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A Level Spanish Course

Ashbourne’s A level Spanish students are encouraged from the very start to immerse themselves in the language to build their confidence and fluency so  they achieve excellent final results.

Why study A level Spanish?

Spanish is currently the fourth most widely spoken language in the world and is the official language in 21 countries. Simply by learning Spanish you will broaden your jobs prospects and be able to earn yourself a ticket to travel and work confidently in the Spanish-speaking world.

Just as importantly, being able to understand and communicate in Spanish will allow you to explore and enjoy the different cultural ideas and perspectives offered by friends and through films, music, media, politics and more. As your understanding of word meanings and usage develops you will also discover and better appreciate the nuances and biases inherent within.

Learning Spanish will also improve your understanding of English and help with your other studies. Language learning challenges you to find connections, use your memory, analyse structure and differentiate meaning; and developing these communication and problem solving skills has an impact on your overall approach to learning.

Spanish is a very accessible and attractive Romance language derived from latin. Once you have mastered it you will easily be able to pick up other latin-based languages like French and Italian.

European trip

Every year Ashbourne students have the chance to visit a major European city, such as Madrid, Rome, Athens and Barcelona, during the Spring half term.  The trip is an extremely popular cultural experience and a great opportunity for A level Spanish students. It is also a real highlight of many students’ time at Ashbourne.

Beyond A level Spanish

Spanish A level is a must if you plan to study Modern Languages or Latin American Studies at university. And if you love everything about words – history, origins, form, use and meaning – etymology or comparative linguistics could be the right course for you.

Most universities also offer combined degree courses that allow you to study languages alongside other major subjects like History, Law, Business, Management, Politics and Development Studies, for example.

With all of that under your belt you could become a key asset for companies or organisations working in Spanish-speaking countries, you could be an interpreter for leading political figures at the European Commission or translate great new novels by aspiring South American writers. And much more besides.

Which syllabus do we follow?

Ashbourne follows AQA specification for Spanish AS level and A level.

What is covered in the course?

You will learn the skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) necessary to express yourself fluently in Spanish. In both AS and A level students will develop their language skills by exploring a range of social, political and cultural issues relating to Spain and Spanish-speaking countries, outlined below. A level students will also study a literary text and/or film.

Theme 1: La evolución de la sociedad española (The development of Spanish society)
In this theme you will explore certain aspects of Spanish society and social values. How have attitudes towards family, relationships and marriage changed? What is the labour market like in Spain and what job opportunities does it offer? Is tourism a healthy industry to get into and what impact does it have on peoples’ well-being, employment and the environment?

Theme 2: La cultura política y artística en el mundo hispanohablante (Political and cultural values, attitudes and beliefs across the Spanish-speaking world)
This theme provides a genuine excuse to listen to some great music from across the world so you can discuss its impact on contemporary culture. You will also get a chance to discover a wealth of festivals, fiestas, costumes and traditions from many of the Spanish-speaking countries and communities.

Globalisation has dramatically changed the way we communicate and share ideas today. You will examine how media – like TV, internet and social media (blogs, video, podcast, newsletter, eBook etc.) – has affected the social and political make up of Spanish-speaking communities across the world.

Literature and film
Students will explore classic literature by authors like Gabriel García Márquez and Laura Esquivel, works by major playwrights like Federico García Lorca and cult films by the likes of Pedro Almodóvar, in this part of their course.
Students study two works from the lists below: two literary texts, or one literary text and one film.

Literary texts
Bodas de sangre, Federico García Lorca,1932 (play)
Como agua para chocolate, Laura Esquivel,1989 (novel)
El coronel no tiene quien le escriba, Gabriel García Márquez,1961 (novella)
La casa de Bernarda Alba, Federico García Lorca,1936 (play)
Nada, Carmen Laforet,1943 (novel)
Primera memoria, Ana María Matute 1959 (novel)
Réquiem por un campesino español, Ramón J. Sender, 1953 (novella)

Films
Diarios de motocicleta, dir. Walter Salles (2004)
El laberinto del fauno, dir. Guillermo del Toro (2006)
La lengua de las mariposas, dir.José Luis Cuerda (1999)
La misma luna, dir. Patricia Riggen (2007)
Mar adentro, dir. Alejandro Amenábar (2004)
También la lluvia, dir. Icíar Bollaín (2010)
Volver, dir. Pedro Almodóvar (2006)

Who teaches this course?

Alberto Lado Rey

Head of Faculty for Languages

MA Hispanic Studies (UCL); BA English Language Studies (University of Santiago de Compestela, Spain); Teachers Training Certificate (University of Santiago de Compestela, Spain)

Alberto is Faculty Head of Languages at Ashbourne and has been teaching at the college since 2000. He has been an examiner since 2004. Alberto specialises in Spanish and Latin American culture.

Susana Leon De Torres

BA Philology with English; Teacher training (University of Seville)

Susana has been teaching for many years with excellent results and loves to enrich her student’s learning experience through extracurricular cultural and language events including cinema, theatre and art.

She has plenty of experience working within in a modern foreign languages department and providing academic and pastoral support as a personal tutor.

Textbooks

A and AS level Spanish
Mónica Morcillo Laiz, Simon Barefoot, David Mee and Mike Thacker

Animo Grammar Book
Carolyn Burch

Reading and resources

Books

Foyles bookshop
Long established foreign-language bookshop with books and media in more than 150 languages, as well as national newspapers and magazines. Now owned by independent bookseller Foyles on Charing Cross Road.
Penguin Parallel Texts
Penguin produce a range of Parallel Texts books in Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian and Japanese. These contain classic short stories in the chosen language with parallel versions in English.

Online

BBC Mundo
News, views and videos in Spanish on a wide range of issues, including a special section on Latin America, from the BBC.

Film

London Spanish Film Festival (annual)
Contemporary Spanish and world cinema comes to London every year at selected venues.

Culture

Spanish cultural and scientific events
Art, theatre, dance, talks, science and more. The Spanish Embassy highlights events taking place in London and the UK.
Out of the Wings
Spanish-language plays and resources for budding actors and playwrights.

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