Modern Foreign Languages

Spanish

Why learn Spanish?

• If you speak Spanish, you can communicate with almost 500 million people worldwide! Think how many more employment options that gives you! And if you want to take a trip to Spain or Latin America, a little knowledge of Spanish will go a long way.

• Spanish is the third most widely spoken language in the world, after English and Mandarin.

• Spanish is the official language in 21 countries (Spain, Mexico, The Caribbean and most of South America).

• Spanish is the second world language as a vehicle of international communication and the third as an international language of politics, economics and culture.

• Spain has become 3rd most desirable country to live based on standard of living, health and economy.

• In the USA, Spanish has become the unofficial second language

• 29 million US residents above the age of 5 speak Spanish at home. That’s approximately 1 of every 10 US residents.

Is Spanish easy to learn?

The simple phonetic system of Spanish and its relatively straightforward grammar make it an attractive language for beginners. At the High School, it’s a popular option choice in Year 7, with many students continuing to GCSE and then to AS and A-level.

Learn Spanish in Spain!

Students learning Spanish have the opportunity to join one of our home-stay trips to Spain. Recent trips have been to El Puerto de Santa María, near Cádiz, and we shall be returning to Murcia in March 2010. Students stay with local families and attend classes at a local private school where they get the chance to join conversation classes with the Spanish students as well as learning some flamenco dancing and Spanish cookery. Visits are organised to local places of interest including markets, the beach and museums.

In May 2009, we ran a Year 7 and Year 8 residential visit to Murcia in south-east Spain. Students stayed in an all-inclusive centre only steps away from the beach. During our visit we learned more Spanish and used it in an authentic environment. The girls also visited Cartagena and the excellent market in Cabo de Palos. The girls had fun on the beach and took part in numerous sporting activities. We will also went windsurfing, kayaking and sailing! We certainly experienced Spanish life and culture. To get a flavour of our last visit, you can see our blog by clicking here.

Key Stages 3 and 4

At Key Stages 3 and 4, students follow the brand new Mira course and we aim to give students a flavour of Hispanic culture as well as the language. In language teaching, the emphasis is on practical communication with activities including pair work, group work, games, songs, videos, dialogues, presentations and discussions. All students have contact with our Spanish assistant at least once a week. For GCSE, we follow the AQA Examining Board specification. Emphasis is increasingly on preparation for the Speaking Test and on written communication as students prepare for written coursework. Students also have regular lessons in the Language Laboratory to help them to prepare for their GCSE Listening Test.

AS and A-level Spanish

In the Sixth Form, students follow the AQA specification for AS and A-level. There are now 4 topics in the new AS course which are much more modern and interesting for students of the language. At AS-level we study Media, Popular Culture, Healthy Living and Family and Relationships. At A2 we study the Environment, Living in a Multicultural Society and Contemporary Social Issues. Students also study two cultural topics which may include the work of a Spanish director/author, a study of a region or community or a period of 20th century history including the Civil War and the Franco dictatorship.

More time is spent on the grammatical aspects of the language at this stage but we also enliven the lessons with the use of music and songs, internet, video and film. Spanish lessons are split into skills-based lessons, giving students the chance to focus on a different skill each lesson. The students have a speaking, a reading/writing, a topic, a grammar and a listening lesson, which takes place in our Language Laboratory each week. Students also enjoy the increased contact that they have with our Spanish Assistant at this level. The AS-level units are taken at the end of Year 12 and the A2 units are taken at the end of Year 13.

We have also recently established a new partner school in Palma, Majorca called San José Obrero and we took our first trip there in December 2008. This link is exclusively for Post-16 students. The school is in the centre of Palma so students get the opportunity to explore this exciting city. They stay with Spanish families and go to school and attend lessons with their exchange partner. They are fully immersed in the language and culture. During our visit we also visit some interesting places on the island including Puerto de Sóller, Valledemosa and Deía.