SPANISH B - HIGHER LEVEL

SPANISH B - HIGHER LEVEL

Aims:

• Develop international mindedness through the study of languages, cultures, and ideas and issues of global significance. • Enable students to communicate in the language they have studied in a range of contexts and for a variety of purposes. • Encourage, through the study of texts and through social interaction, an awareness and appreciation of a variety of perspectives of people from diverse cultures. • Develop students’ understanding of the relationship between the languages and cultures with which they are familiar. • Develop students’ awareness of the importance of language in relation to other areas of knowledge. • Provide students, through language learning and the process of inquiry, with opportunities for intellectual engagement and the development of critical and creative thinking skills. • Provide students with a basis for further study, work and leisure through the use of an additional language. • Foster curiosity, creativity and a lifelong enjoyment of language learning.

Course description:

The content of the course for Standard and Higher levels is essentially the same. The extra lessons at Higher level will be dedicated to more advanced grammar, speaking and literary content. Reading literature in the target language can be an enjoyable journey into the culture/s studied; it will help students to broaden their vocabulary and to use language in a more creative manner, developing fluent reading skills, promoting interpretative and inferential skills and contributing to intercultural understanding.

Requirements:

A genuine interest in the Spanish language is crucial for this course. You should have studied the language for at least three years and should be keen to develop the level of your language. Literary extracts are included in both courses but are only explicitly examined at Higher level. You should be prepared to be well-organised and to work conscientiously and independently over the two-year period.

Higher level is a good stepping stone to university Spanish. You should bear this in mind when making your decision. Studying a language can lead directly into a number of career paths –the business world, travel or tourism, literature, journalism and the media, translation or teaching. However, its real value lies in the skills you will acquire over the two year period. An understanding of people, foreign cultures and a perspective on an increasingly “global” world is without doubt crucial. Furthermore, a wide range of employers value language graduates above many others, simply because they have developed the people skills to communicate and interact with others. Above all else, this is what studying a language will bring you.

Career Path:

In today’s global village, the art of communication is a distinct and saleable asset, whichever career path you choose. Beyond the obvious careers requiring a foreign language as a primary

skill such as interpreting and translating, there are many fields where speaking a foreign language is a highly desirable auxiliary skill. These include travel and tourism, publishing, the media and journalism, government services, banking, intelligence and law enforcement, fashion, import/export, law, the performing arts, medicine and research, international marketing and real estate.

5 TERM OVERVIEW

Themes

Internal Assessment:

External Assessment: Term 1 – Life Stories, Social Relationships, Health and Well Being

Term 2 – Technology, Medical Innovation, Peace and Conflict

Term 3 – The Working World

Term 4 – The Environment, Immigration, Language and Identity

Term 5 – Exam preparation

In addition, two works of literature studied

25%, oral exam, externally moderated.

Individual oral: 12-15 mins + 15 mins of preparation 75% Examination • Paper 1: One piece of writing from a choice of 3 themes. 1 hr 30 mins (25%) • Paper 2: Listening and reading (separate sections)

Listening comprehension – 1hr; Reading comprehension – 1 hr (50%)

Contact for further information:

Neil Bradley: neil.bradley@tts.edu.sg