SPANISH
The Spanish A level course is aimed at students with a passion for languages and who are fans of Hispanic culture.
WHAT IS SPANISH?
The Spanish A level course is aimed at students with a passion for languages and who are fans of Hispanic culture. Spanish A level will give you the opportunity to acquire an impressive range of linguistic skills including an extensive vocabulary and range of grammatical structures. During the AS and A level courses students will have the chance to explore social issues and trends as well as political, intellectual and/or artistic culture in the Spanish speaking world. In the new specification the cultural component plays an important part so AS students must study one text or film and A level students must do either one text and one film or two texts. There is a variety of contemporary and classical Spanish titles on offer including authors and directors such as Allende, Lorca, Márquez, Almodóvar, del Toro and more. A visit to a Spanish-speaking country at some point during the two year course is strongly advised.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Please note that this A Level course is subject to a minimum number of students enrolling.
WHAT IS SPANISH AT DLD?
The aim of the course is to make students active participants and encourage them to explore the Spanish- speaking world as much as possible. Students who choose to do Spanish at DLD will be exposed to intensive practice of the different language skills: reading, listening, oral and writing using a variety of textbooks, internet resources, films, magazine and newspaper materials, podcasts etc. Regular testing of vocabulary and grammar structures is part of the course dynamic as students need to develop these two areas considerably. The Spanish department organises cultural visits as part of the course such as museum exhibitions, trips to the cinema and other events that complement class activities.
Ideally you should have a solid basis in the language (intermediate level). Studying a language is not just learning a set of grammar rules and vocabulary lists is also learning about and experiencing the culture of other countries. Spanish is widely spoken in the world and the cultural aspects of the subject open many possibilities for you to explore. This course gives you plenty of opportunities to do this.
HOW IS IT ASSESSED?
Legacy specification until June 2017
The legacy specification will also be running for students who have already started the AS/A2 course.
| Unit 1: Spoken Expression and Response | 15% Oral examination 8-10 minutes |
| Unit 2: Understanding and Written Response | 35% Written examination 2 hours and 30 minutes |
| Unit 3: Understanding and Spoken Response | 17.5% Oral examination 11-13 minutes |
| Unit 4: Research, Understanding and Written Response | 32.5% Written examination 2 hour and 30 minutes |
Weighting Format of Spanish AS (starts 2016, first assessment summer 2017)
| Paper 1: Listening, reading and translation | 40% Written examination 1 hour and 30 minutes |
| Paper 2: Written response to works and translation | 35% Written examination 2 hours and 30 minutes |
| Paper 3: Speaking | 30% 21 – 23 minutes (includes a single period of 5 minutes formal presentation time) |
Weighting Format of Spanish A level (starts 2017, first assessment summer 2018)
| Paper 1: Listening, reading and translation | 40% Written examination 1 hour and 30 minutes |
| Paper 2: Written response to works and translation | 35% Written examination 2 hours and 30 minutes |
| Paper 3: Speaking | 30% Oral 21 – 23 minutes (includes 5 minutes preparation time for Task 1) |
Exam Board: ED
WHAT DO I NEED?
Ideally you should have previous knowledge of the language and a pass at GCSE level or equivalent. Studying a language is not just learning a set of grammar rules and vocabulary lists. It is also learning about and experiencing the culture of other countries. Spanish is so widely spoken in the world that the cultural aspects of the subject open so many possibilities for you to explore and this course gives you plenty of opportunities to do this.
GOOD SUBJECT COMBINATIONS
A Level Spanish is a subject that can be easily combined with a large range of subjects. Students from both sciences and humanities find that learning a foreign language complements and adds to the skills they require for their other subjects.
AFTER DLD
Apart from the enjoyment of being able to understand and speak a foreign language, the Spanish A level course is both academic and culturally enriching. Spanish can be combined with virtually any university course you can think of from Economics to Environmental Sciences. It may open up possibilities if you are planning to do a year abroad as part of your degree: for example a year in South America studying, working or travelling can be a wonderful experience.
QUESTIONS
Q. Can I do the course in one year?
A. Only for students who have an advanced level in Spanish and agree to take the legacy specification which will be opened until the summer 2017.
Q. Do I need to have done GCSE Spanish?
A. No, but you need an intermediate level of Spanish.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
To study A Levels, your current or pending exam results should be equivalent to or higher than GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) in at least 5 subjects and a minimum level of English equivalent to IELTS 5.5.
At the start of each academic year of study students following an A Level course without a pass at Level 5/Grade C in GCSE or IGCSE English Language or with an Academic English score below 6.5 overall must join an Academic English training course for the duration of the academic year which will be timetabled alongside A Level lessons.
If your level of English is not sufficient to meet the entry criteria for the A Level programme you will normally be offered a place on the one year Academic Preparation Course (pre A Level) in order to bring your English skills up to the required level.
