Spanish

Assessment:

GCSE Spanish has a Foundation Tier (grades 1–5) and a Higher Tier (grades 4–9). Students must take all four question papers at the same tier. Papers are taken at the end of the course in Year 11. The four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing are each worth 25% of the exam.

Paper 1 - Listening (Written Exam of 35 or 45 minutes)

Understanding and responding to spoken extracts comprising the defined vocabulary and grammar for each tier 
Dictation of short, spoken extracts

Paper 2 - Speaking (Non-Examined Assessment)

Speaking using clear and comprehensible language to undertake a role-play
Carry out a reading aloud task
Talk about visual stimuli

Paper 3 - Reading (Written Exam of 45 or 60 minutes)

Understanding and responding to written texts which focus predominantly on the vocabulary and grammar at each tier
Inferring plausible meanings of single words when they are embedded in written sentences
Translating from Spanish into English

Paper 4 - Writing (Written Exam of 60 or 75 minutes)

Writing text in the language in a lexically and grammatically accurate way in response to simple and familiar stimuli 
Translating from English into Spanish

Who is the course for?

This course is for anyone who has already studied Spanish in Year 9 and would like to be able to speak and understand a foreign language better! Students who speak a second (or third) language are greatly valued and sought after by employers. Many students know that most of the world’s population speak at least two languages and to compete for jobs (whatever you do!) in the future another language is a vital asset.

GCSE Spanish adds an international dimension to your choice of GCSE subjects, something both employers and higher education providers look for.

What will I do on the course?

GCSE Spanish builds on what you have learned in Key Stage 3, though you will meet new topics and learn more about the cultures and countries in which Spanish is spoken.

You will learn many skills which are useful in a wide range of future careers, such as the ability to communicate clearly, problem solve as well as creating greater opportunities to work abroad or for companies in the UK with international links.

You will practise listening, speaking, reading and writing and will be helped to understand Spanish in common situations you might meet in Spain or a Spanish speaking country.

You will gain independence in how to use Spanish to communicate your own ideas clearly and accurately with good pronunciation and by the end of the course will be able to communicate effectively over a broad range of topics.

Students study the following themes:

Theme 1: People and lifestyle
Theme 2: Popular culture
Theme 3: Communication and the world around us