Spanish AS/A Level

By the end of the AS/A Level course in Spanish, you will be able to have a conversation with a Spanish speaker about a wide range of subjects. You will also be able to understand “authentic” Spanish that is written for native speakers. At the same time, you will learn a lot about the culture and society of the Spanish-speaking world.

You will study an AS Level in the first year of this course.

The course is ideal if you enjoy learning about the cultures and societies of the Spanish-speaking world, if you like learning by doing and if you like to be active in class and don’t mind giving things a go and taking risks.

Lessons will feel very practical and interactive. The teacher will speak mainly in Spanish in class, and you will quickly get used to talking in Spanish to your classmates while you work on tasks. Assessment is by externally assessed oral and written examinations, with listening, reading, grammar translation tasks and essays.

You will:

• Become more fluent in Spanish and gain the confidence to express your ideas.
• Learn about many aspects of life in contemporary Spain and South America, such as gender equality or today’s multicultural society.
• Study highlights of Hispanic culture, such as the diverse food, fiestas and languages of Spain’s regions or the cultural heritage of past civilisations.
• Study a Spanish film and a play
• Work from original source documents, including online media, films and television programmes
• Explore an area of particular interest in the Spanish-speaking world in an individual research project
• Take advantage of our extensive virtual learning environments and our social media platform
• Have the opportunity to take part in a study visit to Seville in southern Spain

Assessment includes an oral examination and two written papers including listening, reading, writing and translation.

What can I study alongside this course?

This course can be combined with others and goes particularly well with English Language, Business, English Literature, Film Studies, Politics and French/German, Geography and History, which all overlap in different ways. Languages are required alongside other skills in a wide range of workplaces, so Science A Levels or almost any other combination is very useful.

Future Steps: Some students go on to study a foreign language at university and may choose to specialise in an area of language such as translation, interpreting or language teaching. Many students combine a language with another area of interest such as Law, Engineering or Business, among many other possibilities. This enables them to establish a career abroad or with international companies.

You will need eight GCSEs at grade 4 or above (including English Language and Maths).

You will also need a grade 6 or above in GCSE Spanish. Other experience in Spanish may be taken into account.

We normally offer practice with a Spanish Language Assistant alongside class work. In our weekly IT suite session, we focus mainly on listening and research skills. A wide range of electronic and paper-based resources enable students to work independently. You will have access to several learning resources centres. There is a refectory in the Hele Building and in other areas of the College.

There are some costs of materials and resources.