Pearson Edexcel A-Level Spanish – 9SP0

Course Leader: Louise Unsworth – louiseunsworth@kba.uk

WHAT WILL I NEED BEFORE TAKING THIS COURSE?

Students should achieve a Grade 7 in GCSE Spanish. Applications from students with a Grade 6 will also be considered on an individual basis.

WHAT WILL I DO?

The Spanish A-Level course allows students to learn Spanish beyond the classroom by exploring the language, culture and history of Spain and Latin America. Students will build on their knowledge of the language through speaking, reading and listening tasks, as well as deepen their understanding of Spanish society. Students will investigate contemporary issues such as family life, education, immigration and politics, whilst also studying a film and literary work. As their fluency develops, students will complete their own research project on a subject that interests them, analysing authentic sources and expressing their own views.

COURSE CONTENT

Students study four main themes, alongside a literary work and a film. The themes explore the changing nature of society in Spain and the wider Spanish-speaking world.

Theme 1: La evolución de la sociedad española (The evolution of Spanish society)

• Changes in family structures, marriage and relationships.
• The world of work, employment opportunities for young people and gender equality.
• The impact of tourism on Spain, including economic, social and environmental effects.

Theme 2: La cultura política y artística en el mundo hispanohablante (Political and artistic culture in the Spanish-speaking world)

• Music and changing musical trends.
• The media, including television, newspapers and the internet.
• Festivals, celebrations, customs and traditions across Spanish-speaking countries.

Theme 3: La inmigración y la sociedad multicultural española (Immigration and multicultural Spanish society)

• The positive contributions of immigration to the economy and culture.
• Challenges surrounding integration, marginalisation and isolation.
• Political responses to immigration and public attitudes towards immigrants.

Theme 4: La dictadura franquista y la transición a la democracia (The Franco dictatorship and the transition to democracy)

• The Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) and Franco's rise to power.
• Everyday life under the dictatorship, including censorship, political oppression and social divisions.
• The transition to democracy, including King Juan Carlos, Adolfo Suárez and the 1981 attempted coup.

GRAMMAR

Throughout the Edexcel A-Level Spanish course, students will develop their grammatical knowledge and learn to communicate with greater accuracy, confidence and sophistication. Students will study a wide range of tenses, including the present, past, future and conditional, as well as the subjunctive mood. Students will learn to use complex sentence structures, pronouns, conjunctions and idiomatic expressions, while improving their understanding of translation, word order and grammatical accuracy. These skills will help students to express opinions, justify arguments and communicate fluently in both spoken and written Spanish.

LITERARY TEXT AND FILM

Students will study one literary text and one film from the Spanish-speaking world.

INDEPENDENT RESEARCH PROJECT (IRP)

The Independent Research Project (IRP) gives students the opportunity to explore a topic related to Spanish-speaking culture or society that genuinely interests them. Students will develop their own research question, investigate it using authentic sources, including written sources in Spanish, and form their own conclusions. During their speaking examination, they will present their findings and take part in a discussion with their examiner, demonstrating their knowledge, analytical skills and ability to express and justify opinions spontaneously in Spanish. The IRP is an exciting opportunity to develop independence, deepen students’ cultural understanding and become an expert in a topic of their choice.

ASSESSMENT AND EXAMINATIONS

• Paper 1: Listening, reading and translation into English – 2 hours, 40% (based on themes).
• Paper 2: Written response to works and translation into Spanish – 2 hours 40 minutes, 30% (based on the literary text and film).
• Paper 3: Speaking – 21–23 minutes, 30% (based on themes and the IRP).

WHERE CAN A-LEVEL SPANISH TAKE YOU?

Studying A-Level Spanish opens up a wide range of opportunities at university and in the world of work. You could continue studying Spanish or combine it with subjects such as business, law, politics, history or international relations. Spanish is a valuable skill in careers including translation, interpreting, teaching, journalism, tourism, hospitality, marketing, international business and diplomacy. As one of the world’s most widely spoken languages, Spanish can also open doors to working abroad, travelling and collaborating with people from different cultures. Alongside developing your language skills, you will gain confidence, cultural awareness, communication and analytical skills that are highly valued by employers across many industries.