GCSE Spanish

Spanish

At Battle Abbey School Spanish is offered as a two-year fast track course leading to GCSE. Students need no prior knowledge of Spanish but it is advisable that they have demonstrated some linguistic ability in either French or German, i.e. that they have worked at an A-C grade in these languages.

Why should you learn Spanish?

Being able to speak Spanish can open up a whole new world whether that means travelling in Spain and South America, making the most of your holidays in Spain or using your language skills to get a better job. Spain is one of UK’s major trading partners and Spanish companies like Mango or Zara are springing up on our high streets.

A little language can make a lot of difference – con un poco de español se puede conseguir mucho!

You do not have to aim for total fluency. Basic language skills can be very useful to employers and will help you get a lot more out of travel to Spanish-speaking countries. Once you start using your Spanish you’ll want to learn more and then your confidence and fluency will snowball.

English is not enough – No basta con el inglés!

It’s a multilingual world and companies are increasingly aware of the advantages of recruiting people with language skills. Spanish is one of the world’s major languages, it is also a language which is growing. By 2050 the number of Spanish speakers is expected to increase to 530 million, with the Spanish speaking population of the USA alone currently increasing at more than 1 million a year. Many familiar place names in the US come from Spanish. Do you know the original meaning of Colorado, Las Vegas, Los Angeles or Amarillo?

Course details of the GCSE Spanish examination (OCR)

Unit title and description	Assessment incl. duration	Weighting
Unit A701: Listening
Candidates will: Listen for, identify and note main points and extract some details from spoken Spanish of increasing length, speed and complexity. Demonstrate their understanding of Spanish with a variety of non-verbal responses and some short answers in English.	Written examination Foundation tier – 35 minutes Higher tier – 45 minutes	20% full course 40% spoken short course
Unit A702: Speaking
Using Spanish, candidates will: Communicate in Spanish in at least two topic areas either from a specified list or of their own choice. Interact with other Spanish speakers, expressing and justifying opinions where appropriate.	Controlled assessment	30% full course 60% spoken short course
Unit A703: Reading
Candidates will: • Read, identify and note main points and extract some details from written texts in Spanish of increasing length, speed and complexity • Demonstrate their understanding of Spanish with a variety of non-verbal responses and some short answers in English.	Written examination 50 minutes	20% full course 40% written short course
Unit A704: Writing
Using Spanish, candidates will: Communicate in Spanish in at least two topic areas either from a specified list or of their own choice Express and justify points of view in Spanish where appropriate.	Controlled assessment	30% full course 60% written short course

Short Courses

OCR now also offers two Short Courses in GCSE Spanish, one in the spoken language and one in the written language; both are equivalent to half a GCSE. This offers several advantages:
• There are only two units to complete
• Learners who are interested in a particular subject, but don't have time to study a full course, have more learning options
• Learners can study a wider range of subjects
• Students can complement their studies by taking additional short courses
• Short courses can be spread over one or two years.

Spanish Websites
www.rtve.es
www.elpais.es
www.cadenaser.com
www.pilotelanguages.com
www.wordreference.com
www.yahoo.es
www.terra.es
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/spanish
www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish
www.wordreference.com
www.languagesonline.org.uk