A Level Spanish

Spanish is the official language in 20 countries and, with more than 480 million native speakers, is the second most widely spoken mother-tongue language in the world. Spanish is one of the official languages of the United Nations, the European Union and numerous other international organisations. A language qualification is highly valued by universities and employers alike and there are ever increasing opportunities for Spanish speakers to work in Europe, Latin America and the US.

Key information

English & Languages / Full Time / A Levels and Equivalent

Why choose this course?

If you enjoy learning Spanish at GCSE and want to improve your fluency and accuracy whilst discovering new things about the culture, history and society of different countries in the Spanish-speaking world, this is the course for you! Spanish complements many other A level subjects and will provide you with a range of transferable skills in areas such as essay writing, oral communication, research and giving presentations. Furthermore, studying Spanish is interactive, varied and fun!

What will I learn?

Studying A Level Spanish at Callywith College will give you the opportunity to gain fluency, develop skills and build on the knowledge that you have acquired at GCSE. The first aspect of the course will be to improve your skills in speaking, reading, listening, writing and translation through a wide range of activities, both in and outside the classroom. You will learn vocabulary based on a variety of topic areas, as well as grammar rules that will enable you to make sense of the language and improve your accuracy. The second aspect of your course will be to develop your knowledge of the Spanish speaking world by studying various topics, as well as a Spanish language film and book.

You will have access to brand new specialist resources in our Learning Resource Centre, where you can get help with research and other aspects of your studies. Once a week, you will have a conversation session to help you gain confidence in speaking and prepare for the oral exam. There will also be an opportunity to take part in a study visit to Granada in Andalucía.

Year 1

Families and citizenship
Youth trends and personal identity
Education and employment opportunities
Regional culture & heritage in Spain, Spanish-speaking countries & communities
Media, art, film and music in the Spanish-speaking world
A Spanish language film (María Llena Eres de Gracia)

Year 2

Migration and integration
Cultural identity and marginalisation
Cultural enrichment and celebrating difference
Discrimination and diversity
El franquismo
Post-Civil War Spain – historical and political repercussions
Spain – coming to terms with the past?
A Spanish language book (El otro árbol de Guernica)

Assessment Arrangements

Your achievement in this subject is dependent upon excellent attendance, punctuality and effort, including at least 4 hours of independent study time per week. You will learn in a friendly and supportive atmosphere and your progress will be continually monitored and assessed by your lecturer. There will be regular tests on vocabulary and grammar and a variety of homework tasks, including written work, reading and listening tasks, oral presentations and preparation for discussions. You will review your own performance with your lecturer in termly 1:1 sessions.

You will have internal midpoint assessments at the end of your first year, and the exams at the end of the second year will test your knowledge of all topics covered over the two years. The skills are weighted as follows:

Component 1 – Speaking – 30%
Component 2 – Listening, Reading & Translation – 50%
Component 3 – Writing – 20%

Information & Support

We encourage all students to expose themselves to the Spanish language and Hispanic culture as much as possible. We provide opportunities for this in and outside the classroom, as well as various materials in our Learning Resource Centre and on Sharepoint.

Where will it take me?

A language qualification is highly valued by universities and employers alike. Spanish can be studied alone or combined with almost any other subject including Business, Law, Geography and Science. You could also study Spanish alongside a new language at university, such as Portuguese, Chinese or Arabic.

Spanish is of huge global importance and your language skills could lead to a career in a wide range of sectors, including teaching, translation, interpreting, subtitling, journalism, academic research, government, diplomacy, international development, hospitality, business and marketing. With a language under your belt, the world really is your oyster!

What will I need?

You need to achieve at least five GCSEs at grade 4 or above, including a grade 6 in Spanish and grade 5 in English.

Additional Information

Awarding Body:
Eduqas

To obtain more information about this course, please call: 01208 224000 or email enquiry@callywith.ac.uk

From the course

George

Progression: Modern Languages - Swansea University

Courses studied: A Level French, Spanish and Media Studies

Extra activities: Football Academy, Spanish trips

Previous school: Callington Community College

How did Callywith support you in your application to university?

"When going through the university application process I had lots of support from all of my lecturers at Callywith and my tutor, Matt. My lecturers all helped me to write my personal statement and gave me advice about which universities were good for the course I wanted to do, they encouraged me to choose what university was best for me and I couldn't be happier with the choice I made with their advice."

How have your A Level studies helped you in your degree?

"A level studies in French and Spanish at Callywith helped me massively with preparation for a degree in Modern Languages because the lecturers push you to do extra work and will give you difficult content to make sure you are prepared. They are always there to check your work and further your knowledge. The fact that they pushed me to do extra content has been really helpful in my first year of uni and massively helped me to do well in my January and summer exams."

Why did you choose to study Modern Languages?

"I decided to study for a Modern Languages degree at uni because I've always enjoyed travelling to different countries and communicating with the locals. Throughout my GCSEs and A Levels I learnt that I was quite good at languages compared to other subjects and wanted to continue learning new things and developing my skills that I’ve already learnt. Being able to speak several different languages is also a really useful skill to have and so helpful when you go to other countries, however with languages subjects it's not all about grammar, you learn a lot about the cultures and the history of various countries which can be really interesting and broaden your knowledge of the language itself."

How are you finding your course / experience at university?

"I am really enjoying my uni course and loving the uni lifestyle of going out and meeting new people, my A levels and lecturers at Callywith really helped ease the transition into university studies and overall I had an amazing time in my first year of uni!"

What are you hoping to do in the future?

"In the future I am hoping to work in translation and interpreting."

How to apply to Callywith College

Find out HOW TO APPLY