Spanish

Course summary

An A Level in a Modern Foreign Language should appeal to good communicators, to students interested in foreign literature, history, culture and thought, to students who can identify logical patterns and apply them to new situations and to students who wish to keep a wide range of university pathways open and would like access to a wide variety of possible careers. At A level, students are required to use increasingly complex linguistic structures and will be able to engage in spontaneous exchanges over a range of topics. There is a greater emphasis on the ability to translate texts from the Target Language into English and vice versa. In addition, students will develop the ability to summarise written and spoken passages in their own words. Aside from language skills, A-level students must demonstrate a good understanding of their Target Language cultures and societies. To this end, they frequently use genuine news and literary sources and offer a critical analysis. Themes include Current Trends (Cyber-Society, Charity, Gender Roles), Artistic Culture (Heritage, Music, Cinema), Current Issues (Multiculturalism, Marginalisation, Criminality) and Political Life (Youth Engagement with Politics, Protests and Strikes, Immigration Policy). They also have the opportunity to pursue their interests in their chosen Target Language culture with an Independent Research Project. Finally, students will study one literary text and one film in the Target Language. They are expected to be able to give a detailed critical analysis of each.