Forest gate community school 5

Modern Foreign Languages

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Spanish at FGCSSpanish

What topics will my child study in year 7 and 8?

In year 7, the topics studied are:

  1. Introductions
  2. Family and friends
  3. Free time activities
  4. Well-being
  5. School and my future
  6. Town and city

In year 8, the topics studied are:

  1. My local area
  2. Interests
  3. Food
  4. Making plans
  5. Summer holidays
  6. Start the GCSE course and film module

What topics will my child study in year 9, 10 and 11?

In year 9, 10 and 11, students will be taught how to manipulate the language as a way to become independent speakers and writers of Spanish. We will deal with topics related to the world around them, such as relationships, education and work, technology and social media or environmental issues. There will be an emphasis on good pronunciation, spontaneity and accurate grammar.

Students will also be exposed to the Spanish culture more thoroughly through authentic texts from the Spanish literature.

Students follow GCSE (9 - 1) Edexcel Spanish Specification. Details of the specification can be found here. 

Do you have a reading list for this subject?

Books:

  • Como agua para chocolate, Laura Esquivel, 1989 (novel)
  • El coronel no tiene quien le escriba, Gabriel García Márquez, 1961 (novel)
  • La casa de Bernarda Alba, Federico García Lorca, 1936 (play)

Films:

  • Diarios de motocicleta, dir. Walter Salles (2004)
  • El laberinto del fauno, dir. Guillermo del Toro (2006)
  • La lengua de las mariposas, dir. José Luis Cuerda (1999)

How can I help my child to excel in this subject?

As a parent you can help your child to excel by encouraging him/her to check his online Dynamic Progress Report regularly (DPR) in order to anticipate his/her learning.

We also recommend that pupils immerse themselves as much as possible in the language they learn. This can be achieved by watching movies, watching the Spanish news or listening to music in the target language. You could also encourage your child to practise his/her language skills on specific websites.

Are there any online resources?

  • Duolinguo
  • Memrise
  • BBC Bitesize KS3
  • BBC Bitesize GCSE
  • LanguageGym

Do you offer any interventions or clubs my child can attend?

We run weekly after school intervention for students who need support in their learning. More Able Students (MAS) will be given extra resources and opportunities to further challenge themselves.

Are there any important dates for me to be aware of in your subject?

GCSE EXAMINATIONS: May 2026

How will my child be assessed at the end of the course?

Your child will undertake the GCSE examination in Spanish. This is the new specification which will first be examined in May 2026. He/she will be assessed on 4 skills: listening comprehension, speaking, reading comprehension, and writing. Each component is worth 25% of the total score. There is no coursework for this course.

Listening:

Written examination. This paper draws on vocabulary and structures across all the themes and topics and includes a dictation task.

  • Foundation tier: 45 minutes including 5 minutes’ reading time; 50 marks
  • Higher tier: 60 minutes including 5 minutes’ reading time; 50 marks

Speaking:

Foundation and Higher: 50 marks

There are three tasks which must be conducted in the following order:

  • Task 1 – a read aloud task with follow up questions allocated by the exam board
  • Task 2 – role play based on one topic allocated by the exam board.
  • Task 3 – questions based on a picture stimulus based on one topic chosen by the student in advance of the assessment

Reading:

Written examination. This paper draws on vocabulary and structures across all the themes and topics and includes a translation into english.

  • Foundation tier: 45 minutes, 50 marks
  • Higher tier: 1 hour, 50 marks

Writing:

Written examination. This paper draws on vocabulary and structures across all the themes and topics.

  • Foundation tier: three open response questions and one translation into Spanish. 1 hour 15 minutes., 50 marks
  • Higher tier: two open response questions and one translation into Spanish. 1 hour 20 minutes, 50 marks
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