AS LEVEL SPANISH (EDEXCEL) Courses

1 and 2 year courses

AS Course Outline

What Does Studying Spanish Involve?
Spanish at AS level requires previous GCSE experience of the subject. Throughout the course, students will develop the ability to use Spanish effectively for the purposes of practical communication and they will attain sufficient command of language skills to understand and appreciate spoken and written Spanish from a variety of sources. Students will learn to communicate confidently through both the spoken and written word and they will be expected to have studied closely the grammatical system and structures of the Spanish language. To achieve the aims outlined above, great emphasis will be placed on Spanish culture. This will involve learning about films, fiction, history, politics, social problems and education. Students should read as many Spanish magazines and newspapers as possible and listen to Spanish radio and television. The internet can be accessed for information on Spanish websites relating to Spanish culture.

In the first unit, students will converse on one of a range of topics. These include youth culture and concerns, health and fitness, travel, tourism, environmental issues, education and employment. In the second unit, students will be expected to listen to and read about these same topics as well as write a short report or letter.

What Skills Will Students Develop When Studying Spanish?
Speaking Spanish fluently and being able to express their point of view will be a great asset to students in their future career.
If students wish to live in Spain later in their lives, they will have knowledge of Spanish culture and will understand the issues that the Spanish are faced with on a daily basis.
Students will be able to write letters in Spanish, answer the phone, take part in meetings where only Spanish is spoken and deal with Spanish customers or companies.
Students will develop their essay writing skills during the course and will have to assimilate information and present it in a clear and concise way.


SPANISH (EDEXCEL Board) AS Specification

Unit One
8-10 minutes
50 marks
30% of AS Exam

Spoken Expression and Response in Spanish
This unit rewards students for their ability to converse in Spanish on a general topic area that they have chosen in advance. Students will need to demonstrate that they can engage in a discussion in Spanish that relates to a chosen general topic area and allied subtopics. They must choose one of the following general topic areas:
Youth culture and concerns
Lifestyle: health and fitness
The world around us: travel, tourism, environmental issues and the Spanish-speaking world
Education and employment

Unit Two
150 minutes
70 marks
70% of AS Exam

Understanding and Written Response in Spanish
This unit requires students to understand and convey their understanding of Spanish language texts and recordings. In addition, students will need to produce an essay to demonstrate an ability to manipulate the Spanish language in continuous writing. The unit draws upon four general topic areas:
Youth culture and concerns
Lifestyle: health and fitness
The world around us: travel, tourism, environmental issues and the Spanish-speaking world
Education and employment.

Structure of the Course
This course will be taught for 6 lessons per week. Homework will be set on a regular basis. Students will receive class notes and we will be working from a textbook as well as from a variety of authentic Spanish language materials. Lessons will be conducted mostly in Spanish.

Recommended Reading
Edexcel Spanish for A Level Mike Thacker Hodder Murray

Fees and Dates