The areas studied during the course cover a wide range of themes and topics.

In the first year, you will be studying the development of Spanish society, looking at the changes in the family, the role of women, education and the world of work.   In addition, you will be exploring the political and artistic culture in the Spanish speaking world, with a close focus on music, media, films, and the role of festivals and traditions.

In the second year, the main focus is on the dictatorship of Franco, monarchies and protests. You will also focus on integration and multiculturalism and the economic and social effect of immigration. You will continue to build on your listening, reading, writing and speaking skills as well as your knowledge of grammar.

• Listening - interviews, conversations, radio broadcasts, videos, video clips on the Internet in our computer suites. 
• Speaking - role-plays, dialogues, pronunciation practice, short presentations and regular conversation classes in small groups with a native speaker. 
• Reading - articles, magazines, books, newspapers, Internet sources. 
• Writing - short articles, letters, reports, projects, poems, descriptions. 
• Grammar - games, revision and practice in class and using the Internet.

We are currently planning a trip to Spain and we also suggest that you arrange your own visit over the summer at the end of the first year - there are a number of companies that arrange these educational visits.  

You will not be entered for an external AS exam at the end of the first year.  In the second year of the course, you will take external exams that assess content covered in the first and second year.  These exams will determine your A level grade.

There are three examinations:

• a listening and reading paper which is 50% of your A level and will take two hours and 30 minutes;
• a writing paper, worth 20% of the A level and;
• a speaking exam worth 30% of the qualification which lasts 21-23 minutes and is assessed by an external examiner.

• Students are encouraged, with commendations, to complete extracurricular activities from their individual 'Independent Study Log' in G-classroom, where they have nine options linked to the skills and course content. For Year 12 it is compulsory to complete two/three per half term.  Many of the activities are based around newspaper coverage of socio-political development in the Spanish speaking world.
• A Spanish workshop will be open from September until May on Fridays period 1 to discuss essay-writing and help students with aspects of grammar.
• Students receive a reading and film list in Year 1 and 2 as part of the extra curricular activities. The titles and authors provide an extension to the course content, political, literary and social.
• All the themed booklets contain a section with linked extra work to be completed during lessons by the more able and students who complete work early.
• All texts in the themed booklets used to develop translation skills into Spanish and English are longer than required, to provide a challenge to the most academic linguists while still allowing other students to work at different pace, and still covering the board requirements.

Virtually any.  We have students taking science subjects, mathematicians, historians, those in the fields of English language or literature and business, to name but a few.

Many of our students go on to study languages as a major or minor part of their Higher Education course.  There has been an explosion in recent years in the number of university courses where modern languages are combined with other subjects, such as business and management, marketing, accountancy, law, engineering, sciences, IT, arts and music.  Study at this level usually involves time spent working or studying abroad.

In recent years, the ability to use languages is highly prized by employers.  Modern languages graduates are in demand with 96% of students finding employment.

Whatever you decide to do, your language skills will be an invaluable asset to you.

Please see below for careers and labour market information for Spanish - use the refresh buttons to find out about different courses and careers, and use the left and right arrows to view more detailed information.

You can find the prep work for this course at prepwork.farnborough.ac.uk. 

Q: How does the A level compare with the GCSE? 
A: It starts at a similar level, looking at GCSE grammar and certain topics.  However, we do move on quickly to more sophisticated topics, always studying and working with texts, translating and analysing, so you can start producing your own written language and spoken opinion.  At this level, we will train you to be independent, so no more copying phrases not knowing why and how to do it on your own!

Q: Will I have to study literature?
A: In your first year, you will study and analyse one film (Volver).  In your second year, you will study a short play (La Casa de Bernarda Alba).  Before we study the play, we will study the film version of the play.  Once we have analysed the film in depth, we will then go on to study the play.   

Q: Can I study two foreign languages at this level?
A: Yes you can study German and French (Edexcel) and Spanish (AQA). Also, there are linguistic aspects of the three languages shared by all, besides the passive knowledge you have of much of the Latinate English vocabulary.  We welcome double and triple linguists.

Q: Is there an oral exam at the end of both years?
A: Yes.  You will have a five minute oral assessment at the end of your first year - this will be a conversation on a topic given and studied in advance.  You will then have a formal assessment at the end of your second year.  This will be a 7 minute conversation on a random topic we have studied and practiced during conversation sessions.  You will then have a conversation on a topic you will have chosen at the end of the first year, which you will have had an opportunity to thoroughly research. 

Q: Is Spanish spoken at all times in the classroom?
A: We will train you to answer in Spanish as soon as you can, and we will speak in Spanish at all times during lessons, except when studying grammar.  We will make sure all of you understand what is said and will use methods to ensure none of you get lost, so don’t worry!  For most students, you will be very used to hearing and understanding Spanish in the classroom after just a few weeks!

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