The nature of the learners
At this level, students bring to their learning existing knowledge of the Spanish language and the cultures of Spanish speakers and a range of learning strategies. They are increasingly aware of the world beyond their own and are engaging with youth-related and social and environmental issues. They require continued guidance and mentoring but work increasingly independently to analyse, reflect on and monitor their language learning and intercultural experiences. They are considering future pathways and options, including the possible role of Spanish in these.
Spanish language learning and use
This is a period of language exploration, vocabulary expansion and experimentation with different modes of communication (for example, digital media, collaborative performance and group discussions). Learners become more confident in communicating in a wider range of contexts through greater control of language structures and increased understanding of the variability of language use. They use Spanish to communicate and interact; to access and exchange information; to express feelings and opinions; to participate in imaginative and creative experiences; and to create, interpret and analyse a wider range of texts and experiences. They use Spanish more fluently, with a greater degree of self-correction and repair. They reference the accuracy of their language use against a stronger frame of grammatical knowledge. They demonstrate understanding of language variation and change and of how intercultural experience, technology, media and globalisation influence communication.
Contexts of interaction
Learners interact with peers, teachers and other Spanish speakers in immediate and local contexts, and with wider communities and cultural resources via virtual and online environments. They may access additional experience of the Spanish language and the cultures of the Spanish speaking world through interschool events, or community events such as film festivals or cultural performances.
Texts and resources
Learners use texts designed for language learning, such as textbooks, teacher-generated materials and online resources. Learning is enriched by exposure to a range of authentic materials designed for or generated by young Spanish speakers in a variety of Spanish-speaking regions, such as video clips, magazine features, television programs or advertisements. Students take some responsibility for sourcing additional materials to support their own learning.
Features of Spanish language use
Learners use more complex language in spoken and written forms. They adjust tone, expression and intonation to shade meaning and to convey emotions. They expand their knowledge and control of grammatical elements such as verb tenses (imperfecto, futuro simple, condicional) and direct and indirect object pronouns. They use a range of cohesive devices to sequence and describe events in detail and to complete communicative tasks that involve planning, performance, and collaborative and independent work. Their language production includes elements of interpreting, creating, evaluating and performing. They engage in critical analysis of texts such as advertisements and media reports, identifying how language choices reflect perspectives and cultural contexts.
Learners examine the processes involved in using a different language, recognising them as cognitive, cultural and personal as well as linguistic. They explore the reciprocal nature of intercultural communication: how moving between different languages and cultural systems impacts on ways of thinking and behaving; and how successful communication requires flexibility, awareness and openness to alternative ways. They develop the capacity to ‘decentre’ from normative ways of thinking and communicating, to consider themselves through the eyes of others, and to communicate in interculturally appropriate ways.
Level of support
Support at this level of learning includes provision of rich and varied stimulus materials, continued scaffolding and modelling of language functions and communicative tasks, and explicit instruction and explanation of the grammatical system. Learners are provided with opportunities to discuss, clarify, practise and apply their knowledge. Critical and constructive teacher feedback combines with peer support and self-review to monitor and evaluate learning outcomes (for example, portfolios, peer review, digital journals).
The role of English
Spanish is used in more extended and elaborated ways. English continues to be used when needed for substantive discussion, explanation and analysis. This allows learners to talk in depth and detail about the experience of learning Spanish and about their thoughts on culture, identity and intercultural experience, supporting discussion of concepts such as ‘stereotypes’, ‘difference’, ‘diversity’ and ‘values’. It allows for a degree of expression and reflection that is beyond learners’ communicative capabilities in Spanish.
By the end of Year 10, students use written and spoken Spanish to initiate and sustain interactions with teachers, peers and others in a range of settings and for a range of purposes. They use language spontaneously to offer opinions on social issues and to discuss young people’s interests, behaviours and values across cultural contexts. They justify opinions such as No creo que sea la mejor manera de resolver…, Estoy en contra de esa idea porque…, evaluate perspectives and reflect on their own language learning. They collaboratively plan and organise events and manage diverse views by using the subjunctive mood to express emotion and doubt and give negative commands (for example; Siento que no puedas ir a La Habana, Es posible que compre un reproductor MP3, No pienso que sea … Siento que estés enfermo … ¡No grites tanto!), the imperative mood for commands (for example, Hazlo bien, Toma el jugo/zumo, Escríbeme, Llámala …), and passive voice when appropriate (for example, se cometieron errores). Students locate, analyse, synthesise and evaluate ideas and information on local and global issues from a range of perspectives and sources. They present information using different modes of presentation to suit different audiences and to achieve different purposes. They select appropriate nouns and adjectives to describe values and attitudes identified in different imaginative texts, such as Ese joven no sirve para nada / Es un joven valiente, Ellos son ilegales / Ellos son los refugiados. They produce a variety of imaginative texts that reflect ideas, attitudes or values associated with Spanish-speaking communities, applying knowledge of the imperfect (for example, Cuando era joven vivíamos en Bogotá, Vivía en Granada cuando Pedro se graduó) and conditional tenses (for example, Valdría la pena ver los murales de Diego Rivera). They use grammatical elements such as reflexive verbs (for example, acostarse, cepillarse) and relative pronouns (for example, el amigo que visitamos), and use cohesive devices (for example, sin embargo, por eso, pero) to link and extend ideas, and time markers such as al día siguiente, después de…, más tarde… for sequencing. When translating Spanish, students identify cultural perspectives and explain how they have been represented. They create bilingual texts that reflect aspects of language and culture for both English-speaking and Spanish-speaking audiences. They contribute to mutual understanding when participating in intercultural experiences, and explain how family and cultural traditions shape people’s sense of identity.
Students identify connections between the variety of other languages used in different communities in the Spanish-speaking world and explain some of the variations in Spanish, such as the pronunciation of the letters c, s and z, and different ways of pronouncing ll and y. They use appropriate metalanguage to explain grammatical features such as word order, tenses and subjunctive mood and the purpose and features of different texts, such as informative and persuasive texts. Students analyse the influence of language on peoples’ actions, values and beliefs, including its capacity to include and exclude. They explain ways in which language and culture are interrelated and influence each other.