Exam Board: AQA
The aim of GCSE Spanish is for students to understand and provide information and opinions about a range of topics relating to their own experiences and those of other people, including people in countries/communities where Spanish is spoken. We study the following themes:
You will have already met some of these areas in Key Stage 3. They will now be extended and developed to increase the range of expression and understanding in the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing in Spanish.
All assessment will be through examination at the end of Year 11. All four examination papers must be taken at the same tier.
Higher Tier: Grades 4–9
Foundation Tier: Grades 1–5
Paper 1: Listening – comprehension questions in Spanish and in English.
Higher Tier: 45 minutes / 50 marks / 25% of GCSE.
Foundation Tier: 35 minutes / 40 marks / 25% of GCSE
Paper 2: Speaking – role play, photo card and general conversation.
Higher Tier: 10–12 minutes / 60 marks / 25% of GCSE.
Foundation Tier: 7–9 minutes / 60 marks / 25% of GCSE
Paper 3: Reading – comprehension questions in Spanish and in English, translation Spanish to English.
Higher Tier: 1 hour / 60 marks / 25% of GCSE.
Foundation Tier: 45 minutes / 60 marks / 25% of GCSE
Paper 4: Writing – structured writing task, open-ended writing task, translation from English into target language.
Higher Tier: 1 hour 15 minutes / 60 marks / 25% of GCSE
Foundation Tier: 1 hour / 50 marks / 25% of GCSE
The study of a language combines well with a wide variety of subjects and is highly regarded by universities and colleges. It is particularly useful in industries such as the armed forces, law marketing and tourism. Many employers whose businesses trade abroad hold a language qualification in high esteem. Studying a language also develops other key skills such as confidence, communication skills, problem solving, emotional intelligence and resilience.