Spanish A level is linear. Linear means that exam candidates will sit all their exams at the end of the course.

Aims

Courses based on this specification should encourage students to:

• enhance their linguistic skills and promote and develop their capacity for critical thinking on the basis of their knowledge and understanding of the language, culture and society of the country or countries where the language is spoken

• develop control of the language system to convey meaning, using spoken and written skills, including an extended range of vocabulary, for both practical and intellectual purposes as increasingly confident, accurate and independent users of the language

• develop their ability to interact effectively with users of the language in speech and in writing, including through online media

• develop language learning skills and strategies, including communication strategies to sustain communication and build fluency and confidence

• engage critically with intellectually stimulating texts, films and other materials in the original language, developing an appreciation of sophisticated and creative uses of the language and understanding them within their cultural and social context

• develop knowledge about matters central to the society and culture, past and present, of the country or countries where the language is spoken

• mediate between cultures and between speakers of the language and speakers of English

• foster their ability to learn other languages

• equip themselves with transferable skills such as autonomy, resourcefulness, creativity, critical thinking, and linguistic, cultural and cognitive flexibility that will enable them to proceed to further study or to employment

• develop their capacity for critical and analytical thinking through the language of study

• develop as independent researchers through the language of study.

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Assessment objectives

Assessment objectives (AOs) are set by Ofqual and are the same across all A-level Spanish specifications and all exam boards.

The exams will measure how students have achieved the following assessment objectives.

• AO1: Understand and respond:

  • in speech to spoken language including face-to-face interaction

  • in writing to spoken language drawn from a variety of sources.

• AO2: Understand and respond:

  • in speech to written language drawn from a variety of sources

  • in writing to written language drawn from a variety of sources.

• AO3: Manipulate the language accurately, in spoken and written forms, using a range of lexis and structure.

• AO4: Show knowledge and understanding of, and respond critically and analytically to, different aspects of the culture and society of countries/communities where the language is spoken

Across assessment objectives AO1 and AO2, no more than 10% of the total marks for the qualification may be used for responses in English, including translation into English.

Paper 1: Listening, reading and writing

What's assessed

• Aspects of Hispanic society

• Artistic culture in the Hispanic world

• Multiculturalism in Hispanic society

• Aspects of political life in Hispanic society

• Grammar

How it's assessed

• Written exam: 2 hours 30 minutes

• 100 marks

• 50% of A-level

Questions

• Listening and responding to spoken passages from a range of contexts and sources covering different registers and adapted as necessary. Material will include complex factual and abstract content and questions will target main points, gist and detail. Studio recordings will be used and students will have individual control of the recording.

All questions are in Spanish, to be answered with non-verbal responses or in Spanish (30 marks)

• Reading and responding to a variety of texts written for different purposes, drawn from a range of authentic sources and adapted as necessary. Material will include complex factual and abstract content and questions will target main points, gist and detail.

All questions are in Spanish, to be answered with non-verbal responses or in Spanish (50 marks)

• Translation into English; a passage of minimum 100 words (10 marks)

• Translation into Spanish; a passage of minimum 100 words (10 marks).

No access to a dictionary during the assessment.

Paper 2: Writing

What's assessed

• One text and one film or two texts from the list set in the specification

• Grammar

How it's assessed

• Written exam: 2 hours

• 80 marks in total

• 20% of A-level

Questions

• Either one question in Spanish on a set text from a choice of two questions and one question in Spanish on a set film from a choice of two questions or two questions in Spanish on set texts from a choice of two questions on each text.

• All questions will require a critical appreciation of the concepts and issues covered in the work and a critical and analytical response to features such as the form and the technique of presentation, as appropriate to the work studied (eg the effect of narrative voice in a prose text or camera work in a film).

No access to texts or films during the assessment.

No access to a dictionary during the assessment.

Students are advised to write approximately 300 words per essay.

Paper 3: Speaking

What's assessed

• Individual research project

• One of four themes (ie Aspects of Hispanic society or Artistic culture in the Hispanic world or Multiculturalism in Hispanic society or Aspects of political life in Hispanic society)

How it's assessed

• Oral exam: 21–23 minutes (including 5 minutes preparation time)

• 60 marks in total

• 30% of A-level

Questions

• Discussion of a sub-theme with the discussion based on a stimulus card (5–6 minutes). The student studies the card for 5 minutes at the start of the test (25 marks).

• Presentation (2 minutes) and discussion (9–10 minutes) of individual research project (35 marks).

No access to a dictionary during the assessment (including 5 minutes preparation).

Students may take the assessment only once before certification.

Assessments will be conducted by either the centre or a visiting examiner and marked by an AQA examiner.