A-LEVEL SPANISH
A Level – Spanish
Introduction
An estimated 500 million people speak Spanish as their first language. Sixty million of these speakers live in the United States of America. It is the second biggest language in the world in terms of numbers, next to Mandarin Chinese and the second most widely spoken, next to English. The Spanish speaking population is rapidly increasing, so demand for competent speakers in a variety of roles has escalated.
The ability to travel further afield has opened up the Hispanic world to a greater volume of people who are now appreciating Hispanic culture. More and more people are exploring Latin America and the less well-known parts of Spain. The rise of Hispanic economies has also led to increased demand for speakers of Spanish in the business sectors.
From CCEA Specification Introduction AS/A’ Level builds on the knowledge, understanding and skills developed at GCSE. Students will develop their awareness and understanding of the contemporary society, cultural background and heritage of countries and communities where Spanish is spoken.
Recommended GCSE Subjects and Grades
Spanish A*/A
No matter what other subjects, career path or degree you are considering, A Level Spanish will:
Improve your employability in every sector
Make you stand out from the crowd when applying to over-subscribed courses
Subject Content
AS
AS 1: Speaking
AS 2: Listening [A]; Reading [B]; and Use of Language [C)
AS 3: Extended Writing
A2
A2 1: Speaking
A2 2: Listening [A]; and Reading [B]
A2 3: Extended Writing
Method of Assessment
AS 1: Question 1: students give a presentation based on an AS level theme related to an aspect of a Spanish-speaking country or community. (3 mins) Question 2: Conversation (8 mins)
AS 2: Section A – Listening Section B – Reading Q1 – Comprehension Q2-Translation from Spanish to English Section C – Use of Language Q 1-4: A series of short grammatical and lexical exercises Q 5: Translation of short sentences from English to Spanish (2 hours)
AS 3: Extended Writing- Students write one essay in Spanish in response to a set film or literary text. ( 1 hour)
AS=40% of A Level
A2 1: Question 1: Students introduce and discuss one individual research project. (6 mins) Question 2: Conversation (9 mins)
A2 2: Section A – Listening Section B – Reading Q1-Gap-filling exercise in Spanish Q2-Comprehension Q3- Summary question Q4-Translation passage from English to Spanish (2 hours 45 mins)
A2 3:Extended Writing – Student write an essay in response to a literary text (1 hour)
A2=60% of A Level
Career Possibilities
The study of Spanish aims to enable students to acquire knowledge, skills and understanding for practical use, further study and/or employment. Spanish is a language which allows students to take their place in a multilingual global society.
Employment includes: Business/Management, Education, Journalism, Law, Tourism and Media.
Other Information
Those who choose AS/A2 Spanish should be committed to their studies. An interest in general Hispanic culture is advantageous and a willingness to work on one’s own (e.g. reading, computer based work internet research etc.) is very important. Students should be able to communicate confidently, clearly and effectively in a variety of contexts.