Spanish
Three members of staff teach Spanish at Bedford High and we have one native speaker who holds conversation lessons with the students for Year 11 and Sixth Form linguists.
- Mrs M Gómez-Alonso, Head of MFL and Head of Spanish, Licenciatura de Filogogía. CAP Alcalá de Henares, email: gomez.m@bedfordhigh.co.uk
- Mrs R Fudger-Gálvez Teacher of Spanish, BA(Hons) UCL, PGCE, email: galvez.r@bedfordhigh.co.uk
- Mrs E Willard, Teacher of Spanish, BA Joint Hons. Cardiff.CAP Universidad de Jaén, email: willard.e@bedfordhigh.co.uk
- Mrs G. Fernández, Language Assistant
We have a wide range of resources and regular use of ICT, video and computer based language facilities.
Trips to Spain
Years 10-12
Cultural and linguistic Homestay. Students spend a week in Spain visiting cities as a group during the day while the evenings and the weekend are spent with the host family. This visit also includes tuition, flamenco and cooking workshops and an opportunity to meet some native school children.
Years 11-12
Cultural Visit to Madrid. This trip provides not only a linguistic experience but also and insight into the cultural aspects of the main Spanish cities. We visit Madrid for 4 days staying in Alcalá de Henares (World Heritage City) and the visits include the Reina Sofia and Prado Museums, The Royal Palace, the Madrid de los Austrias....
Activities
- Visit by Spanish Theatre Company Onatti
- Conference trips: 6th Form students attend Day Conferences in London where appropriate
- Cinema Club: A wide selection of Spanish films is shown for Year 11 and 6th Form students
Junior School
We believe that learning a foreign language in primary school can provide a valuable educational, social and cultural experience for all pupils. We offer to the students a rich variety of methods to support multisensory learning focusing on active, enjoyable learning with extensive use of songs and games from which pupils gain enjoyment and motivation.
Research has shown that younger learners have a particular facility for acquiring the sounds of a foreign language, so we focus our teaching on the development of good intonation, pronunciation and speaking skills. Although an emphasis on listening and speaking is most appropriate, elements of reading and writing are increasingly included especially in Years 5 and 6.
Year 7
Course book: Listos 1
The Spanish Department's aim in Year 7 is to formalise the Spanish learning that has been taking place in the Junior School and to continue to introduce the Hispanic culture in a varied, positive and enjoyable manner. Basic grammar and vocabulary will lay the foundations for solid future learning.
By the end of Year 7, students will be able to understand, talk and write about subjects such as their family, house and home, local area, and likes and dislikes. The grammar covered includes the present tense, gender and number agreements, the expression of basic opinions, the negative, and some prepositions.
"Listos 1" is supplemented by teachers' own material and several ict resources provide an aid for students independent learning.
Year 8
Course book: Listos 1
This year builds on and extends the work covered in Year 7 to ensure continuity. Students are stretched through the introduction of further topics (home life, area where you live and free time) and grammar areas. Vocabulary and grammar again form a substantial part of the course, as these again form the basis of success further on in the school.
Year 9
Course book: Caminos 2
Wide range of departmental grammar, topic and worksheets.
ICT resources (pronunciation practice, grammar drills and listening comprehension).
The course consists of a thorough grounding in basic language together with an introduction to new topic areas (social activities; festivals; geographical area; travel and transport; everyday activities). Within each topic area equal weighting is given to all four skill areas. The emphasis throughout is in the enthusiastic presentation of the language within its cultural context, carefully tailored to students of all abilities.
Key Stage 4
Students may choose Spanish as their only Modern Foreign Language or as their second Modern Foreign Language together with French or German.
Coursebook: Listos 3
Departmental booklets.
Internet & Video
ICT resources
Apart from revisiting previous topics, the following will be included: Health and sport; leisure and entertainment; travel and the wider world; education and work.
Year 11 students attend conversation lessons once a week with a native speaker in small groups. These sessions are the key for the very successful performances in the oral component.
Assessment
Students will take an examination paper for the Listening and Reading skills at the end of year 11. For the Speaking and Writing skills, students complete two tasks which will take place along year 11. They are moderated by external examiners.
SIXTH FORM
Advanced Subsidiary
The emphasis is on topics and themes. Broad topic areas are at this stage regarded as an introduction to aspects of the Hispanic culture and they will provide the necessary knowledge to support more advanced study of the foreign language. Assessment covers reading, writing, speaking and listening. Reading and listening materials are drawn from the following topic areas:
Aspects of daily life; leisure and entertainment; communication and media; education and training.
All students attend one conversation lesson a week in groups of two-three with the Language Assistant.
Advanced Level
The Advanced GCE specifications require the candidates to understand and study in greater depth aspects of the contemporary society and cultural background of one or more Spanish-speaking countries. They must also be able to use Spanish to analyse, evaluate, justify and develop arguments in both speech and writing. The topics included in this final year are: social issues; the environment; culture; technological and scientific advances.
All students attend a conversation lesson a week in groups of two-three with Language Assistant.
International Baccalaureate. Language B
Standard level students will be taught how to recognise the communicative purpose of texts and to produce texts that serve the following communicative purposes: description, narration, written interaction, explanation, argument and analysis and critique.
In addition to the texts identified for standard level students, higher level pupils will be taught how to recognise the communicative purpose of texts and to produce texts that serve the following communicative purposes: description, spoken interaction, explanation and argument.
All students attend a conversation lesson a week in groups of two-three people with the Language Assistant.
