In recent years Spanish has been gaining ground both in the British school system and across the world. After Mandarin Chinese, it is the most spoken mother tongue, with more than 500 million speakers in Europe, South and Central America, the United States and is fast becoming a serious rival to English as the language of communication in many regions of the world.

Spanish is a major world language in the world of music, film and literature. While we can watch an Almodóvar film, read the novels of Gabriel Garcia Marquez or Isabel Allende or listen to Shakira's music in English, there is nothing to match experiencing them in the original Spanish.

The Spanish A level course gives you a solid grounding in the language, taking you from GCSE level to university access level. The course and exam are designed to equip the student with the linguistic and analytical skills that will enable them to tackle the contemporary society topics that form the basis of the challenging A2 exam at the end of the Upper Sixth.

What do I need?

The department assumes that most students will normally have achieved at least the equivalent of GCSE Grade B in the relevant language before taking this course. You will need to feel confident at this level in the four language skills of Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. You need to be interested in developing this understanding and in exploring in much more depth the topic areas that you will have covered at GCSE.

Why study Spanish at St Mary's College?

• You will have the experience and enthusiasm of a native speaker.
• The Spanish department is well equipped with the latest interactive teaching facilities.
• The Spanish department has a close contact with a Spanish school and arranges an annual exchange programme.
• The course material is a combination of textbook and online material that covers all the required skills: Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing.
• The course allows a wide range of opportunities to develop your language skills, independent study skills and knowledge of contemporary society.
• It can lead to a degree course in this subject or a course that has a language option alongside it.
• Having a language at AS or A Level will certainly improve your employability, in particular with companies that have international branches.

The A-Level Specification (AQA)

AS

The AS specification has two units, so it is assessed in two exams:

Unit 1: Listening, Reading and Writing

70% of the total AS mark

35% of the total A-Level mark

Unit 2: Speaking

30% of the total AS mark

15% of the total A-Level mark

The AS course will cover the following main topic areas: Media, Popular Culture, Healthy Living and Family and Relationships.

A2

The A2 specification has two units, so it is assessed in two exams:

Unit 3: Listening, Reading and Writing

35% of the total A-Level mark

Unit 4: Speaking

15% of the total A-Level mark

The A2 course will cover the following main topic areas: Environment, The Multi-Cultural Society, Contemporary and Social Issues and two cultural topics.

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