From Madrid to Montevideo, and from Malaga to Mexico, pupils will learn about the role Spanish has played in discovery and the importance it has as the language of our most popular holiday destination!  Pupils will learn the transferable skills of communication and presentation, and will encounter language that will be of practical use in future.  They will develop strategies and approaches for demonstrating proficiency in listening, reading, writing and speaking a foreign language, preparing them for life in a global context.

It is both a fun and tricky language to learn, but once you have it will be incredibly rewarding. The lessons are really engaging and the teachers are very supportive and contribute to this fun atmosphere.    Maisie Y10

Year 7 Spanish

Topics

About myself and my family

  • Introducing yourself

  • Talking about your personality

  • Talking about age, brothers and sisters

  • Saying when your birthday is

  • Talking about your pets

  • Talking about your family

  • Describing physical appearance 

My hobbies and socialising

  • Saying what you like to do

  • Saying what you do in your spare time

  • Talking about the weather

  • Saying what sports you do

  • Saying what you would like to do 

  • Saying what you have to do

My life as a student

  • Saying what subjects you study

  • Giving opinions about school subjects 

  • Describing your school

  • Talking about break time

  • Giving opinions about your teachers

  • Describing your uniform

Year 8 Spanish

Topics

Family and Friends

  • Describing your family

  • Describing your hair and eye colour

  • Saying what other people look like

  • Describing where you live 

Home and Town

  • Describing your own town or village

  • Telling the time

  • Ordering at a café

  • Saying what you are going to do at the weekend

Media and technology

  • Saying what you use your phone for

  • Saying what type of music you like

  • Talking about TV

  • Saying what you did yesterday

Year 9 Spanish

Topics

Going on holiday

  • Discussing holiday activities and weather

  • Talking about holiday preferences

  • Talking about a past holiday

  • Booking accommodation and dealing with problems

  • Giving an account of a holiday in the past

My life in school

  • Giving opinions about school subjects

  • Describing school uniform and the school day

  • Describing your school

  • Talking about school rules and problems

  • Talking about plans for a school exchange

  • Talking about activities and achievements 

The world of work and the environment

  • Talking about jobs

  • Talking about pocket money

  • Discussing future career plans

  • Giving opinions about the environment

  • Discussing how to look after the environment

Students learning will be assessed by:


Students’ progress at the end of each half-term will be measured by an assessment which will include tests in listening, reading, writing, grammatical understanding, and translation.

GCSE Spanish in Years 10 & 11

Course Leader: Mrs Keys & Mrs Hurtado
Contact Email: jkeys@tgschool.net/lhurtado-read@tgschool.net 
Examination Board: Edexcel
Assessment: 25% each Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing

Why should I study this subject at Key Stage 4?

There are more than 400 million Spanish speakers in 21 countries where Spanish is the national language.  It is considered one the easiest languages to learn and is completely phonetic, meaning that its pronunciation is relatively straightforward.  More than 2 million British people visit Spain for a holiday each year, attracted by its sunny climate and lengthy coastlines.  Mexico is also becoming an increasingly popular holiday destination. By studying Spanish to GCSE, you gain a useful level of fluency that will enable you to travel as well as enjoy a wide range of Hispanic culture that is becoming increasingly accessible.  In addition, it will offer you a useful qualification that will enable you to study Spanish at A level or to pick it back up as an option as part of your university course. 

What does the course involve?

GCSE Spanish helps you explore a wide range of topics, from celebrations and festivals, through getting by as a tourist in Spain to international campaigns and events. You will learn about Spanish culture through a range of interesting topics which will add to your understanding of the language and country. Learn more about countries where the language is spoken, and the people who speak it.

Differences from Year 9
You already know a lot of the vocabulary and grammar you’ll need for GCSE: you know how to talk about yourself, your family and friends, your hobbies, where you live and school.  You‘ll build on this knowledge during your GCSE course, and move on to new topics.

Skills developed

The ability to listen to, understand and speak Spanish in a range of contexts and for a variety of purposes; develop language learning and communication skills which can be applied broadly; develop an interest in and a knowledge of the culture of countries and communities where Spanish is spoken. You will also practise translation skills, which will prepare you for a smooth transition into AS and A Level.

Studying Spanish at Sixth Form

Students can continue studying spanish as an A Level here at Thomas Gainsborough School.

Department Staff

Miss S Derry (SDE) Teacher of Languages Contact
Mrs L Hurtado-Read (LHU) Teacher of Languages Contact
Mr L Hurtado-Read (LRE) Teacher of Languages & IT Contact
Mrs J Keys (JKE) Teacher of Languages Contact