Spanish

SPANISH AT GREAT MARLOW SCHOOL

Spanish is a popular subject at Great Marlow School with a consistent number of students opting to continue studying it at GCSE every year. We have five dedicated language classrooms each equipped with a PC, a projector and access to a suite of laptops.The aim of the languages department is to facilitate a lifetime love of exploring language, culture and an appreciation of its importance in our multicultural world.

KEY STAGE 3 SPANISH

Students study a broad set of topics in Key Stage 3 covering the four language skills (listening, reading, speaking, writing) and many key grammar points including the present, past and future tenses.

In Year 7, students study either Spanish or French.

Throughout KS3 there is a Spanish assessment every half term in one of the following key areas: listening, reading, speaking or writing. The assessments are miniature versions of the GCSE examinations. This strategy provides students with the practice at the key skills required at KS4. The students are required to be independent learners to succeed in the KS3 assessments.

Year 7 Spanish 

Language is taught in chunks using sentence builders via the Conti EPI approach, which helps with fluency and long term memory recall. In the first year, students are expected to practise and perfect the understanding of the present and future tenses and recognise the imperfect. There is a focus placed on pronunciation, which is often practised in exciting ways using songs and chants.

Modules in First Year Spanish:

• Introducing Ourselves
• About Me
• Family
• Free-time Activities
• Technology
• School

Year 8 Spanish

Students use the Listos 2 Rojo textbook. The course has been designed to expand the students’ knowledge of the present tense and introduce them to the past tense. As in the first year, this is practised in a variety of ways, including the interactive resources at the department’s disposal. Students focus on using and understanding the two tenses of past and present, in all four of the language skills. One module is studied every half term with an assessment at the end of it that is either listening, reading writing or speaking.

Modules in Second Year Spanish

• Presenting ourselves
• Food
• Shopping
• Tourism
• Entertainment
• Health

Year 9 Spanish

Students use the Mira 3 textbook. This course expands the students’  cultural knowledge, aiming to allow them to appreciate the areas in which learning a language, in particular Spanish, will be useful. Students’ knowledge of the present tense and past tense is embedded further. They also are introduced to the past tense. As in the first year, this practised in a variety of ways, including the interactive resources at the department’s disposal. Students focus on using and understanding the two tenses of past and present, in all four of the language skills. Each of the following modules is studied for half a term with an assessment at its conclusion that is either listening, reading writing or speaking.

Modules in Year 9 Spanish

• Media
• School
• Health
• Work and Money
• The Spanish Speaking World
• Travel

KEY STAGE 4 SPANISH

GCSE Year 1  & GCSE Year 2

The Spanish Department enters students for AQA GCSE Spanish 8698.

Learning a language is a skill for life. One aim of the Spanish Language Department is to show the importance of Spanish in our multicultural, multi-lingual, global world through exploring the language and its culture in the many countries and communities where Spanish is spoken.

Students are taught to communicate confidently in Spanish, in a variety of contexts, because knowledge of a foreign language, to GCSE level, is highly valued by employers and universities.

Having command of another language does improve communication, critical thinking, research skills and creativity: all valuable assets in our modern world.

There are three themes or topics. 

Theme 1: Identity and Culture

Friends, family and me. Technology in everyday life. Free time activities. Customs and festivals in Spanish speaking countries and communities.

Theme 2: Local, National, International and Global Areas of Interest.

Home, neighbourhood, local town and region. Social issues and global issues. Travel and tourism.

Theme 3: Current and Future Study. Employment.

My studies. Life at school. Education post-16. Jobs, career choices and ambitions.

The course has four assessment units:

• • Listening – candidates are faced with a series of multiple-choice questions, some answers are given in Spanish, some in English.
  • Speaking – students are given preparation time to respond to a stimulus involving one of the following: role-play card, photograph, or article to stimulate a topical conversation.
  • Reading – candidates have to answer multiple-choice questions. Some answers are in Spanish, some in English. There is also a short translation to complete.
  • Writing – candidates are required to write phrases in response to a photograph, or create a piece of structured writing from a set of bullet points. In addition, they have to translate a written English text into Spanish.

Assessment

This is a two year linear qualification, all examinations are at the end of the course.

There are two tiers of entry for each of the four units. Each unit is worth 25% of the total mark.  Students will be entered for the tier in which they feel most comfortable.

Internal Assessments

Throughout the course, students are internally assessed every half term in at least two of the examined areas: writing, listening, reading and speaking.

• Listening: multiple choice questions, some answers in English and Spanish
• Speaking: preparation time, role-play card, photo card, general topical conversation
• Reading: multiple choice questions, some answers in English and Spanish, short translation
• Writing: writing phrases in response to a photograph, structured writing tasks according to bullet points, translation English to Spanish

KEY STAGE 5 SPANISH

The Spanish Department has opted for the A-level AQA specification: Course 7692. This is made up core content and options, all of which are assessed by examination at the end of the two years of study.

A-Level

Core Content 

Modern and traditional values:  cyberspace, equal rights, immigration, racism, integration.

Political and artistic culture: modern day idols, Spanish regional identity, cultural heritage and landscape, today’s youth and tomorrow’s citizens, monarchies, republics and dictatorships, popular movements.

Grammar: grammar and the structure of the Spanish language.

Works: one text and one film or two texts from the set list.

Assessment:

PAPER 1: Listening, reading and writing. A written exam of 2 hours 30 minutes, worth 40% of the total A-level course.

PAPER 2: Writing. A written exam of 2 hours, worth 30% of the A-level course.

Paper 3: Speaking. Stimulus card based activity on one of the sub-themes in the grid above and an individual research project on one of the four following sub-themes, worth 30% of A-level course.

• Aspects of Hispanic society: current trends
• Aspects of Spanish speaking society: current issues
• Artistic culture in the Hispanic world
• Aspects of political life in the Hispanic society
• Multiculturalism in Hispanic society

CAREER OPTIONS IN SPANISH