Spanish
A Level
Spanish is spoken globally by over 500 million people and some predict that it will soon take over from English as the dominant language in the United States of America; it is spoken by financial sector workers and Andean tribespeople, by Amazonian farmers and Argentine lawyers.
It is a language of revolution and adventure with a great heritage at Eltham College and the aim is to reflect something of this diversity in the material used as it is taught at A Level.
We follow the AQA languages A Level course. In the Lower Sixth, students have the chance to immerse themselves in Hispanic society, learning about everything from the rich cultural heritage of the Spanish-speaking world, to the glamour and underbelly of stardom within these countries. We teach El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth), Guillermo del Toro’s masterpiece, allowing students to hone their analysis of the cinematic alongside developing a greater understand of the Civil War that ripped Spain apart in the 1930s.
In the Upper Sixth, students further their knowledge of the political past and present of Spanish-speaking countries, delving into challenging and inter-disciplinary topics such as monarchies and dictatorships, racism and immigration, and the political outlook of young people. Students also have the chance to pursue their own passions, by shaping and developing the Independent Research Project that makes up their speaking exam.
We are a close-knit department that fosters a sense of community with both trips at home and abroad. Every year, we enjoy a Sixth Form outing to see a new release during the Spanish Film Festival, as well as visiting the Cervantes Theatre in Southwark, and ending the year with a trip to a restaurant to allow students to sample the cuisine of countries such as Peru and Colombia first-hand. Our last trip abroad was to Valladolid, where students refined their skills with intensive lessons alongside fun cultural excursions. A similar trip is being planned to Valencia for this Easter.
