The Spanish Department
¡Hola! ¡Bienvenidos! The Presdales Spanish Department comprises four teachers and a Spanish Language Assistant, who are passionate about the subject and keen to pass on our knowledge and a love of the Spanish language to the students we teach.
So, why learn Spanish? Spanish is a language of global importance. Only Mandarin Chinese has more native speakers and globally almost 500 million people speak the language. Nowadays it is the second most studied language and the second language in international communication. 28 countries spread over four continents have Spanish as their primary or secondary language.
It is becoming increasingly popular as companies develop and broaden their links with Spain and South America. The world of business management, marketing, tourism, banking, the Civil Service and telecommunications all provide opportunities for language graduates.
Our Vision and Aims
The department aims to equip students with language which they can make use of in Spain, and with the skills of language learning. We also aim to provide an insight into Spanish culture and traditions, providing excursions to Spain and exhibitions in the UK when suitable.
Students may begin in Spanish in Year 7, during this year they will learn the basics for communication in Spanish and additionally study cultural aspects of language. In Years 8 and 9 they continue to build on what they have learned in Year 7.
In Year 7 students have the chance to start Spanish as their second language option. Students are placed in one of two parallel (mixed ability) groups and then set later in the year after end of unit assessments.
Students learn how to conduct a variety of everyday conversations and have the opportunity to put these into practice in Spain if they take part in the 4 day trip to Csntabria in June/July of Year 8 or 9.
Students are introduced to the basic grammatical concepts of the language. Classes are conducted mainly in Spanish and students are actively encouraged to use the language as much as possible themselves. The four skills of Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing are developed during the course of the three years. Topics covered include self, descriptions, free time, talking about their town and classroom language. Assessment is by means of end of unit assessments and end of year examination.
For details on the Spanish GCSE and to aid students’ independent learning with additional study materials, the Spanish Department has created a Google Site, accessible via students’ RM Unify logins. Please click here for the KS4 Google Site