GCSE LEVEL SPANISH(PEARSON)

GCSE Course Outline

Why choose Edexcel GCSE Spanish?

We believe languages should be accessible for all students. Our new Pearson Edexcel Level 1/Level 2 GCSE (9-1) in Spanish has been developed to help students of all abilities progress and develop a passion for languages, through culturally engaging content.

The specification includes familiar and new topics that motivate students and reflect a range of contemporary contexts.

Manageable content

Content is structured across six thematic contexts. This flexible programme of study allows time for a focused revision period at the end of the course.

Content and assessments that provide an engaging real-world focus: Authentic situations and stimuli enable students to see language in context and learn about the cultures of Spanish-speaking countries and communities. Our assessments allow students to apply their knowledge independently and creatively, while developing their ability to communicate effectively in Spanish.

Themes and topics

Questions across all four language skills are set in common contexts, addressing a range of relevant contemporary and cultural themes. They are organised into six thematic contexts:

• My personal world
• Lifestyle and wellbeing
• My neighbourhood
• Media and technology
• Studying and my future
• Travel and tourism

All thematic contexts must be studied in the context of both the students' home country and Spanish-speaking countries and communities. For listening and reading assessments, contexts are based on a range of relevant and culturally engaging situations. Students may also refer to the culture of Spanish-speaking countries and communities in the speaking and writing papers. It is therefore important that students are exposed to materials relating to Spanish-speaking countries throughout the course.

Spanish GCSE (PEARSON) Course Specification

Paper 1: Speaking in Spanish Foundation tier: 7-9 minutes plus 15 minutes preparation time; 50 marks Higher tier: 10-12 minutes plus 15 minutes preparation time; 50 marks 25% of the total qualification Assessment overview Students are assessed on their ability to communicate and interact effectively through speaking in Spanish for different purposes and in different settings. The assessment consists of a read-aloud task, a role-play task and a picture-based task with follow-up conversation.

Paper 2: Listening and understanding in Spanish Foundation tier: 45 minutes; 50 marks Higher tier: 60 minutes; 50 marks 25% of the total qualification Assessment overview Students are assessed on their understanding of standard spoken Spanish by one or more speakers in a range of public and social settings. Students respond to different question types based on recordings featuring Spanish speakers. The assessment also includes a dictation task.

Paper 3: Reading and understanding in Spanish Foundation tier: 45 minutes; 50 marks Higher tier: 60 minutes; 50 marks 25% of the total qualification Assessment overview Students are assessed on their understanding of written Spanish across a range of different types of texts, including advertisements, emails, letters, articles and literary texts. Students respond to different question types based on these texts.

Paper 4: Writing in Spanish Foundation tier: 1 hour 15 minutes; 50 marks Higher tier: 1 hour 20 minutes; 50 marks 25% of the total qualification Assessment overview Students are assessed on their ability to communicate effectively through writing in Spanish for different purposes and audiences. Students are required to produce responses of varying lengths and types to express ideas and opinions in Spanish. Instructions to students are in Spanish and word counts are specified for each question.

Introductory Reading

Textbooks:
VIVA - Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Spanish - Higher - Pearson
VIVA - Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Spanish - Grammar and Translation Workbook - Pearson
Revision Workbook - Revise Edexcel GCSE - Spanish - Pearson