Spanish
Spanish is a subject that gives pupils the opportunity to express themselves in a different language and to acquire translating and communicating skills while learning about another culture. If you speak Spanish you can communicate with almost 500 million people worldwide. Think how many employment options that gives you.
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The study of Spanish is an important part of the pupils’ curriculum. It equips them with a useful practical tool for communication in an international context; it strengthens their ability to express themselves; it enables them to develop transferable language learning skills; it encourages them to analyse a Foreign Language and compare it to their own; it provides an insight into other peoples, countries and cultures and thus widens their intellectual horizons. Pupils’ Thinking Skills and Personal capabilities are developed throughout the Key Stages.
Key Stage 3
Pupils begin to learn grammar and to apply this in their translating exercises and in communicating with their teacher and their peers in the target language. They will learn about Spanish and Hispanic culture, festivals and customs. They will use basic role-plays based on real life situations to help prepare them for GCSE. Pupils will also develop ICT skills using word processing to complete essays and display work.
GCSE
We follow the CCEA GCSE Spanish course helping pupils to develop their spoken language, their comprehension and writing skills. The GCSE course allows pupils to gain a sound basis for moving on to study A Level. The skills they acquire are valuable and relevant in the work-place.
OUTLINE OF COURSE
The GCSE course seeks to build on the foundation laid in the particular language at Key Stage 3 and to develop pupils as individuals and contributors to the economy, society and environment. They are introduced to new material as well as covering in greater depth many of the areas already touched on.
The Contexts for Learning (see below) provide the opportunity for the development of personal and inter-personal skills, study skills, thinking and reasoning skills and increased versatility and confidence in communication for a variety of purposes. They also serve to enhance self-esteem and creativity by stimulating curiosity and imagination. The course encourages pupils to recognise that their linguistic knowledge, understanding and skills help them to take their place in a multilingual global society.
Contexts for Learning:
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- Identity Lifestyle Culture
- Local National International Global Areas of Interest
- School Life Studies World of Work
A Level
The AS/A2 course in Spanish builds on the knowledge, skills and understanding acquired at GCSE, and is aimed at developing these to a high degree of linguistic competence. The course seeks to draw on students’ own interests by examining issues of relevance to young people in the Modern World, offering a particular insight into contemporary Hispanic and Spanish society and culture. Students develop knowledge and understanding of themes relating to the society and culture, past and present, of the country or community where the language is spoken.
This course has six units: three at AS level and three at A2 level. Pupils will have 2 classes per week with our native speaker Spanish language assistant in small groups of 4 or 5 pupils.
GCE Spanish gives students the opportunity to explore two broad areas of interest. These are:
- social issues and trends; and either
- political culture or intellectual culture or artistic culture.
Students explore the areas of interest by studying four themes:
- Relationships (AS);
- Culture and Lifestyle (AS);
- Young People in Society (A2); and
- Our Place in a Changing World (A2).
Extra-curricular
Our pupils have taken part in the NICILT Spanish debate on several occasions taking 1st prize and a runner up prize in the past few years. Indeed, one of our past pupils also won the overall best individual speaker at the debate as well as taking 1st place with the team. We regularly take part in cultural trips to Barcelona with pupils from KS3 and this is, for many pupils, a major highlight of their time in Lumen Christi College.
Where to next?
Pupils from A level Spanish have progressed to further study in areas such as : Teaching, Music, Engineering, Finance, Dentistry, Medicine, Law and Actuary.
Many of our A Level Spanish students go on to study Spanish either on its own or combined with other subjects such as Law, Medicine, Accounting and Business at university.