Spanish

Spanish

GCSE

Spanish, together with English, is the most spoken language internationally. Spoken widely across the globe, especially in the USA and in Central and South America, there are over 450 million speakers.

It is a language of business, politics, adventure and revolution. At Eltham, we aim to give our GCSE students an understanding not only of the language but also the culture.

We have a strong track record with GCSE results under the new 1-9 system. Those who study Spanish will have the option of different excursions both at home, such as theatre or cinema trips, or residential trips abroad.

By the end of the course, students should feel confident with the building blocks of Spanish grammar and they should be able to express themselves in the language with a good degree of fluency and creativity across a range of relevant and engaging topics. They will develop experience that will make them attractive to both universities and employers alike, as well as gaining the sense of personal satisfaction that comes from honing a truly practical and rewarding skill.

 

Overview

The Eltham College Spanish Department is a thriving Hispanic community within Eltham College, with students being challenged linguistically at every level, from beginners in Year 7 to Oxbridge candidates in Year 13. We are based within the Modern Languages Department, which is in the new Turberville Building.

Curriculum

Students are given the option to start this versatile language in Year 7 and 8 for three periods a week. If they opt for Spanish in Year 9 then they will study the language for four periods a week. They can then select to study Spanish for iGCSE in Years 10 and 11 and can choose it for A level in Sixth Form.

More than a third of the year group opt to take Spanish as their GCSE language. From September 2013 we started teaching the Pearson iGCSE.

Classes are taught in a lively and interactive way, giving students the confidence to speak and write with fluency, whilst ensuring a rigorous approach to grammatical understanding. We aim to deliver lessons that instil a true appreciation and understanding of the multi-faceted vibrancy of Hispanic culture. The engagement that we hope this fosters, together with an eye to the skills specifically required for their exams, is our recipe for success for students of all linguistic abilities.

Trips, Activities and Clubs

A whole variety of trips have been enjoyed by many Eltham Hispanists over the past few years. Younger students have been on trips to Catalunya and to the Sierra de Gredos.

The Spanish department regularly organises language study visits in Years 10, 11, 12 and 13 to important cultural destinations including Barcelona, Madrid, Valladolid and Valencia. Students receive intensive language tuition in order to hone their skills in preparation for taking public examinations, but more importantly, they can test out their skills in the real world whilst soaking up the cultural delights of Spain.

We also look for opportunities to do trips closer to home, and in the past have gone to both the cinema and the theatre to enjoy the benefits of language learning outside the classroom.

Staff
  • Ms E Paull BA MSc (Head of Spanish)
  • Mr F Nieto Almada MA
  • Mr J Houghton MA (Chaplain)
  • Mrs M Parra (Language Assistant)

Senior

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