Why Study?
Languages are everywhere, be it on holiday, at work or on a daily basis. This course inspires students who have an appreciation of the language and culture of the Spanish-speaking world. Spanish A-level covers a wide range of interesting topics (such as music, technology, arts, politics, Spanish history), which are relevant to the world we live in. You will gain an advanced level of knowledge and understanding of the Spanish language, literature, film and culture of Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries. The skills you acquire will prepare you for further education and enhance your employability.
You will develop your love of the language, while being able to communicate effectively, confidently and clearly.
Choosing A-level Spanish will open many doors, offer you a range of career possibilities and enable you to have fun en route. Studying languages gives you all the skills employers look for: fantastic communication skills, an analytical mind, team-work, superb cultural awareness, great memory capacity. Speaking another language makes you highly valuable to any company who does international business and can increase your salary by 20%.
What can I do with it?
Knowledge of a modern foreign language to A-level is a valuable asset to further your education or enhance your employability. At university Spanish can be studied in combination with another language or almost any other subject. This knowledge is a much sought-after skill in the current job market, giving you access to a wide range of career options such as interpreting, translation, teaching, marketing, journalism, media, sport, tourism, banking, law, exports, fashion, engineering, business – careers within UK or international companies can give you many opportunities to travel and work both in the UK and around the world – almost anything, almost anywhere!
Subject combinations
Spanish combines well with almost any other subject – from the Sciences to English, History to Geography, Film Studies to Economics.
Extras
A range of Spanish-themed evenings takes place every term for you to communicate and have fun with your classmates. These include cinema and theatre visits, and eating out. You could also support younger learners of Spanish, as a Spanish language assistant, if you wish.
A visit to Spain during the course will, of course, enable you to put all your language skills into practice.
What will I study?
You will study four themes:
- Evolution of Spanish society ( how the family unit/marriage is changing, job situation for young people in Spain, gender inequality, tourism)
- Political and artistic culture in the Hispanic world (music, tv, the press, impact of social networks, festivals and traditions)
- Immigration and multicultural Spanish society
- Franco’s dictatorship and transition to democracy (how the Civil War caused division, the Franco regime, evolution of democracy)
You will also study literature: a novel and a film
The A-level exam consists of 3 papers:
- Listening, reading and translation (into English): 80 marks, 2 hours, 40%
- Written response to literature and translation (into Spanish): 120 marks, 2 hours 40, 30%
- Speaking (including research project): 72 marks, 21-23 minutes, 30%
