. My teacher is supportive and considerate to each of her students and provides us with all the materials we need to fully prepare for the final exams. I enjoy having discussions with my peers about different topics as it improves my confidence skills and my fluency in Spanish."
"Spanish is a great subject because it will help you in life as well. Our teacher is very helpful as she is always very patient with us and she is always explaining and evaluating everything to the last detail to us. Also, in my opinion I love our Spanish teacher because she is a very nice person and she is always making us laugh which makes us more comfortable in class."
“I enjoy studying Spanish because not only am I learning and perfecting a new language, but also I am learning it so that in future occasion I am able to communicate with more people. Ms.Cos-Gayón has always provided the resources and the time that we need and the dedication towards her students is simply outstanding. Ms.Cos-Gayón has always emphasized that I need to do my best and that has helped me to achieve the best grades that I possibly can not only for Spanish but also for the other subject that I am studying.”
"In Spanish, I enjoy learning the language itself as well as how it can grow and developed into what it has become now. My teacher is very enthusiastic which helps when learning as she wants to make sure we understand everything and make the lessons fun as well as educational to keep us motivated. Spanish has expanded my knowledge on the history of it and has widened my knowledge of vocabulary."
Extra Curricular
The textbook used is: AQA AS/A2
Multimedia learning materials are available on the College network.
During the course students are expected to watch Spanish TV programmes and films related to the topics of study at AS/A2: El Bola, 8 Apellidos vascos, la Lengua de las mariposas, Volver and more.
Visits to different events at, for example, at the Spanish Institute Cervantes: The Cervantes Institute was founded by the Spanish government in 1991 with the purpose of promoting and diffusing the Spanish language and Spanish and Latin-American culture in general.
Department Staff
Yolanda Cos-Gayón Pérez began working as a visiting professor at City University in 2000 and has been teaching at St. Charles College since January 2004. She has taught Spanish at various institutions such as Kensington and Chelsea and Tower Hamlets Colleges and City Hall. In addition, she has experience in tutoring and evaluating students for internships in Spanish as a second language in Spain.
She obtained the Postgraduate Certificate in Education from the Institute of Education, London, also has a Certificate in Teaching of Language Education from Kensington & Chelsea College, a Diploma in Applied Spanish Language and New Technologies in the Classroom (Universidad Menendez Pelayo, Santander) and a Certified Teacher Development Program (Instituto Cervantes Español, London).
Ms. Cos-Gayón Pérez is a qualified examiner at both the AQA and the Instituto Cervantes Español in London.
After graduating in Economic and Business Sciences in Madrid (Universidad Autónoma), Ms. Cos-Gayón worked for the Spanish Government at I.N.E (National Institute of Statistics). She then took on various marketing positions in the industry before coming to the UK. In London she decided to quit marketing and dedicate herself to teaching.