Spanish
From Gaudí to García Márquez, Buñuel to Borges
¡Hola! Welcome to the exciting world of Spanish at RIC! Whether you're just starting out at GCSE level or delving deeper into the language at A Level, get ready for a journey that will broaden your horizons and open doors to new cultures and experiences.
Studying Spanish at RIC isn't just about memorizing vocabulary and verb conjugations (although that's part of it too!). It's about immersing yourself in the rich tapestry of Spanish-speaking cultures, from the vibrant streets of Madrid to the sun-soaked beaches of Latin America.
At both GCSE and A Level, you'll dive into the language through a variety of engaging activities, from interactive speaking exercises to exploring authentic texts and media. Our dedicated and passionate teachers are here to guide you every step of the way, whether you're perfecting your pronunciation or unraveling the nuances of Spanish literature.
But it's not just about what happens in the classroom. You'll have the opportunity to put your language skills into practice through exciting cultural events and immersive trips abroad. So, whether you're dreaming of mastering the art of conversation in Spanish cafes or forging connections with people from around the world, studying Spanish at RIC is your passport to a world of possibilities. ¡Vamos!
Like all Modern Foreign Languages at RIC the A level qualification can also be taken by native speakers on accelerated courses.
The problem is that I work in more than one genre. It's impossible for me to aim for a single one because, for me, comedy is mixed with tragedy. That's very Spanish, the way in which comedy and tragedy are inextricable from each other.
Exam Specifications
Assessment
100% exams, no coursework.
Paper 1- Listening, reading and writing
Written exam, 2 hours 30 minutes; 100 marks in total, 50% of qualification
What’s assessed
• Aspects of Hispanic society
• Artistic culture in the Hispanic world
• Multiculturalism in Hispanic society
• Aspects of political life in Hispanic society • Grammar
Questions
• Listening and responding to spoken passages from a range of contexts and sources covering different
registers and adapted as necessary. Material will include complex factual and abstract content
and questions will target main points, gist and detail. Studio recordings will be used and students will have individual control of the recording. All questions are in Spanish, to be answered with non-verbal responses or in Spanish (30 marks)
• Reading and responding to a variety of texts written for different purposes, drawn from a range of authentic sources and adapted as necessary. Material will include complex factual and abstract content and questions will target main points, gist and detail.
All questions are in Spanish, to be answered with non-verbal responses or in Spanish (50 marks)
• Translation into English; a passage of minimum 100 words (10 marks)
• Translation into Spanish; a passage of minimum 100 words (10 marks).
No access to a dictionary during the assessment.
Paper 2 – Writing
Written exam 2 hours; 80 marks in total; 20% of qualification
What’s assessed
• One text and one film or two texts from the list set in the specification
Either one question in Spanish on a set text from a choice of two questions and one question in Spanish on a set film from a choice of two questions or two questions in Spanish on set texts from a choice of questions on each text.
All questions will require a critical appreciation of the concepts and issues covered in the work and a critical and analytical response to features such as the form and the technique of presentation, as appropriate to the work studied (eg the effect of narrative voice in a prose text or camera work in a film).
No access to texts or films during the assessment. No access to a dictionary during the assessment. Students are advised to write approximately 300 words per essay.
Paper 3- Speaking
Oral exam 21-23 minutes including 5 minutes preparation; 60 marks in total; 30% of qualification
What’s assessed
• Individual research project
• One of four sub-themes i.e. Aspects of Hispanic society or Artistic culture in the Hispanic world or Multiculturalism in Hispanic society or Aspects of political life in Hispanic society
Questions
• Discussion of a sub-theme with the discussion based on a stimulus card (5–6 minutes). The student
studies the card for 5 minutes at the start of the test (25 marks).
• Presentation (2 minutes) and discussion (9–10 minutes) of individual research project (35 marks). No access to a dictionary during the assessment (including 5 minutes preparation). Students may take the assessment only once before certification.
Assessments will be conducted by either the centre or a visiting examiner and marked by an AQA examiner
Assessment
This qualification is linear so the students will sit all their exams at the end of the course. GCSE Spanish has a Foundation Tier (grades 1-5) and a Higher Tier (grades 4-9). Students must take all four question papers at the same tier. All question papers must be taken in the same series.
Listening exam: Foundation Tier 35 minutes, Higher Tier 45 minutes. Each exam includes 5 minutes reading time.
Reading exam: Foundation Tier 45 minutes, Higher Tier 1 hour.
Writing exam: Foundation Tier 1 hour, Higher Tier 1 hour 15 minutes.
Foundation Tier 7-9 minutes, Higher Tier 10-12 minutes; 12 minutes preparation time is added to these
timings.
Paper 1: Listening (exam 25% of GCSE)
Students are assessed on their understanding and responding to different types of spoken language. Foundation Tier and Higher Tier:
Section A- questions in English, to be answered in English or non-verbally.
Section B – questions in Spanish, to be answered in Spanish or non-verbally.
Paper 2: Speaking (Non-exam assessment 25% of GCSE)
Students are assessed on their communication and interaction in speech for a variety of purposes. There are three sections to be conducted in the following order: Role-play, Photo-card and General Conversation. The format for Foundation Tier and Higher tier is the same but with different stimulus questions for the Photo card and the Role-play.
Role-play - 2 minutes at Foundation Tier; 2 minutes at Higher Tier.
Photo card - 2 minutes at Foundation Tier; 3 minutes at Higher Tier.
General conversation – 3-5 minutes at Foundation Tier; 5-7 minutes at Higher Tier.
Paper 3: Reading (25% of GCSE)
Students are assessed on their understanding and responding to different types of written language. Foundation Tier and Higher tier-
Section A questions in English, to be answered in English or non-verbally.
Section B- questions in Spanish, to be answered in Spanish or non-verbally.
Section C –translation from Spanish into English (a minimum of 35 at Foundation Tier and 50 words at
Higher Tier).
Paper 4: Writing (25% of GCSE)
Students are assessed on their ability to communicate in writing for a variety of purposes. For foundation Tier: the student produces four sentences in response to a photo; student writes a four piece of continuous text in response to four bullet points approximately 40 words; a translation from English into Spanish, minimum 35 words; student responds to four compulsory detailed bullet points producing approximately 90 words, and there is a choice of two questions. For Higher Tier: student responds to four compulsory detailed bullet points, producing approximately 90 words, with a choice of two questions; student responds to two compulsory detailed bullet points producing approximately 150 words with a choice of two questions; a translation from English into Spanish.
AQA theme list:
Theme 1: Identity and culture
Topic 1: Me, my family and friends. (Relationships with family and friends; marriage/partnership)
Topic 2: Technology in everyday life. (Social media; mobile technology)
Topic 3: Free-time activities. (Music; cinema and TV; food and eating out; sport)
Topic 4: Customs and festivals in Spanish-speaking countries/communities
Theme 2: Local, national, international and global areas of interest
Topic 1: Home, town, neighbourhood and region
Topic 2: Social issues. (Charity/voluntary work; healthy/unhealthy living)
Topic 3: Global issues. (The environment; poverty/homelessness)
Topic 4: Travel and tourism
Theme 3: Current and future study and employment
Topic 1: My studies
Topic 2: Life at school/college
Topic 3: Education post-16
Topic 4: Jobs, career choices and ambitions