Subjects

Spanish

Senior cycle (1)

Spanish is offered at Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle in Finn Valley College

In Junior Cycle Spanish, students build a strong foundation in the language through engaging topics, basic grammar, and everyday communication with easy and accessible vocabulary. The Leaving Cert expands on this, focusing on fluency, cultural awareness, and preparing students for real-world use by including oral, aural, reading, and writing skills. Our courses make language learning interactive, rewarding and enjoyable.

Junior Cycle Spanish follows the Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) Specification, with learning outcomes across three key strands:

1. Communicative Competence

  • Understand and respond to spoken and written Spanish in familiar contexts.
  • Engage in basic conversations, expressing opinions and ideas.
  • Write short, structured texts with appropriate vocabulary and grammar.

2. Language Awareness

  • Recognise and apply language patterns in different contexts.
  • Use learning strategies to support language development.

3. Socio-Cultural Knowledge & Intercultural Awareness

  • Explore cultural aspects of Spanish-speaking countries.
  • Reflect on similarities and differences between cultures.

These outcomes promote confidence, fluency, and a love for language learning.

In Year 2 Students complete a CBA in Oral Communication which has”the  purpose of developing and enhancing the students’ skills of oral production and interaction”

Students sit a written and an aural exam at the end of the three years with the Final Assessment (100%)

It is broken down into:

  • Listening Comprehension (140 marks) – Understanding spoken Spanish in different contexts.
  • Reading Comprehension (140 marks) – Interpreting written texts such as articles, emails, or dialogues.
  • Writing Section (80 marks) – Producing short written responses, dialogues, or descriptions.

Senior Cycle Spanish Learning Outcomes

The Leaving Certificate Spanish curriculum builds on the Junior Cycle, enhancing students’ fluency, comprehension, and cultural awareness through four key skill areas:

1. Oral Communication

  • Engage in conversations on a variety of topics.
  • Express opinions, describe experiences, and justify ideas.
  • Develop confidence in pronunciation and spontaneous speaking.

2. Aural Comprehension

  • Understand spoken Spanish in different accents and contexts.
  • Extract key information from dialogues, interviews, and media.

3. Reading & Written Expression

  • Interpret texts from newspapers, literature, and online sources.
  • Write structured essays, opinion pieces, and letters using complex grammar.

4. Cultural & Intercultural Awareness

  • Explore social, political, and cultural aspects of Spanish-speaking countries.
  • Compare Spanish culture with Irish and global perspectives.

The course prepares students for real-world communication, further studies, and career opportunities.

Students can choose to sit either Higher Level or Ordinary Level.

Leaving Certificate Spanish Exam Breakdown – 

Higher & Ordinary Level

The Leaving Cert Spanish exam is divided into four main sections, with different weightings at Higher Level (HL) and Ordinary Level (OL).

1. Oral Exam (25% HL | 20% OL) (March/April)

  • General Conversation – Topics like family, hobbies, school, future plans, travel.
  • Role-Play (HL & OL) – Practical scenarios (e.g., booking a hotel, making a complaint).

2. Aural (Listening) Exam (20% HL | 25% OL) 

(40 minutes:During the written exam in June)

  • Understanding spoken Spanish in conversations, interviews, announcements, and radio reports.
  • Different accents and speeds are included.

3. Written Exam (55% HL | 55% OL) (June Exam – 2.5 hours HL and  OL)

Reading Comprehension (30% HL | 40% OL)

  • Higher Level: Extracts from newspapers, literature, advertisements, and opinion pieces.
  • Ordinary Level: Shorter, more straightforward texts with multiple-choice and short-answer questions.

Written Production (25% HL | 15% OL)

  • Higher Level:
    • Opinion essays (on social issues, culture, technology, etc.).
    • Diary entries, emails, formal/informal letters.
    • Dialogue writing.
  • Ordinary Level:
    • Simpler tasks such as notes, diary entries,and letters.

This structure ensures students develop strong oral, listening, reading, and writing skills suited to their level.

Other subjects: