Spanish is a happy, productive and successful Department in which to work and learn. We aim to develop learning Spanish as a stimulating, challenging and satisfying intellectual experience, and a lifelong accomplishment.
On an international commercial and political level, even though all our foreign competitors today are expected to speak fairly fluent English, it places us at a considerable advantage if we are able to understand and communicate in their language, in the course of negotiations. Spanish, one of the official languages in the UN, is truly global, spoken by over 400 million people and the second most spoken language after Chinese Mandarin. The study of Spanish, therefore, adds to our career prospects and the enjoyment of working, living and travelling abroad.
Curriculum
Pupils at The Abbey School begin learning Spanish from Lower IV (Year 8) onwards. It is very popular and is one of the options available at GCSE, AS, A2 and IB. We have a team of enthusiastic and well qualified teachers, two of whom are native speakers.
Academic facilities, to help us deliver the curriculum and enrich our teaching and learning techniques, are excellent. All language rooms are fitted with very good sound systems and interactive white boards. We are also fortunate to have a newly fitted Multi Media laboratory, which incorporates audio, video and computer stations with language acquisition and consolidation software. We feel very excited at the wide range of possibilities that current technology can afford all linguists, both inside and outside lesson time.
Clubs and Events
We offer a lunchtime club for Upper V (Year 11). In the past events included a visiting Spanish theatre company that performed in Spanish,a visit to the Aztec exhibition at the British Museum, a flamenco and live guitar performance for Sixth Formers and a visit to the European Studies department at Reading University.
We celebrate Modern Languages Day each year, with our French and German colleagues. We begin the day by singing, in Assembly, a hymn using the three languages and throughout the day there is an array of different activities. At lunch, of course, we are able sample some of the culinary delights of the French, Spanish and German cuisines.
Trips
The study of a Modern Language requires as much experience as possible in visiting the country and speaking to its people. All Spanish students should expect to spend time in Spain during the course.
Lower V (Year 10) attend a week-long Language Study Course in Santander, Spain, at the end of the summer term. This is a very successful trip; our students really enjoy attending school in the mornings and going on outings in the afternoons, where they can practise their Spanish and have fun at the same time. To view photographs of our recent trip to Spain please click here.
In the Sixth Form Lower VI spend a week in Barcelona staying with families and attending tailor-made lessons and workshops in between cultural visits and soaking up the ambiente!