Modern Languages - Spanish

Staff

Mr C Hobbs (Faculty Head)

Mrs D Sutherland (DHT)

Mrs E Hutchison

Mr N Boisson

Ms N Andrews - Certified Google trainer

Ms L Cross

Ms K Durkan

Why Choose Languages?

From the earliest stages, learning experiences in modern languages develop and enhance the essential skills of literacy, personal and interpersonal skills, communication and ICT skills, and working with others. Equally importantly, learning a modern language encourages young people to take responsibility for their own learning, to assess their own strengths and weaknesses and to develop an awareness of the needs of others.

Developing language skills also encourages an enhanced sense of self as a confident and successful language learner and user, and as a member of communities at local, national and international levels.

In the modern world, languages and communication skills have become increasingly important in the workplace, where global trade, business, travel and ICT are part of everyday life. A study of job adverts will show an increasing requirement for competence in foreign languages. In the world of international trade and business, young people in Scotland must be equipped with the skills that will allow them to take advantage of the opportunities that exist for those with sound language abilities.

Spanish

There are about 400 million native speakers of Spanish, more than those of any other language except Chinese. In other words, Spanish speakers form 7% of the world’s population.

Spanish is the official language of 21 countries – Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Paraguay and Peru, to name but a few.

It is spoken by over 8% of the US population (30 million people) especially in California, Florida, large areas of the Southwest, New York and other large cities.

Spanish is an attractive language. In the early stages, it is relatively straightforward because:

it has a simple sound system, with just five vowel sounds
there is a direct correspondence between spoken and written forms
the basic points of grammar are quite simple

Spain plays an important role as one of Britain’s most important trading partners. It is in a period of international expansion and openness to foreign markets. A knowledge of Spanish could open up an exciting and promising new dimension in your life. It could give you the chance in the future to try new countries and new ventures.

Being able to understand Spanish will give the key to the rich artistic and cultural heritage of Spain and Latin America. The vitality of Spanish and Latin American culture can be found in many areas of life, for example music, fashion and sports. Being able to speak Spanish opens up a whole new dimension of opportunities.

S3 Spanish

At Calderglen, pupils can opt to study Spanish in S3, with a view to gaining a National Qualification in the language in S4 and beyond. Pupils opting to start studying Spanish in S3 should be aware that it is an accelerated course, which aims to have pupils at National 5 level by the end of S4.

There is also a conversational Spanish masterclass that pupils can opt into. Masterclasses run for 6 months, so pupils are able to experience 2 different masterclasses in the course of S3.

In S3 pupils will develop their language learning up to Level 4 Curriculum for Excellence Experiences and Outcomes. They will also begin to develop the National 4 and National 5 contexts.

Appropriate teaching methods will ensure success in foreign language learning for all learners. Key features of learning and teaching will be:

Real communication in relevant contexts, supported by ICT
A renewed emphasis on how languages work, including grammar
Maximum use of the modern language in the classroom
An increased focus on culture and international education
Language learning across the curriculum

Assessment of the Course

The course will be assessed and marked throughout the session by teachers. There will be a combined assessment of day to day class work and activities as well as formal tests of all 4 skills. The expectation is that S3 pupils will spend AT LEAST 15 minutes, three times per week on looking over vocabulary covered in class and written in their vocabulary notebook.

Progression

At the end of S3 pupils may progress to a course leading onto a qualification at National 3, National 4 or National 5 French or Spanish.

At the end of S4 pupils could choose from the following progression routes:

A pupil achieving National 3 may progress to National 4
A pupil achieving National 4 may progress to National 5
A pupil achieving National 5 may progress to Higher

Homework

Homework is an essential part of teaching and learning and helps to establish a routine of high expectations and achievement. In Modern Languages, homework is issued regularly. Its purpose is to promote the learning of the relevant material and to consolidate previous learning. Homework will challenge all pupils and provide them with opportunities for personal achievement. The amount of homework set and the level of the task will be in line with the level of the pupil’s ability. Homework tasks are explained in detail by the teacher and pupils should always note the task carefully in their diary planner. The bulk of homework issued in Modern Languages in S3 and S4 will take the form of learning vocabulary or preparing for specific Speaking and Writing tasks. Activities involving reading in the foreign language will also be issued. In addition, we encourage pupils to use the Internet to enrich their learning and develop their skills. We recommend the following websites in particular:

www.languagesonline.com

www.duolingo.com

www.quizlet.com

www.memrise.com

Equipment

Pupils should bring the following items to class every day:

Jotter(s)
Vocabulary notebook
Pen/pencil

Pupils should have a Spanish dictionary at home to use when completing homework tasks.

National 4 Spanish

National 4 and National 5 Modern Languages Courses develop literacy skills by giving learners opportunities to read, listen, talk and write in a modern language and to reflect on how this relates to English. These Courses enable learners to understand and use a modern language, to apply their knowledge of a modern language in real life contexts.

National 4 is entirely internally assessed.

The N4 course is made up of three mandatory Units:

Modern Languages: Understanding Language (National 4) The purpose of this Unit is to provide learners with the opportunity to develop reading and listening skills in the modern language and to develop their knowledge of straightforward language in the contexts of society, learning, employability, and culture.
Modern Languages: Using Language (National 4) The purpose of this Unit is to provide learners with the opportunity to develop talking and writing skills in the modern language, and to develop their knowledge of straightforward language in the contexts of society, learning, employability, and culture.
Added Value Unit: Modern Languages: Assignment (National 4) The purpose of this Added Value Unit is to provide learners with the opportunity to apply their language skills to investigate a chosen topic in a familiar context in the modern language. Pupils are required to read, research, present and converse in the Modern Language in order to achieve the National 4 Added Value Unit.

National 5 Spanish

Who is the course aimed at?

The course is mainly intended for students in Upper School who may have gained a National 4 award. It is also aimed at students who didn’t continue studying the subject after S3 but wish to take it up again. Students who want to start learning either language at beginner’s level would also be accepted on the course.

There is an external examination at National 5 which comprises a reading and writing paper, plus a listening paper. Talking is internally assessed and is worth 30% of the overall N5 grade.

Aims

The Course offers learners the opportunity to develop detailed language skills in the meaningful real-life contexts of society, learning, employability, and culture.

The course provides learners with the opportunity to:

develop skills in reading, listening, talking and writing, which are essential for learning, work and life
develop an understanding of how language works
use different media effectively for learning and communication
use language to communicate ideas and information.

The Course also provides learners with the opportunity to:

use creative and critical thinking to formulate ideas and arguments
enhance their enjoyment and understanding of their own and other cultures
explore the interconnected nature of languages

Assessment of the Course

The N5 course is made up of two mandatory Units:

Modern Languages: Understanding Language (National 5)

The purpose of this Unit is to provide learners with the opportunity to develop reading and listening skills in the modern language, and to develop their knowledge and understanding of detailed language in the contexts of society, learning, employability, and culture.

Modern Languages: Using Language (National 5)

The purpose of this Unit is to provide learners with the opportunity to develop talking and writing skills in the modern language, and to develop their knowledge and understanding of detailed language in the contexts of society, learning, employability, and culture.

Total marks 120 marks

The performance in talking will be assessed and graded internally.

The writing assignment is completed internally and sent to SQA for marking

The reading, writing and listening papers will be assessed by SQA exam and graded externally.

Higher Spanish

Who is the course aimed at?

The course is mainly intended for students in Upper School who may have gained a National 5 A or B pass in the subject.

Aims

The Course offers learners the opportunity to develop detailed and complex language skills in the meaningful real-life contexts of society, learning, employability, and culture.

The course provides learners with the opportunity to:

develop skills in reading, listening, talking and writing, which are essential for learning, work and life
develop an understanding of how language works
use different media effectively for learning and communication
use language to communicate ideas and information.

The Course also provides learners with the opportunity to:

use creative and critical thinking to formulate ideas and arguments
enhance their enjoyment and understanding of their own and other cultures
explore the interconnected nature of languages

Assessment of the Course

Question papers

Question paper 1: Reading and Directed writing 50 marks

Candidates may use a bilingual dictionary. This question paper has two sections:

Section 1 Reading

This section has 30 marks (25% of the total mark for course assessment).

20 marks are available for reading comprehension.
10 marks are available for translating part of the text into English.

Candidates read one text in the modern language. The text relates to one of the following contexts: society, learning, employability, culture. Candidates then respond to the questions, in English.

Section 2 Directed writing

This section has 20 marks, scaled by SQA to 15 marks (12.5% of the total mark for course assessment).

Candidates choose one scenario from the two provided in the question paper. Candidates produce one piece of writing on their chosen scenario, of 150–180 words.

The scenario contains six related bullet points. Candidates must address each bullet point. The directed writing task assesses candidates’ ability to use appropriate past tenses and at least one other tense (for example, conditional or future). Candidates have 2 hours to complete this question paper.

Question paper 2: Listening 20 marks

The question paper has 20 marks out of a total of 120 marks. This is scaled by SQA to represent 25% of the overall marks for the course assessment.

Candidates may not use a dictionary. Candidates listen to one monologue in the modern language and respond to questions worth 8 marks. They then listen to one conversation in the modern language, with questions worth 12 marks. The questions are in English and candidates respond in English. Candidates have 30 minutes to complete this question paper.

Course assessment structure: assignment–writing 20 marks

The assignment allows candidates to produce a piece of writing in the modern language based on one of the following contexts: society, learning, employability, culture. The assignment has 20 marks out of a total of 120 marks. This is scaled by SQA to represent 12.5% of the overall marks for the course assessment. It is similar to the assignment at N5.

Performance–talking 30 marks

The performance is a discussion in the modern language based on at least two of the following contexts: society, learning, employability, culture. The performance–talking has a total mark allocation of 30 marks. This is 25% of the overall marks for the course assessment.

Candidates take part in a discussion with the teacher using detailed and complex language on at least two different contexts, and respond to questions in the modern language relating to each of the contexts. Candidates may ask questions where appropriate during the discussion.

Total marks = 120

Advanced Higher Spanish

What is the purpose of the course?

Study of the course at Advanced Higher will allow further development of the language skills acquired at Higher level. The aim will be to widen pupils’ knowledge of how language works and to develop confidence in speaking and interacting with others, sometimes at sophisticated levels. Pupils will also have the opportunity to study aspects of the media, literature and culture of France or Spain in more detail.

Who is the course aimed at?

The course is intended mainly for students who have gained a Higher in the language.

What will assessments consist of?

It should be noted that SQA are currently revising the format of Advanced Higher courses in Modern Languages. It is likely that the course structure will follow a similar pattern to that of the Higher course, and will more than likely include the specialist study unit:

Specialist Study (Advanced Higher)

Pupils will study an aspect of literature in the modern language, leading to a piece of discursive writing in English about the chosen text.

Learners will be required to provide evidence of their planning, research and analysis skills based on literature or media or language in work within the context of the modern language.

Course assessment

The Course assessment currently takes the form of:

Two question papers, through which learners will demonstrate their reading, translation, listening and discursive writing skills in the modern language.

Paper 1 Reading and Translation (50 marks, 30 for reading and 20 for translation)
Paper 2 Listening and Discursive Writing (70 marks, 30 for listening and 40 for discursive essay)

A performance worth 50 marks, through which learners will demonstrate their talking skills in the modern language.

A portfolio worth 30 marks, written in English, through which learners will demonstrate their analytical skills in relation to literature or media or language in work within the context of the modern language.