Spanish is a global language, the third most widely spoken language in the world (after English and Mandarin Chinese) and at St. Columb's we will teach you how to speak it with confidence by the end of Year 12.

With a very experienced team of teachers, two of whom are native speakers, we will break down the language for you over the three years of Key Stage Three so that you can build up your knowledge in manageable chunks gaining confidence as you progress. You will learn about the basics of Spanish grammar and learn language so that you can speak about yourself, your family, your city and your school.  Lessons are varied as you will learn by listening, speaking, reading and writing.  Of course, you will also learn about life in Spain and Latin-America and their famous celebrations and fiestas.  If you are lucky, you might even be able to attend one of our KS3 trips abroad to the beautiful city of Valencia in eastern Spain.  

The CCEA courses that we follow at GCSE and A Level, will help to deepen your understanding of Spanish and improve your fluency when speaking.  Our pupils begin to realise that they have a good level and can manage a proper conversation.  Classes with our language assistant are a fun way of learning. The KS4 and A Level trip is usually to Andalucia or Madrid where pupils enjoy ordering their own dinner in Spanish and listening to guides explain about important monuments in Spanish!  We use the Claro series textbook which has a digital version which pupils can access from home so you can even do extra listening work if you want.

Learning Spanish is enriching both academically and culturally.  The skills you gain by studying any language will help to improve your memory and problem-solving skills.  By studying a global language like Spanish, you will open doors in the future and enable yourself to see the world differently, improving your memory and listening skills.  

By combining Spanish with other subjects later, you can prepare for all sorts of career opportunities in international business, government, travel or communications.  The ability to speak Spanish allows all professions to work internationally so Spanish gives you an edge and will be a gateway to a vast range of opportunities for you.

Learning Spanish is a door to a new beginning. Spanish gives me the ability to communicate with other speakers.  It does not feel like a burden as a subject on your timetable but more like fun pastime. 
Eoghan Carlin (2022-23)

I decided to choose Spanish because for me, it is an important subject to have, for Career choices and for everyday life. However, it is also an enjoyable subject to learn as the longer you spend learning Spanish the easier it is to understand which makes it more fun.
Marc Black (2022-23)

I chose to study A Level Spanish as it opens many doors for the future and grants you the ability to travel. 
Niall Boyd Year 13 (2018-19)

I chose to study A Level Spanish as it provides many more opportunities to me.  Employers are keen to hire someone who has a knowledge of a foreign language and having Spanish will help me gain employment.  It will allow me to travel and work across large parts of the world like Spain and Latin America; Spanish is spoken by 400 million people across 21 countries.
Adam Devenney Year 13 (2018-19)

I chose to study A Level Spanish because the classes are very interactive and interesting.  On top of that, you have the opportunity of speaking classes twice a week with the Spanish assistant which will help improve pronunciation and fluency massively.
Eoin Brady Year 13 (2018-19)

I chose to study A Level Spanish because I enjoy the subject but also consider it a more useful A Level than others.  By studying Spanish, you will acquire a valuable skill for work when travelling in the future.  Spanish isn't something that you learn and then forget a week after the exam.  The actual classes are interesting and interactive and cover lots of skills.
Adam Green Year 13 (2018-19)