Why study Spanish?
- You enjoy communicating with others.
- You want to learn more about other cultures, including films, TV and literature.
- You might like to work abroad in the future
- You wish to increase your employability: language specialists usually get preference over other candidates of identical ability who don’t have a language.
- Whatever you decide to do as a career, it is highly likely that you will one day find yourself working for a multinational company or for a firm with connections abroad: in Spain, South and Central America or Equatorial Guinea Republic.
- The demand by companies for executives, management, scientists and sales people to be multilingual is ever increasing. Employers say they want people with skills such as engineering, law, chemistry, etc, who can also speak a foreign language.
Why study Spanish at Solihull Sixth Form College?
You will develop language skills in a wide variety of ways, making full use of our two Multi-Media Language Labs and drawing on a range of sources from course books to the Internet. In class you will carry out a lot of pair and group work designed to build up your communicative skills. We have a range of interactive exercises including vocabulary learning and listening work. Each week, in addition to mainstream lessons, you will have contact with a native speaker through small group conversation sessions. We ‘bridge the gap’ from GCSE to A level with considerable study skills support, and by Year 13 learners are able, for example, to write confident summaries of news items in lunchtime workshop sessions. Learners can undertake a work experience placement in Spain via Blue Stamp Travel. This is a post-GCSE course.
Course Outline
There are 3 components:
Speaking unit: 21-23 minute discussion with examiner including 5 minute preparation time
Listening, Reading and Translating: Comprehension recordings and texts based on authentic material
Writing: 2 essays in Spanish on a book and a film.
Assessment
No Coursework
Examination (100%)
Examining Board – Eduqas.
Special Entry Requirements
You need to have at least grade 5 in GCSE Spanish and must have done Higher Level. The great majority of entrants have grade 6 or better. These requirements are in addition to our standard A level entry requirements.
Prohibited Options
Languages can be combined with any subject at A level. Studying two languages is a particularly good option.
What do our learners go on to do?
Joint degree combinations are very popular, for example combining Spanish with another language, or Law, English, Business, Tourism, or indeed a wide range of other disciplines. Students going on to employment or training progress into areas such as retail and leisure and tourism.
Cost Implications
Our trips within the UK can cost up to £50 and trips abroad can be up to £700. You will also need to buy the set text in Spanish (approx £10).
This information is correct for September 2024 entry.