Spanish

Do you like to discuss subjects close to your heart and engage in passionate debates about them? Do you want to extend and increase your knowledge of the grammar and vocabulary of the Spanish language?

If the answer is yes to these questions, then think seriously about studying Modern Foreign Languages in the Sixth Form.

COURSE CONTENT Unit 1 - Modern and Traditional Values (Los valores tradicionales y modernos)

● Describe the various types of 21st century Spanish family and how these differ from the family model of the past ● Understand trends in marriage and how modern and traditional values differ. Understand the situation regarding divorce ● Understand the religious history of Spain. Discuss changes in the influence of the church

Unit 2 - Cyberspace (El ciberespacio)

● Discuss the positive and/or negative influence of the Internet ● Discuss the positive and/or negative effect of smartphones ● Consider the type of influence social networks have on society

Unit 3 - Equal Rights (La igualdad de los sexos)

● Discuss women in the world of work. Study the role of women at home ● Discuss male chauvinism. Look at the role of feminism ● Understand and talk about changes to LGBT rights. Discuss gay marriage in Spain and the Hispanic world

Unit 4 - Modern day idols (La influencia de los ídolos)

● Discuss the positive and/or negative influence singers and musicians have on people ● Discuss the positive and/or negative effect TV and cinema stars have in our society ● Consider the type of influence fashion models have on young people

Unit 5 - Spanish regional identity (La identidad regional en España)

● Describe and discuss Spanish customs and traditions ● Discuss the similarities and differences in the gastronomy of Spain ● Consider the languages that are spoken in Spain and the issues surrounding them

Unit 6 - Cultural heritage (El patrimonio cultural)

● Understand civilisations that contributed to the cultural heritage of Spain. Discuss the pre-Columbian heritage of Latin America ● Discuss Spanish and Latin American artists and the role of architecture in Spain ● Understand the diversity of Hispanic music and dance

ASSESSMENTS

Students will complete a number of internal examinations at the end of Year 12. Paper 1 is a 1 hour 45 minute listening, reading and written exam which examines material on current trends & artistic culture. Paper 2 is a 1 hour 30 minute written exam covering translation and one essay question on the book or film, which you have studied. Paper 3 is the speaking exam that lasts between 12–14 minutes.

SPANISH

Film Study: Volver

Volver is a 2006 Spanish comedy-drama film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar. Headed by actress Penélope Cruz, Volver is about women, women, and women, which is quite refreshing. Not only are there almost no male characters, but men, with one very significant exception, don’t factor into the film by their absence either. This movie is all about the relationships between mothers, daughters, sisters and female friends and is at times funny, at times heartwarming, and at times tragic. In typical fashion, Almodóvar incorporates affairs, murder, and ghosts without batting an eye or becoming melodramatic. The staging of scenes, the interacting between the actresses, and the cinematography are all brilliant.

Book Study: Chronicles of a Foretold Death

Chronicle of a Death Foretold is a novella by Gabriel García Márquez, published in 1981. The book was inspired by real-life events which took place during the 1950s, in a small Colombian coastal town called Sucre. It tells, in the form of a pseudo-journalistic reconstruction, the story of the murder of Santiago Nasar by the Vicario twins. The story itself is quite simple but in reality is dominated by the elusiveness of love and filled with cultural customs, clashes, illusions, and ambivalence.

SKILLS DEVELOPED

● To communicate spontaneously in Spanish ● To listen, understand and respond to spoken passages from a range of different contexts and sources ● To read and respond to a variety of texts ● To summarise information from spoken and written sources ● To translate material from Spanish into English (and vice-versa)

SPECIFICATION LINK

ASSESSMENTS

Y12 - students will complete a number of internal examinations at the end of Y12. Paper 1 is a 1 hour 45 minute listening, reading and written exam which examines material on current trends & artistic culture. Paper 2 is a 1 hour 30 minute written exam covering translation and one essay question on the book or film, which you have studied. Paper 3 is the speaking exam that lasts between 12–14 minutes.