SPANISH

LEVEL 3: AS LEVEL
EXAMINING BOARD: AQA

This one-year course can be added to your Study Programme to boost your skills and earn you an additional qualification.

If you have already studied Spanish at GCSE or have equivalent experience, you will find this course stimulating and varied. You study a range of topics through the practice of the four skills: listening, reading, speaking and writing.
 
You learn about the world around you whilst you develop your research and analytical skills.
 
You will split your time between the classroom and the Language Lab and will also benefit from an individual 20-minute oral session with a native speaker every week.
 
Lessons are conducted mostly in Spanish and you will have numerous opportunities to develop your communication skills through written and verbal expression of your own ideas in whole class, small group and one-to-one situations.
 
We have many resources to support your learning, such as a wide library of DVDs and magazines you can borrow to read/watch further around the topics we study. Use of information technology and independent study are an integral to the course.

 

You will study:

Aspects of Hispanic Society – Current Trends

  • Modern and traditional values (los valores tradicionales y modernos)
  • Cyberspace (el ciberespacio)
  • Equal rights (la igualdad de los sexos)

Artistic Culture in the Hispanic World

  • Modern day idols (la influencia de los ídolos)
  • Spanish regional identity (la identidad regional en España)
  • Cultural heritage (el patrimonio cultural)

You will also study grammar and a film.

This course can only be studied as an additional subject to your core Study Programme of 3 A Levels/Extended Certificates, or an Extended Diploma. 

We only recommend considering adding AS qualifications to your Study Programme if you have a high GCSE grade profile. 

This is to ensure the challenge of an additional subject does not prevent you from achieving your best in your core Study Programme and that you enjoy your experience at Huish. 

If you are unsure if an additional qualification may be too demanding for you then do not worry, we can discuss this with you at your advice and guidance meeting following your application. 

You will need a minimum GCSE Spanish grade 5, or if you have not studied GCSE Spanish you will need to be a competent speaker.

Adding this qualification to your Study Programme will boost your UCAS tariff points total. When universities offer places, they will tell you how many UCAS points are required for your course at their institution. 

The ability to use languages is highly prized by employers. Popular career fields include diplomacy, national security, medicine and engineering.

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

You will develop key skills such as the ability to build relationships in and across borders, critical thinking and problem solving, a global outlook, and intercultural confidence. 

Businesses and organisations not only want to recruit multilinguists they also want people who have an understanding of foreign environments and practices, and who are first-class communicators.

How does the AS Level compare with the GCSE?

It starts at a similar level, looking at GCSE grammar and topics. However, we move on quickly to more sophisticated topics, studying and working with texts, translating and analysing, so you can start producing your own written language and spoken opinion. We will train you to be independent and you will develop ways of thinking that you have never explored before!

Is Spanish spoken at all times in the classroom?

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!

Will there be opportunities to visit other countries?

We aim to run trips to Spain every year and offer opportunities to stay with families in order to experience the language and culture.