KS4 Subject: Spanish (from Year 9)

What topics will you study in KS4 Spanish?

New specification (for Year 9 and Year 10):

THEME 1: People and lifestyle:

  • Topic 1: Identity and relationships with others
  • Topic 2: Healthy living and lifestyle
  • Topic 3: Education and work

Theme 2: Popular culture:

  • Topic 1: Free time activities
  • Topic 2: Customs, festivals and celebrations
  • Topic 3: Celebrity culture

THEME 3: Communication and the world around us:

  • Topic 1: Travel and tourism, including places of interest
  • Topic 2: Media and technology
  • Topic 3: The environment and where people live

Old specification (for Year 11):

THEME 1: Identity and culture:

  • Topic 1: me, my family and friends
  • Topic 2: Technology in everyday life
  • Topic 3: Free-time activities
  • Topic 4: customs and festivals in Spanish-speaking countries

THEME 2: local, national, international and global areas of interest:

  • Topic 1: home, town, neighbourhood and region
  • Topic 2: social issues
  • Topic 3: Global issues
  • Topic 4: travel and tourism

THEME 3: Current and future study and employment:

  • Topic 1: my studies
  • Topic 2: life at school / college
  • Topic 3: education post-16
  • Topic 4: jobs, career choices and ambitions

Do you have a reading list for this subject?

  • Harry Potter (in Spanish) by J.K Rowling
  • La ladrona de libros by Markus Zusak
  • El Principito, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
  • Matar a un ruiseñor by Harper Lee
  • Persépolis by Marjane Strapi
  • El extranjero by Albert Camus
  • Cumbres borrascosas by Emily Bronte
  • Las ventajas de ser un marginado by Stephen Chbosky
  • Bajo la misma estrella by John Green
  • El libro de los rostros by Ana Alonso
  • Memorias de Idhún by Laura Gallego
  • Como agua para chocolate by Laura Esquivel
  • Amnesia by José Luis Ocasar Ariza

How will you be assessed during the course?

At KS4, students are assessed three times per year during the DPR assessment periods. This will include topics and grammar from year 9 all the way until the end of year 11.

How can you help your child excel in this subject?

Ensure you regularly test them on key grammar and vocabulary that is set for their homework. This can be done using the "look, cover, write, check" method along with using Quizlet. Quizlet is a study tool based mostly on flash card and quiz-style recall of vocabulary and grammar. On Quizlet, students can find a range of lists linked to the knowledge organisers and the topics they are studying in lessons.