SPANISH GCSE

Exam Board: Edexcel

Course Overview / Introduction

At Brakenhale School, we endeavour to make the study of Spanish as fun and challenging as possible, by using a range of authentic materials and a variety of speaking, listening, reading and writing activities which aim to bring the language to life. This includes use of French pop music, magazine articles and television clips to bring relevance to the study of the language and enhance your language skills as fully as we can.

The new government focus on the EBACC places more emphasis than ever on the importance of having a foreign language to GCSE level. It is a rigorous qualification which looks impressive to both employers and universities, and opens up real scope for opportunity in future years.

What will you study?

Students will study six thematic contexts:

• My personal world 

• Lifestyle and wellbeing 

• My neighbourhood 

• Media and technology 

• Studying and my future 

• Travel and tourism

How many exams are there?

On the Edexcel specification, all 4 language skills (Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing) are assessed at the end of Year 11 in four separate exams and are worth 25% each. The course builds on the grammar and vocabulary developed at Key Stage  3 and places more emphasis on spontaneity of communication and accuracy of translation into both English and French.

Listening and Reading exams follow a similar format to those in Key Stage 3 with questions and answers in English. 

The Speaking exam is divided into three parts. The Foundation exam lasts 7-9 minutes, and the Higher exam lasts 10-12 minutes. Students are also given some preparation time before entering the exam. Firstly, students complete a read aloud task and then answer two follow up questions. Students must then complete a short role play.  Finally students engage in a picture based discussion, followed up by a general conversation. The speaking exam is completed by the class teacher. 

In the Writing exam, students are given bullet point prompts (in English) to write at length in exam conditions. They must also complete translations, and in the higher tier, must also complete an open-ended writing task, of approximately 150 words.

What will you gain from this course?

Learning another language is a brilliant way to challenge yourself and open your mind up in new ways. Developing understanding and use of a foreign language also enables you to enrich your experiences abroad, whether you intend to use your skills for leisure or professional purposes in the future. It also nurtures valuable transferable skills such as logic, deduction, inference, memorisation and thinking on your feet!

What does this lead to?

A GCSE in French will give you the opportunity to continue your studies to A-Level and university degree level. Studying a language opens many doors, careers vary from education, journalism, tourism and commerce.

Staff Contact:

Mrs Hughes,
Head of Languages [Assistant Headteacher]