Description
ABOUT THIS COURSE
This new course is designed for all teachers of AQA A-Level Spanish. The aim of the course is to help teachers fine-tune students’ performances so that they can achieve the highest grades. The course will outline what is expected of high ability students and explore ways to build your teaching practice around this.
The course will demonstrate practical teaching and learning ideas and approaches for developing key skills and knowledge through which able students can enhance higher level skills.
We will analyse what is expected at the top end of the mark range and explore active strategies to build your teaching practice around this to effectively stretch and challenge students.
It will also provide guidance on effective revision strategies and examination techniques through which high achieving students can stand out and ensure that they succeed in the final examinations.
BENEFITS OF ATTENDING
- Focused on identifying the demands of Grades A & A* and providing materials to help teachers prepare students effectively
- Emphasis on teaching approaches which are most effective with able Spanish students
- Focus on teaching approaches which stretch and challenge beyond A-Level
- A detailed look at the different demands and types of questions
- Materials will be provided that will allow teachers to cover the course in innovative and student-friendly ways that push the highest ability students
PROGRAMME
The Assessment Demands For A And A* Students
10.00 – 10.45am
- Key attributes of Grade A and A* students in the classroom and how to identify these students.
- The assessment demands of all components in the highest grades.
- What do examiners say? Which skills are the very hardest in A-Level Spanish?
- Using the specification and the assessment demands to plan a highly successful learning journey aiming at the top bands.
Morning break
10.45 – 11.00am
Paper 1: Achieving A and A* in Listening, Reading and Writing
11.00 – 12.20pm
- Going beyond the B grade and providing the skills for top level A and A* performance, in Paper 1. What do examiners say?
- Tackling the summaries: Dos and Don’ts to reach the highest grades and strategies to extensively practise this section of the exam in your lessons.
- Translation and grammar, what is required to reach the top band and how to ensure your teaching methods work to this.
- Key discrimination questions: the gap fill task and how to tackle it.
Lunch
12.20 – 1.20pm
Paper 2: Key challenges for grade A and A* students
1.20 – 2.00pm
- Analysing different essay writings and discussing what are the common strands in a A/A* performance.
- Teaching techniques for top level students to strengthen structure and offer relevant, detailed information with excellent critical analysis.
- Methods for students to use and manipulate grammatical structures and vocabulary at grade A and A* level.
Afternoon break
2.00 – 2.15pm
Paper 3: Stretching and challenging able students for A/A* Speaking
2.15 – 3.00pm
- Techniques to develop the viewpoints of your students and make sure they make reference to Spanish speaking countries, analytically, when discussing topics, including in the IRP
- Analysing different students’ performances and discussing what are the common strands in an A/A* oral performance.
- Building vocabulary and developing high end skills.
Finishing Touches: Individual research project
3.00 – 3.30pm
- Making a relevant and personal choice of topic for the Independent Research Project
- Developing your students’ ability to respond readily and spontaneously to ensure that the highest grade criteria are met
- Making effective use of a wide range of vocabulary and complex structures appropriate to the task
- Managing the Independent Research Project
Exam Tactics for Reaching the Highest Grades
3.30 – 3.45pm
- What are the biggest challenges in A-Level Spanish for the A/A* learner?
- Retention, recall and deployment. Hints for embedding chronology and coverage of key content.
- Revision ideas to help students produce the highest quality responses
