Go Back to Course Finder

Spanish

A Level Spanish
Exam Board
AQA
Entry requirements
 Grade 7 or above in GCSE Spanish
What will I study?
Social issues and trends
Political and artistic culture
Grammar
Literary texts and films 
Assessment
Paper 1: Listening, reading and writing. 2hours 30 minutes. The paper is worth 100 marks (50% of A level)
Paper 2: Writing. 2 hours. The paper is worth 80 marks (20% of A level)
Paper 3: Speaking. 21 – 23 minutes (including 5 minutes preparation time). The paper is worth 60 marks in total (30% of A level) 
What skills will I gain?
A-level languages help students develop confident, effective communication skills in the target language and a thorough understanding of the culture of countries and communities where Spanish is spoken.  This A level course develops an interest in, and enthusiasm for, language learning and encourages students to consider their study of the language in a broader context.  The specification requires students to develop their ability to write and speak in the target language with accurate grammar and syntax for a range of purposes and to understand written or spoken Spanish in a variety of contexts and genres.  
Studying beyond the classroom 
To get the most out of your A level, you must be prepared to immerse yourself in the language. How? Take every opportunity to visit Spanish speaking countries. You could possibly help with secondary school trips? What about a work placement?  You must read and be aware of what is happening in the TL countries and the impact it is having on these countries and their society.  You will need to read widely in the TL. Why not watch TV and news in Spanish?  Unless you begin to live and breathe the language you are studying, it will be difficult to achieve the higher marks.
Future pathways
University: A language degree or having languages as part of your degree is so useful. Studying languages teaches you all the skills that employers look for: an analytical mind; good thought process; amazing memory capacity; fantastic cultural and intercultural awareness; good communication; great team player...and these are just a few. You don’t have to just study a language! You can do a module in a foreign language alongside another subject, or you could start learning a new language from scratch. You can take a language as your main degree subject or combine it with another language or subject such as history, maths or music
 
Employment: You may be thinking about going straight into employment, but that’s no reason for your language learning to stop. We’ve been going on about how valuable language skills are to employers so you know all that, but just think of all the places you can travel to and work with a language - you’ll definitely put yourself ahead of the rest! Having a language opens every door to your future possibilities. You’re not confined to working in one country but instead can do so much more!
 
Travelling / volunteering abroad: Got the travelling bug? You’ll already know how essential languages are for integrating in a culture and getting the most out of your experience; you'll get more of a taste of life in a different country. Languages can take you to some wonderful places and give you many brilliant opportunities.