Chelmsford County High School for Girls

A foundation grammar school and specialist college

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Subjects

Spanish

AIMS OF THE COURSE AND REASONS TO STUDY THIS SUBJECT

This course is as an additional subject, and it cannot be chosen as one of your four AS subjects.

As a result of our Language College Status, we are now able to offer an accelerated course for beginners in Spanish for Years 12 and 13, leading to the AS examination after two years. No previous knowledge is required but students should have achieved at least a grade A at GCSE in one other modern foreign language. The students will be encouraged to exploit their previous experience of language learning and their understanding of the structure of language to support their learning of Spanish.

The Course

Throughout the course, we will be establishing proficiency in the language, oral, aural and written, and will be building a systematic understanding of Spanish grammar. We aim to reach the equivalent of GCSE level by the end of Year 12 and cover the AS course in Year 13. We use Espaņol Mundial 1 and 2 as our core text books in Year 12, with Animo in Year 13, supplemented by other textbooks and interactive websites. We meet eight times a fortnight. The AS course covers the following broad topic areas: Daily Life, Food and Drink, Media, Advertising, the Arts, Sport and Pastimes and Transport and Holidays. The source material will be contemporary and texts and will often be drawn from Spanish online newspapers which the students will also be encouraged to consult independently as often as possible.

The Examination

The OCR AS examination will comprise two papers, one oral and one written. All sections of the examination require a clear understanding of grammar, and texts will be drawn from the topic areas listed above. Dictionaries are not allowed in any part of the examination.

Why study Spanish to AS?

  • In order to broaden your knowledge and support your knowledge of modern foreign languages.
  • In order to add Spanish to your knowledge of Latin and French if you wish to specialise in Romance languages.
  • In order to show that you are a very competent language learner, by successfully completing an accelerated language course. This will be particularly relevant if you are contemplating starting a language at university that you have not studied at school.
  • In order to provide a balance with your other A level subjects.
  • Because you love Spain and would like to get more out of your visits there.

    For further details please see Mrs J. McDonald, Teacher of French/Spanish