Members of the Department
Dr Richard Boyle – Head of Department
Mr Jonathan Younge – Teacher
José Luna – Language Assistant
Introduction
Spanish is introduced to the student body in Year 10. It is delivered to all class groups on two periods per week. The course is fast tracked, thereby setting the appropriate tone for later years. The course is centred on four characters – Los Gusanos (the Tequila Worm family) that reside in a cactus in the Spanish department and Speedy Gonzales, the famous Mexican mouse who is also in situ. Other characters appear. Passages based around these characters are used to build up reading skills and deliver topic-based vocabulary. When possible, we indulge in Karaoke. As proper pronunciation and intonation can constitute major barriers to learning a foreign language, each pupil receives her own digitally recorded copy of the course.
Aims: