Spanish

Course summary

The Spanish specification allows students to develop a thorough understanding of the history and culture of the countries and communities where Spanish is spoken. In year 1 topics include aspects of current Hispanic society such as the changing role of women and the positive and negative influences of the internet. We also look at artistic culture in the Hispanic world, for example, understanding the civilisations that contributed to the cultural heritage of Spain, as well as the issue of regional identity in the 21st century. In Year 2 there is a focus on multiculturalism with topics like immigration and racism in the modern Hispanic world and aspects of political life both past and present. Students will also study a Spanish language film (El Laberinto Del Fauno) and a novel (El otro árbol de Guernica) as well as carrying out their own individual research project. Students will continue to develop confident communication skills through the study of grammar. After 6th form, many of our students chose to combine their love of Spanish with another area of study. Recent destinations include Philosophy and Spanish at Oxford University and Spanish and Law at Nottingham University. Longer term, studying a foreign language is also proven to improve employment potential; according to the Association for Language Learning, a survey carried out in 2020 stated that 67% of employers considered knowledge of a foreign language to be important when recruiting.