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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 third as an international language of politics, economics and culture.
- 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.
Spanish A-level
We follow the new EDEXCEL specification for A-level Spanish. In the first year of Sixth Form (Y12), students study the culture, society, politics, world of work, tourism, festivals, music, media and of Spain and Spanish–speaking countries. They also study a Spanish film in detail. A firm understanding of grammar is essential in Year 12 and dedicated grammar lessons are an integral part of the course. This enables girls to use Spanish independently and creatively. Increased contact with our foreign language assistant helps girls with their oral work and keeps them on top of current affairs.
In Year 13, students study immigration, integration and multiculturalism, both within Spain and the Spanish-speaking world. They also study the history of Spain, including the Civil War, Franco’s dictatorship, the transition to democracy, the role of the monarchy and a Spanish novel. At the end of the course, students are assessed on their listening, speaking, reading, writing, translating and research abilities. The skills developed during the course prepare students thoroughly for academic life at university. Indeed, many of our students go on to combine Spanish with another subject at university, such as English, economics, marketing, history, European studies, politics, French, German, law and medicine.
Extra-Curricular
- At Key Stage 5 we offer an exchange jointly with King Edward VII and Birkdale Schools to Palma de Mallorca in December, staying with host families and reciprocating the experience for the Spaniards the following January
- We can also help girls to arrange work experience in Spain to complement their Sixth Form studies
- Our foreign language assistant helps to run clinics to support girls at all stages of their learning
- We enter Hispanic national and regional competitions such as the Herbert Hughes Memorial Prize
- We can sometimes arrange individual exchanges or one-off visits to Spain for older students by providing details of host families in Spain via our contacts in Palma, Madrid and Murcia
Any questions? Please contact Mrs Barker, Head of Languages, on k.barker@she.gdst.net