Spanish
¡Hola! ¿Qué pasa? ¡Buenos días! ¡Buenas tardes!
Learning Spanish at St Richard’s will not only lead to a GCSE qualification in the world’s second most widely spoken language (over 400 million people speak Spanish) but also enable you to discover the rich and varied cultures of the 21 countries where Spanish is the official language.
A “wordle” of the Spanish speaking world!
Don’t just take our word for it! In a recent study commissioned by the British Council, the importance of foreign language study was emphasised in conjunction with other school subjects. The following link will give you an idea of the importance of Spanish in creating career prospects worldwide.
( https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/spanish-speak-language-400-million-people)
Academic Study
Year 7 and Year 8
The focus during Year 7 and Year 8 is to build confidence in speaking Spanish using accurate pronunciation. During these two years we develop the core language skills of listening, reading, writing translation, literary and grammar teaching all of which are tested in the GCSE examination. The main interactive resources and textbooks are the Viva series.
Year 9 through to Year 11
In Year 9 we begin the 3 year Scheme of Work in preparation for the GCSE. We have chosen the AQA examination board and will therefore be following the exam board outline of study with supplementary material from a variety of sources to cover all the nineteen topics which are covered by the three main themes.
| Theme 1: Identity and Culture | Theme 2: Local national, international and global areas of interest | Theme 3: Current and future study and employment. |
| ● Me, my family and friends
● Technology in everyday life ● Free-time activities ● Customs and festivals in the target language-speaking countries/communities |
● Home town, neighbourhood and region ● Social issues ● Global issues ● Travel and tourism |
● My studies ● Life at school/college ● Education post-16 ● Career choices and ambitions |
As with all GCSE Languages, Spanish GCSE will have a Foundation Tier (grades 1 – 5) and a Higher Tier (grades 4 – 9). Students must enter for all four skills ( reading, listening, writing, speaking) at the same Tier. Each of the four skills is worth 25% of the final grade. All skills are tested in final examinations at the end of the course in year 11. There is no controlled assessment or coursework. Speaking examinations will be conducted by teachers in school within an AQA specified time frame; they are marked externally.
School trip to Spain
All pupils who take Spanish will have the opportunity to go on a school trip to Spain. In October 2019 we visited Barcelona. To give you an idea of the enriching cultural activities, here is a summary of the itinerary for the trip
- Visit to Port Aventura (theme park)
- Entry to Gaudi designed Sagrada Familia
- Day trip to Gerona and Dali Theatre Museum
- Visit to Camp Nou (Home of FC Barcelona) and Olympic Stadium
- Miro museum visit
- Flamenco workshop
- Visit to our pen-friend school in Tarragona
- Shopping on Las Ramblas
- Local cuisine including Tapas
There is something for everyone on these trips and they are an unforgettable experience not only from the point of view of language development but also social and cultural enrichment.