is spanish an essay based subject

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• How to Choose the Right A-levels: a Guide for GCSE Students

However, the decisions you make now will set you on a course that can be difficult to change, so it’s important to make the right subject choices at this early stage. The aim of this guide is to help you see things more clearly and get a good impression of the possible options, whether you have your heart set on a particular career path or not. We’ll consider the best A-levels to take for a variety of popular university subjects, and then give some more general advice if you’re not sure what it is you want to study.

How many A-levels should I take?

The minimum requirement even for the best universities is that you take three A-levels (excluding General Studies); these will be the basis of your offer. Some students choose to take on additional AS or full A-level subjects, giving them a total of four or five A-levels with which to apply to university. With the possible exception of the occasional Oxbridge college, you won’t be at a disadvantage for only taking three; indeed, it’s better to take three and get brilliant results in all three than it is to take on more than you can handle and get worse results because of it. Only take on what you think you can realistically manage, and talk to your teachers about the workload you can expect from the subjects you think you might want to study.

As a minimum, students will usually choose four AS-level subjects, one of which will be dropped at A2. General Studies is a compulsory fifth AS or even A2 subject at many schools, but will not usually count towards university admissions. It doesn’t require much extra study, however. One general piece of advice is: don’t take courses that are too similar. For instance, Biology is very similar to Human Biology. While it’s good to be fairly focused, it’s better to demonstrate a wider breadth of knowledge and skills by picking complementary but different fields, such as Biology and Chemistry. It’s also worth remembering that exam boards differ. For instance, OCR is reputed to be harder for Maths than AQA or Edexcel. While you probably won’t have any choice in which exam board you use unless you’re self-studying the subject in question, it’s worth looking up which exam board your school uses so you can be sure the kind of assessment you’ll receive will suit you.

The best A-levels for specific degree subjects

Let’s start by looking in detail at recommended A-level subjects for those who know what subject they want to take a degree in. We’ve covered the most common degree courses below. Universities typically differentiate between subjects that are essential for studying a particular course and subjects that are merely useful. Therefore in the subject lists that follow, those in bold are generally deemed essential for studying the subject, while those in italics are often seen as useful but not necessarily required. The rest are subjects that complement the course with transferrable skills or useful background knowledge, and are suggestions based on ideas offered by a selection of university admissions pages.

A-levels in Latin and Classical Greek are highly desirable if you want to study classics. We’ve marked them as essential below, as they are a requirement for many Classics courses. However, not all schools offer these subjects at A-level, and many universities also offer ab initio courses for those who haven’t studied the classical languages before. If you choose this option, you’ll may be required to attend a summer school or get your Latin and Greek up to a minimum standard in some other way during the summer preceding the start of your university course. – Latin – Classical Greek – Foreign Language, e.g. French or Italian – Classical Civilisations – Classics courses usually contain some element of studying the history and archaeology of the time, so a grounding in the basics will prove helpful if this option is open to you. – History – History of Art

Politics degree courses don’t usually carry any specific entrance requirements, and a mix of humanities and sciences will provide a solid foundation and good general knowledge. – History – Government and Politics – Geography – Sociology – Psychology – Economics – English Literature – Foreign Language – Law – Mathematics

Many music degrees have performance, theory, history and composition components. A-level Music, along with a high standard on at least one musical instrument (with practical and theory exam grades to prove it), will be essential or highly desirable. In addition to your main instrument, Grade 5 piano is often considered desirable. If your school doesn’t offer A-level music, some universities will accept ABRSM Grade 8 Music Theory instead (note that A-level Music Technology is unlikely to be considered a suitable alternative to A-level Music). Other than music, it’s up to you what else you study; essay-based subjects are useful, and it’s often said that musicians make good mathematicians (and vice versa)! – Music – English Literature – History – Mathematics

While there are usually no set requirements for studying Philosophy at university, a mix of arts and science subjects will prove useful – an arts-based subject will give you essay-writing skills, while science subjects help develop your logic and reason. If your school offers Philosophy it would be worth taking it; though it won’t be an advantage in applying (since not many schools offer it, it would put you at an unfair advantage), it will at least give you a feel for the subject and whether it’s something you’d like to pursue. – Philosophy – English Literature – English Language and Literature – History – Mathematics – Physics

Most universities have no specific entrance requirements for Geography – not even A-level Geography! – instead favouring a mix of humanities and sciences subjects. Geography is quite a wide-ranging subject and can focus on aspects to do with people (populations, demographics and so on) or on Earth processes. Note that even though Geography A-level isn’t usually a requirement, in practice most applicants will have it, and if nothing else, studying it at A-level will at least help you make sure it’s what you want to study at university. – Geography – Geology – Economics – Sociology – Environmental Science – Biology – Chemistry – Mathematics – Physics – Foreign Language

Engineering

The study of engineering at university typically requires A-levels in Mathematics and at least one other science, usually Physics. Further Mathematics is not usually given as an entrance requirement, but it is definitely highly desirable to at least AS level, as you’re likely to struggle without if you take engineering to degree level. Technology subjects are also seen as desirable by many universities. – Mathematics – Physics – Further Mathematics – Chemistry – Biology – Environmental Science – Geology – Geography – Computer Science – Design and Technology – Economics – Statistics

Oxford Royale offers summer courses in engineering for those that are looking to learn about the profession, develop skills and improve their chances to a successful application in the future.

Economists deal with a lot of numbers, so you’ll need Mathematics and ideally Further Mathematics to be able to study Economics at university. Economics at A-level is useful preparation, but don’t worry if your school doesn’t offer it; Business Studies is also seen as a good relevant A-level. – Mathematics – Further Mathematics – Economics – Business Studies – Government and Politics – Statistics

Oxford Royale offers summer courses in business for those that are looking to learn about the profession, develop skills and improve their chances to a successful application in the future.

With Chemistry and Mathematics generally seen as essential for the study of Chemistry at undergraduate level, it’s advisable to have at least one other science and Further Mathematics. We’ve included the most traditional and respected ones here; some universities will also accept subjects such as Computing, Design and Technology and Psychology as additional science subjects. – Chemistry – Mathematics – Physics – Biology – Human Biology – Further Mathematics

Further Mathematics, while not usually part of offers, is in reality something that most students will struggle without when it comes to studying physics as an undergraduate. It’s advisable to have at least two science subjects. As above, we’ve included the most well-respected subjects here. – Physics – Mathematics – Further Mathematics – Chemistry – Biology – Human Biology

As with the other sciences, at least two science subjects at A-level are recommended for studying a Biology degree. If you want to focus on Human Biology in your degree but your school doesn’t offer Human Biology A-level, you shouldn’t be at any disadvantage. Again, only the most well-respected subjects are included here. – Biology/Human Biology – Mathematics – Chemistry – Physics – Further Mathematics

Chemistry is normally considered essential for medicine, with at least one other science subject (normally Biology or Physics). In practice, the vast majority of applicants will have three or more science subjects, which will put them at an advantage over someone with only two sciences. – Chemistry – Biology/Human Biology – Physics – Mathematics – Psychology (note that this is unlikely to be considered for your second science subject; it might make a good AS subject or fourth A-level)

Oxford Royale offers summer courses in medicine for those that are looking to learn about the profession, develop skills and improve their chances to a successful application in the future.

Mathematics

Mathematics is essential. Further Mathematics is also essential at some universities, though most will offer catch-up classes if your school doesn’t offer it. If you can take Further Mathematics, you certainly should; a third science subject will strengthen your skills in related areas. This is the one exception to the rule that you should not take courses that are too similar. – Maths – Further Maths – Physics – Chemistry – Biology/Human Biology – Statistics – Computing

While no specific subjects are required, you’ll usually need a science A-level to study Psychology at university, ideally Biology and/or Mathematics. Social sciences and humanities subjects can provide useful background as well, and if Psychology is offered at your school then it’s worth taking it so that you know whether it’s something you’ll find interesting enough to take to degree level. – Psychology – Biology/Human Biology – Mathematics – Chemistry – Sociology

Computer Science

You don’t normally need to know any programming in order to take a Computer Science degree, but Mathematics is essential and Further Mathematics desirable. Taking at least one other science subject would also be useful. Many students think that ICT would be advantageous; in fact, it’s probably better avoided. – Mathematics – Further Mathematics – Physics – Chemistry – Computer Science – Electronics – Geology

Architecture

Architecture doesn’t necessarily require specific A-levels; what it does require is that you present a portfolio of your work, which is mostly easily achieved by taking an A-level that requires you produce that sort of coursework, such as Art or Art and Design. A minority of Architecture courses also require Maths. Some Architecture courses are more Art-orientated and others are more Maths or Physics-orientated, so bear this in mind when choosing your A-levels if you prefer a particular course or a particular university. – Mathematics – Art – Design and Technology – Further Mathematics – Physics – Chemistry – History of Art – Geology

Oxford Royale offers summer courses in architecture for those that are looking to learn about the profession, develop skills and improve their chances to a successful application in the future.

Keeping your options open

Many people have absolutely no idea what they want to do at university or for their career. That’s not a problem at all – it just means you need to keep your options open when it comes to your A-level choices. So what’s the best thing to do if you really have no idea? Choose subjects you enjoy – you’ll do better in your studies if you have an interest in the subject! Choose subjects in which you are predicted to get good GCSE grades – chances are you’ll do well in these subjects at A-level, too, earning you better grades and therefore more university options. Choose a range of subjects – both humanities and science subjects. This will give you the greatest choice when it comes to applying for university. It’s also worth thinking about the transferrable skills demonstrated by different subject choices. For example: – Essay-based subjects such as English Literature or History demonstrate analytical skills and critical thinking. – Science subjects such as Physics or Mathematics demonstrate logic and familiarity with scientific principles. – Practical subjects such as Art or Music demonstrate self-discipline and creative thinking. If you pick a range of subjects across these fields, you’ll have more than enough to show your capabilities in different areas.

Subjects best avoided for top universities

Taking more traditional A-level subjects such as English, History or the sciences will generally open up more doors for you than some of the newer subjects. The entrance requirements don’t always say it, but there are some subjects that aren’t looked on with much respect by many universities, particularly top ones. This is because some subjects don’t necessarily develop or demonstrate the academic and scholarly skills needed to succeed at undergraduate level. If you’re thinking of applying for a respected university, non-traditional subjects such as those below are best avoided unless they’re a fourth or fifth AS or A-level sitting alongside three solid traditional choices: General studies – this is compulsory at a lot of schools and colleges. Just bear in mind that it’s very unlikely to count towards your minimum three A-levels required for university admissions. Critical Thinking Media Studies – unless you’re applying for a degree in media or film studies, of course! Dance Home Economics

‘Facilitating’ subjects

Another source you might want to take into account when choosing your A-levels is the Russell Group’s list of so-called ‘facilitating subjects’ – particularly if you’re thinking of applying to a Russell Group university. The subjects are: – Mathematics and Further Mathematics – English Literature – Physics – Biology – Chemistry – Geography – History – Languages (Classical and Modern) These are the subjects that are most often required by top universities. It’s worth being clear it’s not an exhaustive list of ‘hard’ subjects, but instead it’s the case that picking options from this list will keep your options open. For example, taking Business Studies, Economics and Law will leave you well set for an Economics degree at most universities, but taking Mathematics, Geography and a language will be equally good preparation for an Economics degree while leaving a slew of other possibilities open to you, as well as being more respected by top universities. If you’re aiming for Oxford or Cambridge , choosing subjects from this list is even more important; Clare College in Cambridge says that “most of our successful applicants over the last couple of years have offered facilitating subjects for most or all of their A-levels.” So what do you do if most or all of your first choices of subject aren’t on this list? First of all, it depends on which degree you’re aiming for. If you’ve got your heart set on something like Music, Drama or Art, those subjects are more likely to form part of your A-level choices, even at top universities. Additionally, universities lower down the league tables will place less importance on your subject choices so long as they remain relevant to your course choice. But if you’re aiming for an academic subject at a Russell Group university – or a non-Russell Group university with a similar position in the league tables – you’ll need to take at least two subjects from the list above to give yourself a good chance of getting in.

Making the final choice

To help make your final decision, talk to your teachers and read the syllabus for each of the courses you’re potentially interested in. You could even pop to the library and take a look at some of the texts and course books you’d be expected to study. This will help you get a feel for what each subject is like, and should aid your decision-making process. Finally, good luck – you have an exciting time ahead of you and we hope this guide has helped you!

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Arts Sciences

• Preferred A Levels

Preferred UK GCE A Levels for Arts and Sciences

• Subjects marked with an asterisk (*) will only be counted as an essay-based subject if there is a minimum 50% essay-based or written response assessment as part of the overall award. This may vary by exam board so please contact us if you have any queries about this.
• Mathematics and Further Mathematics can be considered as two separate A Levels.
• If a student takes an A Level in their native language, it is at the discretion of UCL as to whether this will be considered as a 'humanities' A Level for the purposes of Arts and Sciences (BASc). Please contact us if you have a specific query.
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Essay based Subjects: What they are and Some Examples

• by Joseph Kenas
• February 11, 2024

Essay writing is a very important part of your academic studies. In your academic journey, you will find essay-based subjects that will require you to write an essay on a particular topic.

Always remember that an essay is just an argument or discussion about a topic. Therefore, you have to write an essay that includes paragraphs each having a theme or purpose.

No matter the subject you are writing about, essays can be simple to write as long as you follow the right structure. 

What is an Essay Based Subject?

In high school, college, or university, the number of essays you write will depend on the subject you have chosen. Subjects that need the student to write a lot of essays for the exams are referred to as essay-based subjects .

History, languages, economics, and literature are some of the subjects that require a student to write frequent essays.

Yet still, most of the humanity and social science subjects also need a lot of research and writing of essay papers. 

Most essay-based subjects require the student to have analytical skills that enable good research for writing papers.

Students who choose these types of subjects need to practice critical thinking at all times. 

A good example is English literature and History. If a student does not have these skills, writing a good essay will become a problem. 

For other essay-based subjects such as physics, students need to be familiar with scientific principles before they can write good essays.

Creativity in thinking and a demonstration of self-discipline are important if you want to achieve good grades in these subjects. Nurture your study skills as a student to excel in subject-based essays

There are also practical subjects such as Music and Art which also have essay writing in some areas. Without imaginative and inventive skills, these subjects will not be easy to pass. 

Is Psychology an Essay-Based Subject?

Psychology is an essay-based subject in many ways. If you are pursuing a degree in psychology, you have to know how to write compelling essays which will be part of your final grades.

The writing of essays in psychology gives students a good opportunity to explore different aspects of this subject. As a psychology student, essay writing allows you to investigate deeply a topic you have chosen.

As long as the topic is within the subject of psychology, professors do give students the privilege to write about what they prefer. In the end, you will be able to sharpen your research, analytical, evaluation and communication skills. 

Since psychology revolves around the study of behavior, essay writing can help to enhance a student’s understanding of behaviors.

Research for essay writing from a psychology perspective will allow the student to learn terms and methods in this subject.

Psychology is a subject that needs a proper understanding of the methodologies involved. Without adequate knowledge and understanding of this subject, writing a good essay will be difficult. 

The choice of essay topic on this subject can be on an area covered in the course. However, students can also choose a good topic of their interest that does not relate to the subject content.

As long as you select a field in psychology that you have an interest in, you can write a good essay. 

30 Essay Based Subjects

• Anthropology 
• Archaeology
• Environmental science 
• Ancient history
• English language
• English literature
• Classical civilization
• Government and politics
• Health and social care
• Media studies
• History of art
• Criminology
• Religious studies
• Design and technology
• Product design
• Political science
• Global politics

How to Study and Pass Essay Based Subjects

It is not easy to prepare for exams involving essay-based subjects. If you want to pass with a good grade, you have to make the most out of your revision. Practice essay writing tips to keep you focused.

Below are effective tips on how to study and pass essay based subjects:

1.Be a Friend of the Teacher                                                                                      

Teachers play a very important role in helping you pass exams. This is what will propel you to the next level of education or give you a good job.

However, they have to prepare hundreds of students for the exams. As such, they may not be able to tell you everything unless you ask.

If you are a friend of the teacher, it will be easy to ask questions and get good tips on how to prepare for your exams.  You’ll also not be the students who have excuses to submit their assignments late.

Most teachers are willing to extend a helping hand to students so that they have an easy time preparing for exams. Therefore, when you need help in your study and revision, take advantage of the teacher’s help.

2. Plan your Revision

With proper planning, revising for essay-based subjects can be effective. You should start your revision in time so that you do not have to cram everything on the last day of the exam.

If you start revising early, you can have small amounts of time dedicated to each subject or topic.

Small revision parts each day for a longer period are more effective than trying to cram everything the night before your exams. 

 Also, you can plan to revise one subject at a time or alternate revisions between various subjects of study.

What you need is a suitable revision pattern that works well for you. All in all, always make revision a habit. Create specific set times of the day to revise and ensure you stick by it. 

3. Relaxing Activities

Even though studying for essay-based exams needs a lot of preparation, interspersing with relaxing activities is also advisable.

This helps to stop the overloading of the brain especially when you feel exhausted. You can take a walk, listen to your favorite music or take part in sports. 

Just take part in whatever activity you like but ensure the breaks do not become distractions. 

4. Avoiding Distractions

Effective studying for exams cannot go well if there are distractions. Social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Instagram are the greatest enemies. Develop routines to help you use your free time productively.

Notifications from friends will always pop up and distract you from studying. One way of avoiding this is by installing a locking app so that you can disable your social media for a specific period. 

Another alternative is to block your web browser or the internet router. You can block access and create a restriction for a specific period.

With help from friends and family members, have a blocking schedule. Far from that, find a quiet place where you can do your revisions effectively.

If there is no quiet place at home, the nearby library is the best place where you can study comfortably. 

5. Create a Glossary

When the exam period approaches, it is good to come up with a list of all the important words and phrases that you need to know.

For each of the modules, ensure you list important phrases that you need to remember. Have a brief definition of each of the terms which are important for the exams.

You can then go back to your glossary and test your ability to remember these terms. 

6. Practice Essay Writing Regularly

Regularly writing essays will give you a clue about how to go about your exams. It makes you master the time you will need to plan, write and proofread your essay.

With the use of past papers, you can know the type of questions that are frequently asked in your area of study. This will boost your flexibility and confidence because you will be familiar with all the course materials. 

Joseph is a freelance journalist and a part-time writer with a particular interest in the gig economy. He writes about schooling, college life, and changing trends in education. When not writing, Joseph is hiking or playing chess.

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Politics, International Relations and Modern Languages (Spanish)

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Thank you for considering an application.

Here's what you need in order to apply:

• Royal Holloway's institution code: R72

Make a note of the UCAS code for the course you want to apply for:

• Politics, International Relations and Modern Languages (Spanish) BA - LR24
• Click on the link below to apply via the UCAS website:

Key information

Duration: 4 years full time

UCAS code: LR24

Institution code: R72

Campus: Egham

Politics, International Relations and Modern Languages (Spanish) (BA)

Politics, International Relations and Modern Languages explores the key areas of contemporary politics and international relations and combines these with the in-depth study of Spanish language, society and culture. Taught in partnership between the Department of Politics, International Relations and Philosophy, and the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, this course is informed by the outstanding research and international outlook of both departments.

The politics element of the course provides an introduction to the working of international relations. This includes research into areas such security, international diplomacy, and the use of military force, as well as European languages and cultures.

Spanish is a major world language and Spain itself is a key player in Europe, while Latin America is expected to see significant expansion over the coming decades as globalisation continues to gather pace. Choosing to study Spanish at Royal Holloway means joining our friendly, supportive and culturally diverse community where you will be inspired by leading specialists from one of the UK’s most interdisciplinary Hispanic Studies teams.

As a modern linguist, you will not only learn to speak and write fluently, you will also develop excellent communication and research skills and combine language proficiency with cross-cultural perspectives. You will be taught by dedicated language specialists, who will ensure that you gain valuable exposure to different varieties of Spanish. You will have the opportunity to spend a year working, teaching or studying, in a Spanish-speaking city, such as Havana, Madrid, Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile, Mexico City, Seville or Salamanca, where you will immerse yourself in the language and culture, truly broadening your horizons in the process.

• Study with leading experts Politics, International Relations and European affairs. • Taught in partnership with the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. • Spend a year of study and/or work in a Spanish-speaking country. • Gain written and verbal fluency in Spanish. • Other language options in French (LR21), German (LR22), and Italian (LR23)

• Study with leading experts on Brexit and EU Budgets.
• Taught in partnership with the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.
• Spend a year of study and/or work in a Spanish-speaking country.
• Gain written and verbal fluency in Spanish.
• Other language options in German (R200), Italian (R300) and French (R100).

From time to time, we make changes to our courses to improve the student and learning experience. If we make a significant change to your chosen course, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.

Course structure

Core modules.

This module offers a broad introduction to theory and history in international relations since 1870. You will look at a variety of different theoretical lenses, ranging from orthodox to critical perspectives, in order to understand events from the collapse of the Bismarckian European order and the origins of World War 1 to the contemporary War on Terror. Along the way you will also explore the origins and the end of the Cold War, decolonisation and the End of Empire, the rise of international institutions, humanitarian intervention and new security issues.

This module will introduce you to the academic study of politics and to the ‘real world’ of contemporary politics. As a foundational course, it will give you all the essential tools to understand the nature of politics and analyse the way different political systems work. You will be introduced to key concepts such as politics, power, rights, ideologies, democracy and representation, and will learn about the different actors, institutions and processes that make up politics today.

You will take one or two of the following modules in Spanish depending on your language proficiency

The module develops students' command of both Spanish-English translation and critical analysis of Spanish-language material by exposing them to a range of source material which might include prose fiction, poetry, drama, film, graphic novels, multimedia and web content, and newspaper and magazine articles.

The module aims to develop reading and writing skills in Spanish. Classes use Spanish as much as possible and the module is assessed in Spanish. The module uses a blended approach: it is based on a beginners' coursebook with additional material on Moodle and as weekly hand-outs based on authentic material. Themes studied vary from year to year but are likely to include every-day life in France, an introduction to Spanish-speaking society and culture, regions and traditions.

The module aims to develop speaking and listening skills in Spanish. Classes use Spanish as much as possible and the module is assessed in Spanish. The module uses a blended approach: it is based on a beginners' coursebook with additional material on Moodle and as weekly hand-outs based on authentic material. Themes studied vary from year to year but are likely to include every-day life in Spanish-speaking countries, an introduction to Spanish-speaking society and culture, regions and traditions.

The module aims to expand students’ ability to express themselves in accurate written Spanish. Major grammatical issues will be taught and/or revised, and students will work on a wide range of authentic material in Spanish to expand their vocabulary and range of expressions. Key linguistic features of the texts will be identified and discussed to improve the student’s language acquisition and analysis skills.  The module will be taught and assessed in Spanish.

The module aims to expand students’ ability to express themselves in accurate spoken Spanish. Students will work on a wide range of authentic material in Spanish to expand their vocabulary and range of expressions and to introduce them to contemporary issues and culture. The module will be taught and assessed in Spanish.

In this module you will analyse the contemporary politics of the European Union and its institutions, amid the challenges of the triple crisis of economics, migration and Brexit. You will learn about the political history of European integration after 1949 and the contemporary theory of European integration. The first term will begin with an introduction to the European Union as a political system followed by an overview of the European Union's historical development. The second term will focus on contestation of the European Union and the theories that underpin this, in order to explain how the EU developed and the challenges that it faces. Topics will include Euroscepticism, party politics, public opinion, Brexit and EU-UK relations, and European Parliament elections. The theory sessions comprise of federalism, neo-functionalism, liberal intergovernmentalism and the new institutionalisms.

This module offers four hours of weekly contact time each term and an additional hour for oral practice. The first two hours focus on reading, writing, and oral skills, combining in-class exercises with homework review based on a journalistic text. The third hour is dedicated to listening comprehension, occasionally held in language labs. The final hour features a grammar lecture introducing new verb tenses and structures, which are then practised in the following week. Weekly lesson content, tutor-prepared material, and audio-visual resources like podcasts, TV, and radio programs are provided. Classes incorporate a flexible approach, ranging from formal exposition to communicative activities in pairs and small groups. Spanish is used predominantly in the classroom, and multimedia resources are encouraged for independent study. Regular homework assignments are assigned.

In this module you’ll learn to demonstrate good lexical and grammatical competence in the four skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing in Spanish. You’ll learn to understand and communicate effectively in Spanish across a complete range of tenses and will participate competently in conversation with a native speaker.

• Advanced Spanish Translation: Skills and Practice

You will spend the third year of your degree programme abroad, either studying, working, or both, based on your own learning preferences as well as your professional goals and interests. It is usually expected that you will spend at least nine months in a country where the native language is the same as the language you are studying. The Year Abroad allows you to expand and refine your existing linguistic competencies in the relevant target language alongside the development of intercultural competency and employability skills. The Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures will support you in finding a suitable study or work placement, or you may explore opportunities independently. This year forms an integral part of your degree programme and will be formally assessed.

In this module you will develop an understanding of regulation in the European Union, including delivery of policy and administration. You will look at how the world's largest market operates, with a focus on EU public policy, including de-regulation, re-regulation, budgets and spending. You will examine the concept of the single market, the Euro and its crisis, justice, home affairs and counter-terrorism, the EU budget, agriculture, regional development, and social and environmental policies.

You will take the following module in Spanish:

This module is taught entirely in Spanish and provides a variety of formal grammar lectures, written and oral classes. You’ll demonstrate lexical and grammatical competence in the four skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing in Spanish and will learn to understand and communicate fluently in Spanish across a complete range of tenses. You’ll participate in conversation with a native speaker and will learn awareness of key cultural aspects of the Hispanic world.

Optional Modules

There are a number of optional course modules available during your degree studies. The following is a selection of optional course modules that are likely to be available. Please note that although the College will keep changes to a minimum, new modules may be offered or existing modules may be withdrawn, for example, in response to a change in staff. Applicants will be informed if any significant changes need to be made.

Optional modules in Spanish may include:

• Passion and Betrayal on the Spanish Stage

The module provides a selective but wide-ranging introduction to culture in the Hispanic world from the 15th to the 21st century. It explores a broad range of cultural manifestations from different socio-historical contexts both independently and comparatively from a topic-based perspective. Materials may include plays, narratives, poems, paintings, sculptures, musical compositions and architectural works, while topics may be drawn from (but not be limited to) the following: ‘Discovery’, ‘Destruction’, ‘Subversion’, ‘Self-fashioning’, ‘Power’ and ‘the Body’.

Students on this module will be introduced to some of the most important literary, visual and cinematic works from twentieth century Latin America. The works from selected writers pertaining to the Latin American Literary Boom will feature on this module, as well as some of the Nobel Prize winning poets from Latin America. Students on this module will be provided with samples of the artistic wealth (both in styles and techniques) from artists across the Latin American continent. Attention will be paid to the question of identity as reflected in the cinemas of Cuba and Mexico; two of the most important film industries from Spanish speaking America.

• Text and Image In The Hispanic World
• Visual Cultures: Visualising Cuba

I in this module you will develop an understanding of contemporary British politics. You will look at the ways in which British government has evolved, how it continues to operate, and why it operates in the way it does. You will consider the causes and consequences of major political change in Britain and examine the underlying assumptions upon which theoretical disputes in political science are based.

In this module you will develop an understanding of some of the key concepts in political theory today. You will look at political obligation, civil disobedience, democracy, citizenship, equality, global justice, human rights, and freedom and toleration. You will consider important theorists including Berlin Rawls, Nozick, Sandel, Okin and Pettit, examining the recent major theoretical perspectives in the context of contemporary politics.

In this module you will develop an understanding of the relationship between states and markets, power and wealth. You will look at the key concepts and theoretical debates in International Political Economy, such as the globalisation of trade, finance, and production, the continued problems of development and democratic governance in the world economy, and emerging questions surrounding global flows, networks and spaces. You will consider the history of regimes, crises, and competing theories of political economy from the nineteenth century to the present day and examine how political institutions operate in international politics to regulate the creation of wealth, and who benefits from these arrangements.

In this module you will develop an understanding of security studies as a subfield of International Relations. You will look at the issue of war and it is/should be fought. You will consider the theories of security and how these have changed, especially in an age of terrorism, and examine a wide variety of security including nuclear weapons, drone warfare, genocide, and gun control.

In this module you will develop an understanding of the themes, arguments, and interpretations of major political thinkers from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. You will look at the works of Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Kant, Mill, Marx and Nietzsche and consider how the ideas articulated by these thinkers continue to underpin contemporary debates about the nature of freedom, human rights, value pluralism, popular sovereignty, state legitimacy, and the modern condition. You will also examine how study of these thinkers illuminates contemporary debates even where these debates no longer make reference to them.

In this module you will develop an understanding of how citizens, politicians and the media interact across Western democracies during both electoral and governing periods. You will look at the production and consumption of political news, consider election campaigns and their effects, and examine contemporary debates in political communication, including ethical issues.

• Government and Politics of the United States

In this module you will develop an understanding of the most important features of the history of the development of the non-West. You will look at the distinctive political dynamics characterising the contemporary non-West and consider the thoughts of prominent non-Western political thinkers.

During the module attention will be devoted to analysing samples from early Twentieth century Mexican visual arts. Students will study the Mexican Mural Movement and will analyse the work of its most prominent members. Attention will be paid to the works of Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros and José Clemente Orozco. The first part of this module will also cover the photographic works of Edward Weston, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Tina Modotti, Mariana Yampolski, Araceli Herrera and Graciela Iturbide. During the second part of this module students will be introduced to some of the most significant cinematic works from Mexico’s century of filmmaking. Students will analyse some of the most important filmic genres from a wide range of directors and periods in Mexican cinematic history. On this module students will be introduced to some areas of film theory and will learn how to apply theoretical concepts to a reading of Mexican visual arts and films.

On this module students will examine the ways in which critical historical moments in Latin America have been represented visually in a global context. We will explore how political unrest in Latin America has been memorialised by both filmmakers and photographers, with the aim of re-thinking how global imaginaries concerning the rebel and revolution have been constructed in film and photography.

In this module students will study films from the last twenty years in Spain. The films selected will in different ways express representations of identity in Spain. We will explore issues such as national and regional identities, linguistic diversity and national identity, Spanishness, cultural memory, history on screen, urban versus rural experience, cultural diversity, immigration and the portrayal of gender within new family paradigms.

In this module you will develop an understanding of the European Union's foreign relations, focussing on political, security and economic impacts. You will examine its international role, looking at the Common Foreign and Security Policy, its relationship with NATO, the USA and Russia, its connection to immediate neighbours in Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean, and its role in global trade negotiations.

• Power and Money in the European Union

The dissertation offers you the opportunity to pursue independent research in a topic of your own choosing with the support of an academic supervisor working one-to-one with you. You will develop your own research question and research strategy, explore the scholarly debates surrounding your topic, and advance your own thesis that interprets or challenges the way your topic has been understood. You are encouraged to use a variety of quantitative or qualitative methods and theoretical approaches as appropriate to the field you are exploring.

• US Foreign Policy
• Young People's Politics
• Leadership, Power and the British Prime Minister
• Visual Politics
• American Political Development
• The Politics of Russia and Eastern Europe
• Political Theories of Freedom
• Politics of the Law and Rights

Party leaders, and their public image, are increasingly considered important for a party’s electoral success, for the smooth running of government and for regime legitimacy. Perhaps the most important variable for successful politicians is their ability to effectively communicate and connect with their audiences. This module will first, show you the techniques most frequently used my politicians, communicators and speechwriters to effectively deliver their messages in different contexts and settings. Next, you will analyse how these techniques have been used by the greatest leaders in the word to justify their regimes. By the end of the module you will be able to evaluate leadership styles during and after elections and design communication strategies that will deliver political messages effectively.

• Military Change in the 21st Century
• Radical Political Theory
• Foundations in Middle East Politics
• Global Health Policy
• Politics and Government of Africa

The politics of South Asia – India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh - are central to understanding some of the themes at the core of modern politics: poverty and development, security and warfare, migration and transnationalism, decolonisation and postcolonialism, the international economy and globalisation. This module deals with the social and political development of these countries since independence from British rule in 1947. We will analyse issues including caste politics, the role of religious violence and the place of women in politics and society. Sources will come from a range of disciplines – politics and IR, history, sociology, anthropology, novels and films. We will study regional cooperation and conflict including the troubled relationship between India and Pakistan over Kashmir and their nuclear status. By the end of the module you will have a specialised understanding of the major social, economic and political developments in the region.

This module examines the contemporary literature on gender and politics, with a particular focus on women’s participation and representation in British politics. It introduces you to feminist theories of representation, debates over women’s interests, and feminist institutionalism. It applies these frameworks to consider why the number of women in our parliaments might matter and what difference – symbolic, substantive and affective – sex and gender make to elected political institutions, the policy process, political outcomes, and healthy democracies.

This final-year half module offers students the opportunity to obtain an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the British parliament and its place in British democracy. It will help you to evaluate the work and role of Parliament and parliamentarians, appreciate ongoing debates about contemporary legislative practice, and engage critically with previous academic scholarship in this area. It will also help you to develop you own awareness and experience of conducting research.

Issues of free speech are amongst the most contentious in current political debate. The module aims to give you an in depth understanding of the nature, value and limits of freedom of speech, from the perspective of normative political theory. It is not a course in the law of free speech, nor about the free speech situation in any particular country. Though the module touches on both the latter, the aim instead, is to enable you to understand the values, norms and principles at issue in contexts where free speech is promoted, regulated, limited or denied- especially contexts where that choice is contentious. You will be encouraged to look beyond the headlines to explore the rich and varied academic scholarship on free speech, and to offer critical analyses of that scholarship. By the end of the module, you should be able to interrogate your own and others’ intuitive reactions in controversial cases of e.g. hate speech, and to develop a reasoned, nuanced approach to these issues.

This module is designed to introduce advanced undergraduates to the major themes of contemporary Latin American politics and, consequently, democracy and political development. Although the module does not assume that you already have knowledge of the region, you are expected to be familiar with basic concepts of comparative political analysis. While the module stresses the political aspects of the developmental process, its objective is to show the linkages between economic, social, cultural, and political variables--both at national and international levels.

• Defence and Security Governance
• The Political Economy of Racial Injustice
• Narrative in World Politics
• Radical Political Theory: Nietzsche and Foucault
• Why and How People Vote
• Identity, Emotions and Trauma in International Politics
• Ethnic Politics and Ethnic Conflict

This module explores, compares and contrasts representations of social and political conflict in a range of 20th-century Latin American literary texts. It considers conflict in literature critically with regards to and in the context of some of the following: revolution, racial difference, social inequality, economic exploitation, exile, urban violence and historical memory. It provides students with a basic understanding of the historical background and trajectory of some of the most relevant socio-political movements and events in the continent in the module of the century.

• Journeys of Discovery in 20th- Century Spanish American Literature

This module introduces students to a range of important texts and authors, both canonical and non-canonical, from early modern Spain and France. Yet it does so through a selection of outsider figures – characters whose aberrant or idiosyncratic identity, outlook, or behaviour sets them at odds with their society. The characters on this module thus challenge some of society’s most deeply entrenched but often unwritten codes – of reason, gender, decorum, sexuality, class, and religion – and can thus offer important insights into the workings and values of the society whose norms they transgress. As we shall see, though, the treatment of such figures can vary widely. Whereas the outsider’s departure from the norm is often apparently ridiculed or censured, it can sometimes be celebrated or rehabilitated – whether by other characters within the fiction or by the literary work itself. Indeed, the period’s fascination with marginal or transgressive characters and behaviour betrays throughout a deep unease about the validity of its own norms and standards.

On this module students will explore the horror genre by exploring a broad range of films made in Spain and Latin America. Following an introduction to horror filmmaking, we will analyse texts in relation to horror’s numerous subgenres (gothic, physiological, psychological, science fiction, zombie etc.) and will learn both how to identify different types of horror film as well as to situate them in the history of horror filmmaking.

On this module students will learn how to identify some of the traits of contemporary Mexican cinema, a period of filmmaking which has been recognised as one of the most fruitful in cinematic history. The films selected for analysis on this module will be examined within the context of contemporary Mexico: an era rife with socio-political unrest. We will learn how political corruption, social violence and the recent Drug Wars have shaped the narratives of the films we will explore, and how these issues have dictated the emergence of new filmic genres. Students will learn about how youth culture and its manifestations are explored in film and will be able to place the films studied in their socio-historic contexts.

Teaching & assessment

The course has a modular structure, whereby you will take 14 units at the rate of four per year in the first, second and fourth years, plus two in the third year, which is spent working or studying abroad. Most modules contain an element of assessed coursework, which contributes to the final mark awarded.

Your first year is formative, though your results will determine whether you can progress to the second year. Your second and fourth year results, alongside those of the third year spent abroad, will contribute to your final degree classifcation. Work completed in your fourth year will count for a larger proportion of the result.

In Modern Languages, you will also take a study skills module during your first year, designed to equip you with and enhance the writing skills you will need to be successful in your degree. This module does not count towards your final degree award but you are required to pass it to progress to your second year.

You will be assigned a personal tutor who will provide you with support, guidance and advice throughout your studies.

You will also have access to the comprehensive e-learning facility Moodle, which features lecture handouts and other supporting materials, such as lecture slides, quizzes, video clips, and links to relevant academic journal articles.

Entry requirements

A levels: abb-bbb.

Required subjects:

• At least one A-level in an essay based subject.
• At least five GCSEs at grade A*-C or 9 - 4 including English and Mathematics.
• Grade B at A-level in Spanish for the advanced level language pathway. For the beginners language pathway there is no language requirement.

Where an applicant is taking the EPQ alongside A-levels, the EPQ will be taken into consideration and result in lower A-level grades being required. For students who are from backgrounds or personal circumstances that mean they are generally less likely to go to university, you may be eligible for an alternative lower offer. Follow the link to learn more about our  contextual offers.

We accept T-levels for admission to our undergraduate courses, with the following grades regarded as equivalent to our standard A-level requirements:

• AAA* – Distinction (A* on the core and distinction in the occupational specialism)
• AAA – Distinction
• BBB – Merit
• CCC – Pass (C or above on the core)
• DDD – Pass (D or E on the core)

Where a course specifies subject-specific requirements at A-level, T-level applicants are likely to be asked to offer this A-level alongside their T-level studies.

English language requirements

All teaching at Royal Holloway (apart from some language courses) is in English. You will therefore need to have good enough written and spoken English to cope with your studies right from the start.

The scores we require

• IELTS: 6.5 overall. Writing 7.0. No other subscore lower than 5.5.
• Pearson Test of English: 61 overall. Writing 69. No other subscore lower than 51.
• Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English (ISE): ISE III.
• Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) grade C.

Country-specific requirements

For more information about country-specific entry requirements for your country please visit here .

Undergraduate preparation programme

For international students who do not meet the direct entry requirements, for this undergraduate degree, the Royal Holloway International Study Centre offers an International Foundation Year programme designed to develop your academic and English language skills.

Upon successful completion, you can progress to this degree at Royal Holloway, University of London.

A global economy offers exciting opportunities to those wanting to pursue successful and rewarding careers. An ability to speak languages and a keen analytical mind are among the most sought-after qualities in today’s highly competitive job market; Politics, International Relations and Modern Languages equips students with both.

Our course fosters a deeper cultural understanding of a foreign language which can be a great asset in industries such as export, trade and international marketing. In these fields, workers need to build and maintain solid relationships with foreign partners, so a cultural understanding can help workers anticipate foreign clients’ expectations. Many government jobs require language skills, particularly in the sectors of immigration and diplomacy.

This course produces high calibre graduates with the skills and knowledge to fully exploit every opportunity including those presented during the study year abroad. Studies show that students who have spent time abroad as part of their degree gain higher status and better-paid jobs. As part of the study year abroad, those of our students who wish to pursue a career in teaching can apply to work as an English language assistant in a continental school. Alternatively, there is an opportunity to spend the year in employment on an approved work placement (former students have worked for companies such as IBM in Marseilles, France) or apply to work as an intern for an MEP. This latter option is a popular choice for those who wish to gain work experience in politics.

Graduates from our department work in a range of careers including public affairs, political organisations, journalism, international law and charities. Roles include Ministry of Justice Fast Stream, political analyst at merchant banks, Foreign Office Fast Stream and graduate entry into a wide array of large companies. Many of our graduates also go on to further study, entering postgraduate courses both at Royal Holloway and at other prestigious institutions around the world.

Employers include The House of Commons, Unilever, Ministry of Defence, Amazon Nestle, Ipsos MORI and MPs’ offices.

Fees, funding & scholarships

Home (UK) students tuition fee per year*: £9,250

EU and international students tuition fee per year**: £23,800

Other essential costs***: The cost of your year abroad will vary by country. Typical living costs to consider will be accommodation, food and household items, entertainment, travel, books and bills (including your mobile phone). You'll also need to budget for travel to and from your country of study. Additional costs compared to studying in the UK will also depend on personal choices and it is important to research the cost of living before the year commences.

How do I pay for it? Find out more about  funding options , including  loans , scholarships and bursaries . UK students who have already taken out a tuition fee loan for undergraduate study should  check their eligibility  for additional funding directly with the relevant awards body.

**The tuition fee for UK undergraduates is controlled by Government regulations. The fee for the academic year 2024/25 is £9,250 and is provided here as a guide. The fee for UK undergraduates starting in 2025/26 has not yet been set, but will be advertised here once confirmed.

**This figure is the fee for EU and international students starting a degree in the academic year 2024/25, and is included as a guide only. The fee for EU and international students starting a degree in 2025/26 has not yet been set, but will be advertised here once confirmed.

Royal Holloway reserves the right to increase tuition fees annually for overseas fee-paying students. Please be aware that tuition fees can rise during your degree. The upper limit of any such annual rise has not yet been set for courses starting in 2025/26 but will be advertised here once confirmed.  For further information see  fees and funding  and the  terms and conditions .

***These estimated costs relate to studying this specific degree at Royal Holloway during the 2024/25 academic year, and are included as a guide. General costs, such as accommodation, food, books and other learning materials and printing etc., have not been included.

Politics and International Relations Undergraduate Admissions

Admissions office: +44 (0)1784 414944

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• UConn Library
• Spanish Studies Subject Guide
• Thinking about Topics

Spanish Studies Subject Guide — Thinking about Topics

• Exploring Broad Topics in Spanish Studies
• Narrowing Topics in Spanish Studies
• Forming a Research Question
• Finding Primary Sources
• Finding Secondary Sources
• Finding Open Access Sources
• Finding Audiovisual Materials
• Finding Current News
• Finding Materials on Microform
• Citing Sources
• Finding Additional Resources

Exploring broad topics in Spanish Studies scholarship is a good way to start thinking about potential topics for your essay, research paper, or project. As you explore some of the broad topics in recent scholarship, consider:

• What are the expectations around the essay, paper, or project? Are there specific geographic or temporal requirements for the assignment?
• What interests you most about some of the broad topics? What are some of the ways that they connect with your interests inside and outside of the classroom?

If you have identified a broad topic, the next step is to adapt or narrow the topic to match the course expectations and requirements for your essay, paper, or project. As you narrow your topic, consider: 

• What are expectations around the length of the paper or project?
• What are the requirements around the use of primary and secondary sources?

Identifying a topic and sources to support your analysis is an important first step in the research process. For many essays and projects, forming a research question and thesis statement is an important next step. As you form a research question, plan to use additional resources: 

• Visit your professors during drop-in office hours or make an appointment with them to discuss your research question and thesis statement early in the process. 
• Use the  UConn Writing Center  to formulate or revise a research question or preliminary thesis statement. The writing center offers free in-person and online tutoring. You can make an appointment, drop-in with a quick question, or request written feedback.
• Email or make an appointment with the  Research Services Librarian for Spanish Studies  for help finding additional primary or secondary sources. 
• << Previous: Overview
• Next: Exploring Broad Topics in Spanish Studies >>
• Last Updated: Mar 27, 2024 3:43 PM
• URL: https://guides.lib.uconn.edu/Spanish

• Dec 9, 2023

Spanish A Level (AQA): Tips for writing a successful literature or film essay

Updated: Dec 10, 2023

In Paper 2 of the AQA A Level Spanish exam, students write one essay for each of the two works they have studied (which can be a text and a film, or two texts).

Students are asked to write approximately 300 words for each question within a 2-hour duration for the whole paper. Although there is no word limit in the AQA A Level exam, and everything you write will be assessed, writing more words does not necessarily mean achieving more marks. Being concise and giving a clear response demonstrate that your reflections and your evaluation of the text or film are strong and accurate.

Essays are assessed according to two criteria: AO3 and AO4. In this post we break down the requirements of each of the Assessment Objectives and look at how you can fulfil them and write an outstanding essay.

Assessment Objective 3 (AO3)

This measures the student’s ability to manipulate the language accurately, in spoken and written forms, using a range of lexis and structure .

The specification gives the following description for the highest marking band:

The language produced is mainly accurate with only occasional minor errors. The student shows a consistently secure grasp of grammar and is able to manipulate complex language accurately.

💡 Tip: Use complex language and vocabulary effectively and appropriately .

The words " effectively " and " appropriately " are important here. It's certainly not necessary to copy out entire pre-learned sentences or rely on formulaic language.

The 2022 Examiner's Report from AQA notes that

There is a fine line between using complex language with a range of structures and forcing inappropriate subjunctives or pre-learned phrases into an essay.

Source: REPORT ON THE EXAMINATION – A-LEVEL SPANISH – 7692/2 – JUNE 2022, from aqa.org

The key is to strike the balance between showcasing advanced writing skills and avoiding redundant phrases, or phrases that are stylistically out of place.

Take a moment to read these further comments from the same Examiner's Report:

On the whole it is more important to have the vocabulary needed to express points clearly and to be able to deal with tenses and verbs accurately. It is not appropriate to use phrases such as ‘que yo sepa’ in a literature/film essay, nor the ‘if/would’ structure that we see all the time [...]. Similarly, expressions of emotion that are followed by a subjunctive are out of place in this style of essay; for example ‘me enfada que Paco trate a Paula de esta manera’.

The highest-achieving students are those who are able to use the full range of verb tenses to convey their ideas without relying on pre-learned structures.

Avoid overusing the subjunctive and set phrases; instead, focus on your ability to express yourself clearly and accurately in your writing.

Try some other more complex sentence structures:

Comparative formulations: Este personaje evolucionó mucho más rápido de lo que el lector esperaba.

Using the reflexive as a passive where appropriate:  Las luces en esta escena se usaron para crear una atmósfera de suspense.

Here is the second part of the description for the top marking band under AO3:

The student uses a wide range of vocabulary appropriate to the context and the task.

💡 Tip: Employ a broad range of appropriate vocabulary.

This could include:

Words and expressions related to film: El primer plano / El enfoque / La perspectiva …

Literary words and expressions: En este pasaje / La obra / La escena / El diálogo …

Vocabulary related to the specific text or film. For example, show an understanding of the Colombian Spanish words in “El coronel no tiene quien le escriba” by García Márquez and the terminology related to the historical context.

You will naturally pick up this vocabulary throughout your A Level Spanish course, but you can also refer to our in-course resources and the Quizlet lists for inspiration.

Assessment Objective 4 (AO4)

This measures the student’s ability to show knowledge and understanding of, and respond critically and analytically to, different aspects of the culture and society of countries/communities where the language is spoken. The description for the highest marking band is as follows:

Knowledge of the text or film is consistently accurate and detailed. Opinions, views and conclusions are consistently supported by relevant and appropriate evidence from the text or film.

💡 Tip: Support each of your points with relevant and appropriate evidence .

Although you are not strictly required to learn quotations by heart (according to the AQA examiners, it’s enough to paraphrase  something that a character said), it’s important to have a clear idea of specific events and plot points to reinforce the arguments that you make.

When you re-read your book or re-watch your film, create a knowledge organiser such as a table or mindmap with your own notes on important characters, themes and plot points so that you can revise them easily and have plenty of examples for your essay.

A clear structure is essential to help you organise your ideas. When you plan your essay, make sure there is a reference to the text or film to demonstrate every point that you make and help you to develop your argument.

You can follow this framework:

Introduction - The beginning must include a brief outline of the topic and, very importantly, your thesis statement (the sentence that sums up the central point or idea of your essay).

Each of the following main paragraphs should develop one strong point that relates and justifies the main idea of your essay, and must be supported with specific examples from the book or film.

Evidence from the book / film

Link to title

Conclusion - The last paragraph should include a short but strong conclusion that summarises your evaluation in relation to the original essay question.

Finally, the descriptor for the top marking band under AO4 specifies that:

The essay demonstrates excellent evaluation of the issues, themes and the cultural and social contexts of the text or film studied.

💡 Tip: Focus on evaluation and not description.

As we’ve seen, AO4 focuses on the ability to respond critically and analytically. One common mistake when writing about a film or a text, though, is writing in a descriptive way, simply narrating or recalling events that take place instead of analysing their impact on the subject at hand.

In the same way that a template of the structure can help you write your essay, some sentence starters can guide you to make your paragraphs more analytical. For example:

Make your point:

Es evidente que … / Se puede afirmar que…

Give some evidence:

Una prueba de ello es que …

Develop your point in relation to the original question:

Por consecuencia. ..

De esto se deduce que…

To summarise:

✅ Use complex language and vocabulary effectively  and appropriately .

✅ employ a broad range of appropriate  vocabulary., ✅ support each of your points with relevant and appropriate evidence ., ✅ focus on evaluation  and not description..

Most importantly, practice essay writing as often as you can and use tutor feedback to your advantage!

Kate Maria Languages A Level Academy runs complete A Level courses in Modern Foreign Languages. Find out more about our Spanish A Level course or get in contact to discuss how we can support you.

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IB Spanish B: A Complete Guide

Master the IB Spanish B course with our complete guide. Learn the syllabus, exam format, revision strategies, and explore the career opportunities.

Embarking on your IB journey and considering Spanish B? This guide is just what you need to navigate this fascinating yet demanding subject. We'll delve into the depths of the IB Spanish B course, clarifying its structure, difficulty, grading system, and even how it compares with A-Level Spanish. We'll also explore key strategies for achieving a top score and the opportunities this qualification can open up for you. Whether you're still deciding which level to choose or already immersed in revision, our comprehensive guide aims to equip you with invaluable insights into the world of IB Spanish B.

Why study IB Spanish?

Studying a language like Spanish can be a game-changer in today's globalised world. IB Spanish B, specifically, offers a blend of language mastery and cultural understanding that makes it particularly attractive. As per the British Council , Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world by the number of native speakers.

Experts argue that multilingualism can open doors to numerous professional and personal opportunities. Professor Martha G. Abbott, former Executive Director of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, asserts that "language skills can be a significant competitive advantage that sets you apart from your monolingual peers".

It's not just about communication though. The International Baccalaureate Spanish B curriculum fosters critical thinking, intercultural understanding, and global citizenship - qualities highly prized by universities and employers alike. For instance, according to the "Global Graduates into Global Leaders" report by the Association of Graduate Recruiters, 41% of employers valued cultural awareness and understanding developed through language learning.

We received feedback from a successful IB Spanish B student, Emma Johnson, who had the following feedback:

"Studying IB Spanish B was challenging but ultimately incredibly rewarding. I found myself not just learning the language, but also deeply understanding the culture and history of Spanish-speaking countries. The comprehensive approach of the IB curriculum was rigorous, but it equipped me with excellent communication skills and a new perspective on the world. I truly believe that the experience has made me a more empathetic and globally-minded individual, which has been invaluable in my university studies and beyond."

Is IB Spanish B hard?

The perception of difficulty is often subjective, and the same goes for IB Spanish B. The level of challenge you face will depend on several factors, such as your previous experience with Spanish and your natural affinity for languages.

The average score for IB Spanish B HL exams taken in May 2021 was 5.55 out of 7 and 5.04 for Spanish B SL. Only 14% of IB students in Spanish HL scored a 4 or above, what is generally considered to be a 'pass' by many universities. That being so, around 25.6% of students achieved a score of 7 (the highest grade) in Spanish B in 2021. Compared to other IB subjects, this percentage is quite high, indicating that with the right strategies and hard work, obtaining a top score in Spanish B is feasible.

However, keep in mind that language learning is a long-term commitment. According to the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), for an English speaker, Spanish is classified as a Category I language, implying that it requires approximately 600-750 hours to reach professional working proficiency.

Lastly, it's worth noting that the IB itself can be demanding due to its breadth and depth. Balancing Spanish B with your other subjects and the core components of the IB (the Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge, and CAS) will require good time management.

For more information on challenging IB subjects, read our article on the hardest IB subjects .

The IB Spanish B syllabus

The IB Spanish B syllabus is designed to develop students' linguistic abilities and intercultural understanding. It consists of five prescribed themes that frame the learning process: identities, experiences, human ingenuity, social organisation, and sharing the planet. These themes are explored through a variety of text types, ensuring a broad and dynamic learning experience.

For the linguistic component, students study a variety of topics including communication media, health, leisure, customs, and traditions. This breadth of topics aims to have students develop an active command of the language, enhancing both receptive skills (listening and reading comprehension) and productive skills (speaking and writing).

The intercultural understanding aspect of the syllabus promotes the exploration of the diverse cultures of Spanish-speaking communities. Students are encouraged to draw comparisons and make connections between their own cultures and the cultures studied.

One unique aspect of the IB Spanish B syllabus is the internal assessment (IA). This is a free-choice oral presentation where students can select a topic of interest related to one of the five themes. The IA allows students to demonstrate both their linguistic skills and their understanding of cultural perspectives.

In essence, the IB Spanish B syllabus offers a comprehensive and stimulating approach to language learning. Its structure promotes a deep understanding of the language and an appreciation of cultural diversity.

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IB Spanish B vs A-Level Spanish

Comparing IB vs A-Levels might help you decide which programme better aligns with your interests and career aspirations. Both qualifications are internationally recognised and rigorous, yet they present some key differences.

The A-Level Spanish curriculum tends to have a more Britain-centric approach. It focuses on the political, societal, and cultural aspects of Spanish-speaking countries, but it does so often from a British perspective. On the other hand, the IB Spanish B encourages students to develop a global perspective, fostering an understanding of different cultures in relation to each other.

Methodologically, A-Level Spanish places a strong emphasis on grammar and vocabulary acquisition, while IB Spanish B fosters a balanced development of receptive and productive skills within cultural contexts.

Assessment-wise, both qualifications include oral, listening, reading, and writing exams, but the IB Spanish B also features an internal assessment, which is an oral presentation on a topic of the student's choice. The A-Level Spanish, meanwhile, includes a research-based essay that demands deep cultural understanding.

In terms of exam performance, 25.6% of IB Spanish B HL students achieved a score of 7/7, compared to 24% of A-Level Spanish students achieving the top grade of an A*. Based on these statistics, there is not much difference in terms of difficulty.

When considering university admissions, both are widely accepted qualifications. However, some universities might prefer one over the other depending on the course of study. For instance, for liberal arts courses, the IB's breadth might be an advantage, while for linguistics or modern languages courses, the depth of A-Level could be preferred.

For a further in-depth comparison for all subjects, read IB Vs A-Levels - A Comprehensive Guide .

What level of Spanish B should you choose in the IB?

Choosing the appropriate level in IB Spanish B - Standard Level (SL) or Higher Level (HL) - can have a significant impact on your IB experience. The choice should be based on your language proficiency, academic goals, and overall workload balance.

The Standard Level course is designed for students with some experience in Spanish but who might not yet be comfortable with complex language structures and topics. The SL course involves 150 hours of instructional time over the two years of the IB programme .

On the other hand, the Higher Level course is geared towards students who already have a strong foundation in Spanish and are ready to delve deeper into the language and culture. The HL course requires 240 instructional hours over the two years, significantly more than SL.

Both courses follow the same syllabus and cover the same themes, but the HL course requires a more extensive study of literature. This includes two works from the IB's prescribed list of literary texts.

When it comes to university admissions, some competitive courses may require or prefer the HL Spanish B. This might be the case for degrees in modern languages, international relations, or other fields where advanced language skills are beneficial.

Expert online tutors that have been in the field for years recommend that if you're confident in your Spanish abilities and want a challenge, go for HL. If you're less certain or have a heavy load in other subjects, SL might be the more balanced choice.

Understanding the IB Spanish B grading system

The International Baccalaureate (IB) uses a grading system that ranges from 1 (the lowest) to 7 (the highest). A score of 4 is considered passing, while a 7 is an outstanding achievement.

For Spanish B, the grading is determined through a combination of external and internal assessments. The external assessment, which accounts for 70% of the final grade, consists of three papers: Reading Comprehension (25%), Written Production (25%), and Listening Comprehension (20%).

The internal assessment (IA), on the other hand, comprises 30% of the final grade. It's an individual oral assessment where students present and discuss a theme of their choice related to a course theme.

An important factor in the grading system is the difference between Standard Level (SL) and Higher Level (HL) courses. While both levels follow the same themes and are assessed in the same manner, the HL course demands a greater depth of understanding, with more demanding questions and tasks. Additionally, HL students must study two literary works as part of their syllabus.

Understanding this grading system is crucial as it helps in strategising your study and revision plan. Remember, achieving a high score requires a solid understanding of the course content, effective revision strategies, and good examination techniques.

Have a look at our comprehensive set of IB Resources such as IB Study Notes , IB Past Papers and IB Practice Questions , developed by expert IB teachers and examiners!

IB Spanish B exam format

Understanding the format of the IB Spanish B exam can greatly aid your preparation. The exam is divided into three papers for the external assessment and one internal assessment.

Paper 1 , accounting for 25% of your final grade, is the Reading Comprehension paper. Here, you'll encounter four text passages, varying in length and complexity. Each passage is accompanied by a series of multiple-choice and short-answer questions. The HL exam has an additional fifth passage.

Paper 2 , contributing another 25%, is the Written Production paper. You'll be required to write two pieces of text: a rationale-based task (a text type with a specific purpose and target audience), and a written task based on an option (culture, science, politics, etc.). HL students must write an additional essay on one of the literary works studied.

Paper 3 , making up 20% of the final grade, is the Listening Comprehension paper. It comprises three audio passages, each followed by multiple-choice and short-answer questions. The HL exam includes an extra fourth audio passage.

The Internal Assessment is an individually prepared and teacher-led oral presentation, making up the remaining 30% of your final grade. It's based on a theme from the syllabus and includes a presentation and discussion with the teacher.

Familiarising yourself with the exam format is the first step in achieving exam success.

What is a good IB Spanish B score?

The concept of a "good" score in the IB Spanish B exam can vary depending on your personal goals and university requirements. However, it's generally agreed that a score of 6 or 7 (out of 7) represents an excellent level of achievement.

A score of 6 or 7 indicates a high level of proficiency in Spanish, with the ability to understand and respond to complex texts, and engage in detailed, abstract conversations. Achieving such scores can open doors to certain university courses and can be particularly advantageous if you're considering a degree that requires strong language skills.

However, it's important to remember that your score doesn't just reflect your language abilities. The IB assessment also considers intercultural understanding, the ability to communicate effectively in diverse situations, and the quality of your research and presentation skills, especially in the Internal Assessment.

Also, bear in mind that different universities have different requirements. For instance, some top-tier UK universities require an overall score of at least 38 out of 45, with 6s or 7s in Higher Level subjects. Therefore, a 'good' score will largely depend on your future academic plans.

Nonetheless, don't be disheartened if you're not achieving high scores right away. Improvement in languages takes time, and the IB Spanish B course is designed to enhance your skills over two years.

How to revise and get a 7 in IB Spanish B?

Acing the IB Spanish B exam involves a mixture of consistent study, active learning techniques, and targeted revision. Below are several strategies to help you aim for a score of 7.

Understanding the course content : Familiarise yourself with all the topics and subtopics outlined in the syllabus. Know the format of the exam and the marking scheme.

Regular practice : Consistency is key in language learning. Regular reading, writing, listening, and speaking in Spanish will help enhance your proficiency.

Utilise past papers : Practising past papers can familiarise you with the exam format and help you understand the type of questions asked. The IBO provides past papers and examiner reports that give detailed feedback.

Focus on the Internal Assessment : The IA accounts for 30% of your final score. Choose a topic you're interested in and prepare your presentation well. Get feedback from your teacher and classmates.

Active learning : Engage in conversations in Spanish, watch Spanish movies, read Spanish books, and listen to Spanish music or podcasts. This can help improve your language skills and cultural understanding.

Utilise online resources : Various resources like IB Prepared , and Quizlet offer study guides, practice questions, and interactive exercises.

Seek support: Collaborate with classmates, form study groups, or seek guidance from your teacher or IB Spanish tutor . Exploring different perspectives and discussing challenging topics can enhance your learning experience.

Remember, achieving a 7 requires effort, commitment, and smart study strategies. Good luck!

Overview of IB Spanish B Internal Assessment

The Internal Assessment (IA) in the IB Spanish B course constitutes 30% of your final grade. It involves an interactive oral activity, which demonstrates your linguistic abilities and intercultural understanding.

The IA consists of two parts: the Individual Oral (IO) and the Interactive Oral (IntO). The IO, accounting for 20% of your final grade, is a 12-15 minute presentation and discussion with your teacher on a topic related to a Spanish-speaking culture. The IntO, accounting for 10% of the final grade, is based on class discussions from three interactive oral activities conducted throughout the course.

A successful IA showcases your ability to articulate a well-reasoned argument, demonstrate cultural understanding, use appropriate register and style, and interact effectively.

To excel in the IA, it's crucial to choose a topic you're genuinely interested in and research thoroughly. Preparing a clear structure for your presentation and discussion can help ensure that you cover all key points.

Remember to practise speaking aloud, pay attention to pronunciation, and use a wide range of vocabulary and sentence structures. Seek feedback from your teacher and peers to identify areas for improvement.

Given its substantial contribution to your final grade, the IA should not be taken lightly. With diligent preparation and practice, it can be an opportunity to truly shine.

Top resources for IB Spanish B preparation

Quality resources can make a significant difference in your IB Spanish B study experience and performance. Here are some top recommendations:

1. Course Books : The Oxford IB Diploma Programme: Spanish B Course Book is an excellent, comprehensive guide tailored to the syllabus.

2. Online Platforms : Websites such as InThinking offer an array of resources, from practice questions to interactive exercises.

3. Past Papers : Spanish Faster can be extremely beneficial for familiarising yourself with the exam format and expectations.

4. Language Learning Apps : Apps like Duolingo and Memrise provide interactive, flexible learning opportunities.

5. Media Sources : Reading Spanish newspapers like El País or La Vanguardia , watching Spanish TV shows or films, and listening to Spanish podcasts can significantly improve your listening comprehension and vocabulary.

6. Online Tuition : Getting help from an IB tutor is a great option for getting undivided focus and attention for all the questions and help you need to conquer this exam.

Remember, successful preparation involves using a mix of resources to suit your learning style and goals.

Exploring Career Opportunities with IB Spanish B

Being proficient in Spanish can significantly expand your career opportunities, especially with the International Baccalaureate (IB) recognition. IB Spanish B is not just an academic programme; it's a gateway to various career paths:

1. International Relations : Language skills are highly prized in international relations, especially for organisations like the United Nations , the European Union , and other international agencies. Spanish, being one of the most spoken languages worldwide, can open doors to various roles within these institutions.

2. Translation and Interpreting : Spanish translators and interpreters are in high demand in many sectors including business, law, medicine, and more. According to a recent report, the global market for translation services is expected to reach $56.18 billion by 2021.

3. Tourism and Hospitality : With Spanish-speaking countries being popular travel destinations, the tourism and hospitality industry offers numerous opportunities for bilingual individuals.

4. Teaching and Academia : With a solid grounding in Spanish, you could pursue a career in teaching, either as a language teacher, online Spanish tutor or a lecturer in Spanish culture, literature, or history.

5. International Business : Spanish language skills can be advantageous in sectors like finance, marketing, and sales, particularly for businesses looking to expand in the Spanish-speaking market.

Remember, learning a language is not just about passing an exam. It's about developing a skill set that can provide real-world advantages and career opportunities.

In conclusion, the journey through IB Spanish B is undoubtedly challenging, but with the right guidance and resources, success is within reach. Not only does this course equip you with the linguistic prowess in one of the world's most spoken languages, but it also paves the way to diverse and fascinating career paths. From helping you build a strong foundation in Spanish to providing a thorough understanding of its cultural nuances, IB Spanish B is more than a language course; it's an opportunity to broaden your horizons. With consistent efforts and focused revision, you can certainly attain the much-desired 7 in IB Spanish B. Good luck, and here's to your success in Spanish and beyond!

What is the difference between IB Spanish B HL and SL?

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Spanish B Standard Level (SL) and Higher Level (HL) mainly vary in their depth and complexity. HL is a more advanced course and necessitates around 240 hours of study, tackling intricate texts and themes. SL, on the other hand, demands roughly 150 hours and centres on more straightforward content. Both courses refine language proficiency, but HL students must demonstrate a higher level of fluency, comprehension, and analytical skills.

How much time should I dedicate to IB Spanish B revision?

Though revision times may vary per individual, aiming for a minimum of five hours per week is a good starting point. However, this should ideally increase as exams approach, potentially reaching up to ten hours per week. Consistency is critical for language learning; regular revision of vocabulary, grammar, and written and oral practice can significantly enhance language acquisition and retention.

What are the recommended textbooks for IB Spanish B?

A couple of standout textbooks for IB Spanish B include 'IB Spanish B: Skills and Practice' by Ana Valbuena and Suso Rodriguez-Blanco, and the 'IB Spanish B Course Book Pack' by Laura Martin Cisneros. Both books provide comprehensive course coverage, incorporating a wide range of practice exercises, reading materials, and authentic texts that align well with the IB curriculum and exam formats.

Are there any specific Spanish language skills required for IB Spanish B?

The IB Spanish B course assumes students already possess intermediate Spanish language skills. Learners should be capable of understanding and responding to spoken and written Spanish and effectively expressing ideas and thoughts in Spanish. Familiarity with Spanish grammar, sentence structure, and a broad vocabulary is highly recommended.

How does the IB Spanish B course relate to DELE levels?

The DELE (Diplomas of Spanish as a Foreign Language) levels are a standard benchmark for Spanish language proficiency. Typically, IB Spanish B SL corresponds to DELE levels B1-B2, while the HL course aligns more closely with the DELE C1 level. However, this is not a hard-and-fast rule and can vary based on individual student proficiency and the depth of their language study.

What's the difference between IB Spanish B and IB Spanish A?

The primary difference between Spanish A and Spanish B lies in the level of language proficiency expected and the course focus. Spanish A is targeted towards native or near-native Spanish speakers, with an emphasis on literature and advanced linguistic analysis. Conversely, Spanish B is designed for students who have some prior knowledge of the language, focusing on improving their language skills and cultural understanding.

Can I take IB Spanish B without prior knowledge of Spanish?

Although it's possible, it's not recommended. The IB Spanish B course assumes students have a basic understanding of the language. If you're a complete beginner, it might be more suitable to take the Spanish ab initio course, which is designed for students with little or no prior experience of the language.

Are there any online resources for IB Spanish B?

Definitely, there are a plethora of online resources for IB Spanish B. Websites like InThinking and Quizlet provide resources such as study guides, interactive activities, and flashcards. Additionally, past exam papers can be found on the IBO website, and language learning platforms like Duolingo can offer supplemental learning opportunities.

How is the Internal Assessment marked in IB Spanish B?

The Internal Assessment (IA) in IB Spanish B is graded by your teacher and subsequently moderated by the IBO to ensure uniformity in grading standards. The IA is composed of interactive oral activities accounting for 30% of the final grade, a written task constituting 20%, and an individual oral making up the remaining 20%.

Is there an oral component in the IB Spanish B exam?

Absolutely, the IB Spanish B exam includes an individual oral component. This assessment involves a presentation based on a visual stimulus followed by a discussion with the teacher. It's designed to test your spoken fluency, comprehension, and analytical abilities in Spanish.

What is the individual oral in IB Spanish B?

The individual oral is a significant component of the IB Spanish B assessment. It's a 12-minute examination where you'll deliver a presentation on a visual stimulus and then discuss it further with your teacher. It's crucial to exhibit clear understanding, analysis, and personal response during this component of the assessment.

How can I improve my writing skills for IB Spanish B?

Enhancing writing skills demands regular practice. Regularly write essays on different topics and seek feedback from your teachers or peers. Dedicate time to understanding and revising Spanish grammar rules, and build your vocabulary by incorporating new words and phrases in your essays. Reading Spanish newspapers, books, and magazines can also provide insight into the language's nuances.

Are past papers useful for revising for the IB Spanish B exam?

Certainly! Past papers provide invaluable insight into the format and style of the IB Spanish B exam. They can help you become familiar with the type of questions you might face and the level of responses expected. Additionally, using them for timed practice can greatly assist with time management skills during the actual exam.

Is it possible to self-study for IB Spanish B?

While self-study is technically possible, it's highly challenging given the comprehensive nature of the IB Spanish B course. Having a teacher or tutor to provide guidance, especially on elements such as the IA, can be incredibly beneficial. For self-studying students, online resources and textbooks will be essential tools.

How do universities view the IB Spanish B qualification?

Universities generally view the IB Spanish B qualification very positively. It signifies a student's ability to communicate effectively in Spanish, a global language, and demonstrates a willingness to engage with another culture. It can be particularly beneficial for students applying for courses in languages, humanities, business or international relations. Keep in mind, however, that universities' perception of IB Spanish B might vary, and it's always worth checking the specific entry requirements of the courses you're interested in.

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Written by: Charles Whitehouse

Charles scored 45/45 on the International Baccalaureate and has six years' experience tutoring IB and IGCSE students and advising them with their university applications. He studied a double integrated Masters at Magdalen College Oxford and has worked as a research scientist and strategy consultant.

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The 10 Most Respected A-Level Subjects – Ranked for 2024

In A-Level by Think Student Editor January 1, 2021 17 Comments

Figuring out which A-Level subjects to choose can be difficult as there are so many things you may need to consider. This includes what subjects you’re good at, what subjects you enjoy as well as what subjects can help with future applications. If you’re not quite sure what you want to do next, it can help to pick A-Level subjects that keep your options open. One way to do this is to choose from subjects that are perceived as being the most respected A-Levels.

Be advised.   The information that this ranking is based off is explained at the end of this article. Please understand that this list is not definitive. Perception of an A-Level subjects’ respectability is highly subjective. Your opinion may differ from the ranking displayed in this article. Please vote in our poll to have your say. We try our best to update these rankings as often as possible.

Most respected A-Levels: Student Perception

Below you can find the visualisation A-Level subject difficulty rankings (top – most respected, bottom – 13 th most respected).

(*) Perception of which A-Levels are most respected voted by students. You can learn more about how we collected this data at the end of this article.

Continue reading to learn more about which subjects students feel are the most respected. This article will outline the top 10 and give you some insight into why students may have chosen these subjects.

10. A-Level English Language

2.45% of the poll considered A-Level English Language as the most respected A-Level, putting it in 10th place.

In A-Level English Language, students learn about the linguistic side of the English language. This will be done through analysing and evaluating different texts, as well as studying how children develop language and the different varieties of English that are spoken.

Students may consider A-Level English Language as one of the most respected A-Levels due to it being a core subject and allowing you to develop many transferable skills. These include writing skills and critical thinking skills, both of which would likely be useful for any degree that you may want to study or a range of jobs.

To learn more about A-Level English Language and why students may consider it one of the most respected A-Levels, check out this Think Student article .

9. A-Level Foreign Languages

3.87% of the poll considered A-Level Foreign Languages as the most respected A-Level, putting it in 9th place.

A-Level Foreign Languages refers to a wide range of different language A-Levels that you can take. The most popular of these are in French, Spanish and German but you may also be able to take A-Levels in Italian, Mandarin and other languages. Unlike at GCSE, students don’t just study the grammar and vocabulary of a language but also the culture of where the language is spoken.

A-Level Foreign Languages may be considered one of the most respected A-Levels as language skills are a great skill to have. This is especially as the world is becoming increasingly globalised and more companies are operating on an international scale. This means that A-Level Foreign Languages can give your CV a great boost as people with language skills are increasingly being sought after.

To learn more about the benefits of studying languages, check out this Think Student article .

A-Level Foreign Languages may also be considered one of the most respected A-Levels as it is valued by universities. This is because both A-Level Modern Languages and A-Level Classical Languages are considered facilitating subjects. Facilitating subjects were subjects that the Russel Group universities considered to be good A-Level options, although this is no longer used, they show which subjects the top universities respect most.

To learn more about A-Level Foreign Languages, check out this article by CIFE.  For more on facilitating subjects, check out this guide by The Uni Guide.

8. A-Level Biology

4.9% of the poll considered A-Level Biology as the most respected A-Level, putting it in 8th place.

In A-Level Biology, students continue their learning of biology and how organisms function. This includes topics on cells, energy transfer in organisms, ecosystems, gene expression and more. To learn more about these, check out this page by AQA.

Students may consider it one of the most respected A-Level subjects as it is one of the main science subjects. Due to this, A-Level Biology is often a requirement for studying science subjects when continuing education, particularly for degree subjects such as Medicine or Biomedical Sciences.

Also, as a largely academic subject, A-Level Biology was also one of the facilitating subjects, as mentioned above, showing that universities respect it highly. To learn more about why students may consider A-Level Biology one of the most respected, check out this article by Online Learning College.

7. A-Level Psychology

5.16% of the poll considered A-Level Psychology as the most respected A-Level, putting it in 7th place.

In A-Level Psychology, students learn about the mind and behaviours. A-Level Psychology students will particularly study topics such as attachment, memory, social influences and research methods in psychology. To learn more about the A-Level Psychology course, check out this page by AQA.

It may be considered one of the most respected A-Level subjects as it is both one of the sciences and an essay-based subject. This means that the course will allow you to develop a wide range of skills that are favourable to university study and employment. These include critical thinking and analysis as well as strong research skills. To learn more about this, check out this article by Learn Direct.

Students may also consider A-Level Psychology as one of the most respected as the subject of psychology is largely on the rise in both popularity and status. In 2023, A-Level Psychology was the 2nd most popular A-Level course and the most popular degree subject. For more on these A-Level and degree popularity rankings, click here and here to see their respective Think Student articles.

6. A-Level English Literature

6.13% of the poll considered A-Level English Literature as the most respected A-Level, putting it in 6th place.

In A-Level English Literature, students study a range of texts such as poetry, plays and novels from different time periods. Similarly to GCSE, these texts will be analysed by looking at different themes, characters and features of the novels themselves.

A-Level English Literature may be considered one of the most respected A-Levels due to the skills you can gain from it. This is particularly as it can enable you to develop writing and debating skills, both of which can be absolutely crucial for various degree subjects.

Improving your written communication skills is also important for working environments. To learn more about why A-Level English Literature might be considered one of the most respected, check out this Think Student article.

Also, A-Level English Literature is highly regarded by the top universities for students taking a humanities course. To learn more about this, check out this page by Trinity College of the University of Cambridge.

5. A-Level Physics

6.51% of the poll considered A-Level Physics as the most respected A-Level, putting it in 5th place.

In A-Level Physics, students will advance their scientific study of physics, specifically covering areas such as electricity, waves, mechanics, nuclear physics, radiation and more. To learn more about this, check out this page by AQA.

It may be considered one of the most respected A-Level subjects as once again, it is one of the main scientific subjects. This means that it will often be a requirement for science-based degree programmes, particularly ones like Engineering and Astrophysics.

This may make students consider it one of the most respected as it is valued by universities and can be a useful A-Level to have. To learn more about this, check out this article by Online Learning College.

4. A-Level History

6.71% of the poll considered A-Level History as the most respected A-Level, putting it in 4th place.

In A-Level History, students study specific areas of history in-depth and develop their critical thinking and analysis skills in order to evaluate how reliable historical sources and interpretations are based on their context and wider information. The exact historical topics that are studied will depend on the exam board and what your school has chosen.

To learn more about what is studied in A-Level History, check out this Think Student article .

A-Level History may be considered one of the most respected A-Level subjects as it allows you to develop key analytical, evaluative and debating skills, which could prove to be useful in a range of humanities degrees and career paths. A-Level History is often regarded as a good basis for prestigious degree options, such as for studying a Law degree.

Similarly to A-Level Foreign Languages, as mentioned above, A-Level History was also on the list of facilitating subjects, showing that it is also highly respected by top universities. To learn more about all this, check out this guide by CIFE.

3. A-Level Chemistry

7.67% of the poll considered A-Level Chemistry as the most respected A-Level, putting it in 3rd place.

In A-Level Chemistry, students will advance their studies by learning about more in-depth and advanced chemistry concepts. Students will cover organic, inorganic and physical chemistry split up into topics such as spectroscopy, thermodynamics, isomerism and more.

To learn more about the A-Level Chemistry course, check out this Think Student article .

It is considered one of the most respected A-Level subjects as it is another one of the main science subjects. This means that it is often a compulsory subject in order to study degrees, such as Chemical Engineering and Pharmacology.

As one of the main sciences, it is also one of the facilitating subjects as mentioned above, meaning that it is highly respected by universities. To learn more about this, check out this article by Online Learning College.

2. A-Level Further Maths

22.37% of the poll considered A-Level Further Maths as the most respected A-Level. This puts it in 2nd place with substantially more of the poll considering it the most respected A-Level than for the previous ones.

A-Level Further Maths is one of the hardest A-Level subjects, in which students learn about much more advanced mathematical concepts. To learn more about this, check out this Think Student article .

Due to its difficulty, students may consider it one of the most respected A-Levels as doing well on it shows off exceptional academic and mathematical ability. As 39.7% of students got an A*, much more than the average across subjects, A-Level Further Maths may also be respected as it shows off dedication and commitment to the subject.

For scientific or mathematical degree paths or career options, this can be incredibly useful. To learn more about this, check out this Think Student article . For more on this statistic, check out this page on Ofqual’s website.

1. A-Level Maths

29.59% of the poll considered A-Level Maths as the most respected A-Level, putting it in 1st place.

In A-Level Maths, students will advance their mathematical studies, with particular focus on the main areas of pure maths, statistics and mechanics with each having their own topics. Some of these topics may include integration, kinematics, forces, statistical hypothesis testing, logarithms and differentiation. To learn more about A-Level Maths, check out this page by AQA.

A-Level Maths may be considered one of the most respected A-Levels due to it being so challenging. This is because it shows that students have advanced and specific mathematical knowledge. This can be useful for a range of degree options, particularly ones with a scientific basis, such as Physics, and even some social sciences, such as Economics.

To learn more about why students may consider it one of the most respected subjects, check out this article by Bright Young Things.

• Health and Social Care
• Physical Education
• Classical Subjects
• Media/Film/TV Studies
• Design and Technology
• Art and Design Subjects
• Further Maths
• English Language
• English Literature
• English Language & Literature
• Computer Science
• Foreign Languages
• Religious Studies
• Performing/Expressive Arts

How were these rankings decided?

Over the past few years, we’ve asked thousands of students what their opinion is on the most respected A-Level subject. When we refer to student polling, we are referencing the results of these polls. If you wish to add your vote to the list, please navigate to the questionnaire above.

How was the polling data collected?

Between January 2021 and January 2023, we displayed a poll on this page which prompted readers to vote on which A-Level subject was the most respected. Within this timeframe, we collect 1,551 votes, excluding submissions that were disregarded from the data set due to formatting issues or other errors.

Listed below are some key limitations of our polling methods that could’ve swayed results:

• Static ordering of subjects on voting form: A previous iteration of our survey form listed A-Level subjects in the same order each time. It could be argued that this would favour the subjects that were listed at the top. This issue has been fixed in our updated voting form below.
• Voting form displayed only a subset of A-Level subjects:  Previously, only a small selection of A-Level subjects was displayed on the survey. We have since expanded the size of this selection on the voting form.
• Potential bad actors:  Despite having anti-spam software in place, it is possible repeated entries were made by single individuals. With respect to privacy, we don’t ask for more information than we need and as a result, it is almost impossible to identify submission users to check if they are unique.

This article is a member of a series of A-Level ranking articles listed on this site. If you find our data and analysis within this article helpful, you may also wish to take a look at our other articles below:

• The 10 hardest A-Level subjects
• The 10 easiest A-Level subjects
• A-Level combinations that universities love

i thought there were supposed to be 10

You don’t learn a language at school, full stop!

Psychology over physics, yep this top 10’s a bunch of crap

IKRRRR. Physiology is easy as well. Physics is well…. You get it.

MAN SAID PSYCHOLOGY IS EASY LOOOOL – what exam board do you do

what about computer science?? Literally so many people graduating from ivys and russel groups major in computer science>

yeah but even for computer science degrees you dont really need the subject

geography is not on there but languages are bruh

Learning foreign languages is important.

But geography is not that hard so it isn’t respected compared to maths or psychology

Oxbridge and RG would not like Psychology

Geography is missing here, it’s another Oxbridge and RG winning ticket. English Language is not

English language is hard and respected geography is not that difficult so it is not respected

Yes English Language is an RG wining ticket, geography is not unless you want to do geography at uni or should I say colouring in

neither of them are up there lmao. hardest a levels by far are maths and sciences (bio, chem, physics ONLY), then philosophy and history

Top tier: Further Maths, Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Foreign Languages, with English Lit rounding it out — they’re the hardest, most useful, and most respected. — 2nd tier that are hard, useful, and respected to varying degrees: History, Computer Science, Economics, Music … Bottom tier: any of the other ones, although some folks would love to pretend Geography and Psychology are serious things 😂 belonging in the top 2 tiers.

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How to Write in Spanish: The Step-by-step Guide to Perfecting Your Writing Skills

Do you want to improve your Spanish writing skills and get even closer to fluency?

If you want to make Cervantes blush with your mastery of Spanish writing, you have come to the right place.

This step-by-step guide will show you how to write in Spanish, including information on spelling, grammar and more, as well as give you the tools to write practically anything!

Key Spanish Writing Rules

Spanish spelling, capitalization rules in spanish, spanish punctuation, spanish sentence structure, spanish abbreviations, other differences between english and spanish writing rules, how to write letters in spanish, how to write an email in spanish, how to write an essay in spanish, texting in spanish, spanish creative writing, journaling in spanish, other types of spanish writing, how to type in spanish, main differences between english and spanish keyboards, and one more thing….

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

If you want to be the next Cervantes, you should get acquainted with the main Spanish writing rules and the major differences between writing in English and writing in Spanish. Here are a few of them.

Spelling in Spanish is much more intuitive than it is in English.

This may sound almost too good to be true, but written words in Spanish are actually designed to reflect what they sound like! There are far fewer cases of silent letters, double letters or different spellings for the same sounds. Also, vowels each have their own specific sounds that don’t change, no matter what other letters surround it.

However, there are a couple of spelling “situations” that can give you a bit of a headache if you do not pay attention:

• The letter h has no sound. Regardless of its position in a word, it will always be soundless (zanahoria — carrot, hoguera  — bonfire , hueso  — bone). This letter changes the sound of the letter c when they go together (chaleco— vest , coche  — car , noche  — night), and even though it has no sound, it can change the meaning of a word (ola— wave, hola  — hello).
• There are some letter pairs that can be confusing. It would be impossible for you to learn every word containing these pairs, so the best you can do is check a dictionary in case of doubt. The letters that normally cause problems to learners of Spanish are b/v, r/rr, g/j, ll/y and the “triplets” c/k/q and c/s/z .
• Spanish uses accent marks . Accent marks may be small, but they are very important. If a word has an accent mark in Spanish, do not ignore it, because accent marks can easily change the pronunciation and meaning of words (tráfico — traffic , trafico — I smuggle , traficó — he smuggled).

If you want to improve your Spanish spelling skills, you can try some Spanish spelling games . They will make the learning process much more enjoyable, and the topic more accessible to you.

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Additionally, you may want to install a Spanish spell checker . This way you can be sure the majority of spelling errors you make while writing in Spanish will be detected and corrected.

Learning Spanish capitalization is actually pretty straightforward. You just have to remember the words that are not capitalized in Spanish.

For instance, Spanish does not capitalize, among others:

• Days of the week
• Nationalities
• Religions and their adjectives
• Social and political movements
• The pronoun yo (I) unless it is the first word in a sentence
• Book titles (except for the first word)
• Movie titles (except for the first word)
• Personal titles (except when they are the first word in a sentence)

Punctuation is another area where English and Spanish share a lot of features.

However, there are some Spanish punctuation rules that may be surprising for learners of Spanish.

These are the main ones (some of them have already been mentioned):

• Spanish has an opening question mark and an opening exclamation mark (¿,¡).
• Spanish does not capitalize the first word after a colon.
• Spanish uses the colon in the opening of letters. While English uses a comma (Dear Mrs. Petunia,), Spanish uses a colon (Estimada señora Petunia:).
• In Spanish, there is no Oxford comma at all. The last two items of a list will always be joined with a conjunction like y (and) or o (or) .
• Spanish and English write out numbers differently. In Spanish, you use a period to separate groups of thousands (e.g. 1450 or 1,450 would be 1.450 in Spanish). Spanish uses the comma as the decimal separator (so 1.5 would be 1,5 in Spanish).
• Spanish normally leaves commas, periods and other punctuation marks outside the quotation marks. (English: “I love you.” vs. Spanish “Te quiero”.).
• Dialogue formatting is very different in Spanish. The biggest difference is possibly the fact that Spanish uses a dash to open a dialogue (instead of quotation marks) and to enclose the dialogue tag (instead of commas). For example: 

English: “I love him,” she said, “I always have. “

Spanish: –Lo amo –dijo ella–. Siempre lo he amado.

Sentence structure refers to the internal organization of a language, i.e. the order we have to put elements in a sentence so that it is grammatically correct.

Many learners of Spanish think that since both Spanish and English follow the general pattern S + V + O (Subject + Verb + Object), both languages build sentences in the exact same way.

This is true sometimes, as in the following two examples:

Marta está bebiendo café. (S + V + O) Marta is drinking coffee. (S + V + O)

Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and learners of Spanish should take into account a couple of Spanish sentence structure rules if they want to come up with correct sentences, even if they are trying to produce basic Spanish sentences :

• In Spanish, you can omit the subject. If you know who you are talking or writing about, you do not need to mention that person (Tengo hambre — I am hungry). This is possible because verbs in Spanish have a different ending for each grammatical person.
• Adjectives come after the noun in Spanish. There are a few exceptions with a change in meaning, but overall, adjectives always come after the noun (la camisa blanca — the white shirt).
• Nouns and adjectives have to agree in Spanish. When you write a sentence in Spanish, you have to take a look at the nouns. Every determiner, quantifier, adjective and adverb that refers to a noun must have the same gender and number (el perro negro  — the black dog, all words masculine and singular in Spanish; las tazas rojas  — the red cups, all words feminine and plural in Spanish).
• Negation is very simple in Spanish. The majority of sentences become negative in Spanish by adding no in front of the main verb. No other changes are normally needed. You can also make negations in Spanish by using negative adverbs like nunca (never) and nadie (no one).

Abbreviations can be used in both formal and informal contexts, and even though they tend to work similarly across languages, there are a couple of things you should know about Spanish abbreviations and how to use them when writing in Spanish:

• Even though personal titles are not capitalized when written in full, their abbreviations are capitalized. For example:

señor — Sr. / Mister

señora  — Sra. / Mrs .

doctor  — Dr. / Doctor

• There are some abbreviations that appear very frequently in Spanish correspondence. For instance:

usted  — Vd. / formal you

se ruega contestación — S.R.C. / RSVP

• Ordinal numbers are gendered. They are adjectives, so they take on the gender of the noun they are referring to. Because of this, their abbreviations are also marked for gender (1º/1ª, 2º/2ª…).
• Spanish abbreviations can have a plural form. Normally, abbreviations add -s to form their plural (página — pág. / page, páginas  — págs. / pages). If the abbreviation has only one letter, they normally double it (página  — p. / page , páginas  — pp. / pages).
• Some acronyms do not accept the plural ending -s . They will still take the plural determiner if necessary (los CD  — the CDs). Oddly enough, you have to pronounce the final -s when reading/pronouncing them (los ce-dés  — the cee dees).
• There are some international abbreviations and acronyms that have their own version in Spanish. Examples of this are:

la UE  — la Unión Europea / the EU (European Union)

la ONU — la Organización de Naciones Unidas / the UN (United Nations)

• Spanish people use a lot of abbreviations when texting. (Have a look at the section on Texting in Spanish for more info.)

Although less important, there are some differences between English and Spanish you should take into account when writing in Spanish:

• We write dates differently. In Spanish, the order of writing the date is always day/month/year. So, while an American might read the date 02/07/2018 as February the 7th 2018, for a Spanish-speaking person it would be July the 2nd 2018.
• We use different measurement systems. This is something to bear in mind not only while writing, but when using Spanish in general. Not everybody knows what inches, feet, pounds or miles are (especially in Spain). Spanish-speaking countries use the metric system, so we have centimeters, meters, kilograms, kilometers, etc.

The first thing you need to do before starting to write a letter is to decide whether it has to be formal or informal.

This will have an impact not only on the body of the letter, but also (and especially) on the way you start and finish writing it.

There are a couple of well-established rules you should bear in mind when writing a letter in Spanish :

• Querido/a (Dear) is only used in informal letters, while Estimado/a (Dear) is the preferred form in formal ones.
• You normally use just the first name of the person you are writing to if the letter is informal (Querido Julián), but Señor (Mr.), Señora (Mrs.) or Señorita (Miss) and a surname if the letter is formal (Estimado Sr. González).
• Use tú (informal you) in the body of informal letters, but usted/ustedes (formal you singular/plural) in formal ones.
• When closing a letter, you can send Besos y abrazos (Hugs and kisses) in casual letters, but never in formal ones. Use Saludos (Regards) in semi-formal letters, and Cordialmente/Atentamente (Yours sincerely) in formal ones.

Knowing how to write an email in Spanish is a skill you are going to need sooner or later, because email communication, especially in a professional environment, is something most of us have to do on a daily basis.

The majority of the rules we had for writing letters also apply here.

You should make sure to use the right opening and closing in your email, and that the overall tone and the vocabulary used are appropriate to the situation.

When writing an email, especially a formal one, you will normally have to include four sections: greeting, reason for writing, body of the email and closing.

Here is a very brief example of an informal email John wrote to his friend Joanne:

¡Hola, Joanne! (Hi, Joanne!)

Reason for writing

Te escribo para preguntar si irás mañana al cumpleaños de Sonia. (I’m writing to ask if you’ll be going to Sonia’s birthday tomorrow.)

Me encantaría verte. ¡Hace tanto tiempo que no te veo! Madre mía, creo que la última vez que nos encontramos fue para Navidad. ¿Te acuerdas? (I would love to see you. I haven’t seen you in ages! Good Lord, I think the last time we ran into each other was on Christmas. Do you remember?)

Un abrazo, (Hugs,)

Starting to write essays in Spanish is possibly one of the most challenging tasks for beginner learners.

Going from simple sentences to several paragraphs requires a lot of practice, but there are tons of fixed expressions that can be used in order to make this process easier.

Depending on the type of essay you need to write, you will have to cover one or more of the following points:

Giving your opinion

This is very common in essays, especially the ones included in official Spanish exams. Make sure you use expressions that help you introduce your personal opinions, such as en mi opinión (in my opinion), me parece que (it seems to me that) or creo que (I believe that).

Agreeing and disagreeing

Another very common type of essay is the one where you are given a sentence or quotation and you have to agree or disagree with it. Useful expressions here can be estoy de acuerdo (I agree), no estoy de acuerdo (I disagree) and es falso que (it is false that).

Backing your claims

If you say that something is false or that you know for a fact something is true, you should back your claims with some evidence. Try to introduce words and expressions such as según (according to), demostrar (to demonstrate) and la fuente (the source).

A conclusion normally summarizes the main topics of the essay and answers any questions and hypotheses that were posed in the introduction. When writing your conclusion, use expressions like en conclusión (in conclusion), por esta razón (for this reason) and en resumen (in summary).

Texting in any language has its own separate set of rules.

For instance, depending on the recipient of the message, two texts can look completely different even if they include the exact same information:

Xq tki. (Because I have to go.) This is very informal, sent to a friend.

Porque tengo que irme. (Because I have to go.) This is sent in a much more formal situation, normally to someone with whom we do not have a very close relationship.

As you can see from the first example, there are a lot of abbreviations and slang words you can use while texting in Spanish , much like you would do in English.

It would be impossible to mention all of them here, but if you learn their most common traits, you will be able to text in Spanish like a pro:

• Letters are omitted. The most common feature you will see is the omission of vowels and consonants.

For example: xa — para (for), gnl — genial (great)

• The letters q and c normally become k.

For example: One of the most common examples is the expression tkm — te quiero mucho (I love you so much)

• There are some established abbreviations you will need to learn by heart. Sometimes you will only be given one letter, so knowing what it means in the world of Spanish texting will come in handy .

For example: b — bien (good), q — que/qué (that/what)

• Numbers and symbols can also be used. Just as in English, if a number comes close to the pronunciation of a part of a word, some letters will be replaced by numbers .

salu2 — saludos (regards), 100pre — siempre (always)

• Watch out for acronyms. Spanish normally uses their own versions of well-known acronyms. These acronyms are often similar to the international ones or can be understood from the context, but sometimes they will be completely different.

For example: NATO — OTAN , World Health Organization / WHO – Organización Mundial de la Salud / OMS

Creative writing is basically any kind of writing that is not professional, academic or journalistic.

Since this definition is so broad, there are also many types of writing that can fall into this category, the most common ones being poetry, novels, scripts, short stories, fairy tales and screenplays, among others.

Creative writing can be an amazing way to improve your Spanish language skills.

It forces you to think, be creative, ask questions and find answers for them. Your brain will be working hard while you write creatively, and the fact that you will be using vocabulary and grammar rules you have previously studied will make you remember them easier.

The ideal scenario for a learner of Spanish who wants to give creative writing a go would be having a native Spanish speaker that can read what the learner is writing and give detailed feedback (spelling and grammar errors and overall writing skills that could be improved).

Unfortunately, this is quite difficult to find, so the second-best option is to find resources that will help the learner get some Spanish writing practice (such as writing apps, creative writing websites, textbooks that teach writing, writing prompts, etc.).

Regardless of the way you choose to practice your creative writing skills, remember rule number one of every good writer: You have to read much more than you write!

Since there are no established rules, journaling can be a good way of practicing writing in Spanish without stress. No one except you will have access to your journal (unless you want to), so it does not matter if you make spelling mistakes or write grammatically incorrect sentences as long as you are doing it in Spanish.

If you feel that writing a journal in Spanish can be challenging, try to break your thoughts down into smaller thoughts.

There are many topics you can write about that will allow you to practice your Spanish writing skills in an undemanding way:

• Your bucket list.
• Your dreams.
• Things you are thankful for.
• Reasons for learning Spanish.
• Things that motivate you.
• Things that make you sad.
• Your goals for this week/month/year.
• Your fears.
• Your favorite places/people and why.

The list goes on and on. Write about the topics you want, whenever you want and however you want. Just remember to do it on a daily basis to be able to enjoy all the benefits journaling in Spanish can bring to you, both mentally and linguistically speaking.

There are many more types of Spanish writing, and each of them has its own intrinsic characteristics and rules.

Mentioning all of them would be impossible here, so here you have a selection of a few of them:

Recipes have a very easy structure: a list of ingredients and steps to cook the dish. You can start practicing writing recipes in Spanish by using the infinitive when you give the instructions (Pelar las patatas — To peel the potatoes), and move on to the imperative mood when you study the Spanish imperativo (Pela las patatas — Peel the potatoes).

Greeting cards

Even though we normally buy ready-made cards, adding a few words of our own could be a very nice finishing touch. If you are giving a birthday card, remember to include some wishes like ¡Feliz cumpleaños! (Happy birthday!) or ¡Te deseo mucha felicidad! (I wish you lots of happiness!).

If you want to give a Valentine’s Day card, try to make it even more personal by creating a romantic card in Spanish yourself. Do not forget to express your feelings with phrases like:

• Mi amor (My love)
• Mi cariño (My sweetheart)
• Te amo (I love you)

Notes can be written to say thank you, to ask for a favor or to remind someone to do something. They tend to be very short and to the point, including only information that is absolutely necessary. For this reason, many notes only include one or two words:

• ¡Gracias! (Thanks!)
• Para ti. (For you.)
• ¿Me echas una mano? (Will you help me?)
• Te quiero. (I love you.)
• Que aproveche. (Enjoy your meal.)
• Compra leche. (Buy some milk.)

Spanish and English keyboards are different.

Because of that, typing in Spanish can be a challenge for the first few times.

There are several ways in which you can type in Spanish on your device:

• You can install a keyboard on your device. 
• You can use Alt codes (Windows) and Opt codes (Macs). 
• You can use online tools such as TypeIt.  

If you take a look at a Spanish keyboard, you will notice some letters, characters and symbols have changed, moved or disappeared.

Let’s have a look at these changes.

Once you have your device ready to type in Spanish, you will notice some things are… different.

There are enough differences between a Spanish and an English keyboard to write a whole book, so I will only mention the three most important ones:

Accent marks

Spanish vowels can have an accent mark ( á, é,  í, ó, ú ). In order to type it, you first have to type the accent key on your keyboard (‘) and then the vowel you want to add the accent mark to.

Another letter with a mark is the Spanish letter ñ . In this case, you only have to press the (:) key, because Spanish keyboards have their own ñ key. The last mark you will need in Spanish is the diéresis (¨). In order to type it, press Shift + the (‘) key. Then type u or i.

Question and exclamation marks

One of the first interesting facts we learn about the Spanish language is that it has opening question marks and exclamation marks.

In order to type the opening question mark, press Shift and (=). The closing question mark can be typed by pressing Shift and (-). As for the exclamation marks, the opening one is very easy: just press the (=) key. The closing one can be typed by pressing Shift + 1, like on your normal keyboard.

Another change you will notice when typing in Spanish is the series of symbols you get by pressing Shift + numbers 2 to 0. Your keyboard probably has the sequence @#$%^&*() , while the Spanish keyboard will give you “·$%&/()= .

There are other differences between both keyboards, like the position of hyphens, dashes, apostrophes, colons, semi-colons, stops and commas, among others.

In the beginning, all these differences can be a little bit overwhelming, and you will probably type the wrong symbol or letter because your brain will want to do it automatically in your normal keyboard layout.

As with everything, practicing Spanish typing will be the key (no pun intended) to get you used to the new layout. There are even Spanish typing games where you can practice all you want until you feel fully comfortable using the Spanish keyboard.

I know this is a lot of information to digest, but the good news is that you now have everything you need to know about how to write in Spanish!

Thanks to writing, you will improve not only your vocabulary and grammar, but also your reading, speaking and listening skills.

So take a pencil and a piece of paper (or run that word processor you normally use) and start writing in Spanish right away!

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Basic Guidelines For Writing Essays in Spanish

Students tend to focus on speaking practice while learning Spanish, so they often neglect writing. However, most educators emphasize its importance for mastering the language. They say it’s impossible to become fluent in a particular language if one doesn’t train writing skills. 

Therefore, teachers give a lot of essay assignments to students. This type of homework is a great way to inspire them to think and communicate in Spanish effectively. It may be quite difficult to complete such a task. However, it’s one of the most effective ways to learn Spanish or any other language.

You may be tempted to go online and find the best essay writing service to have your essay written for you. This may be helpful when you’re pressed for time, but in the long run, you’re missing an opportunity to improve your own essay writing skills. That’s why we are going to provide you with some recommendations on how to ease the writing process.

Some tips on writing in Spanish 

• Be careful with word spelling. Remember that teachers pay special attention to spelling so it can either make or break your student image. Having good spelling makes a positive impression of your writing skills and boosts your grades. 
• Make your essay coherent with the help of connectors. Use them to explain the relationship between the ideas so your essay doesn’t look like just a list of thoughts and facts. 
• Pay attention to syntax or the word order. As you need to stick to the academic style, try to keep the traditional order such as “subject + verb + objects”. This will also help you express your opinion in a simpler way, so it’s more clear to the reader.
• Avoid word repetitions by using synonyms. Frequent repetitions make your text boring and heavy. If you use the same words again and again, your essay will look dull. Hence, try to find synonyms in Spanish thesaurus and replace the most commonly used expressions with them. 
• Before you create a final version of your essay, let someone read it and give feedback. It’s hard to be objective about your writing, so ask another person to tell you which ideas are less clear if your text contains any confusing phrases, and what are the positive aspects that can be reinforced. 
• Do not write the essay in your native language first to translate it into Spanish then. This approach is not viable for mastering a foreign language. The only thing that you are doing by translating the text literally is practicing the grammatical structures that you have learned. This doesn’t help you learn new idioms and collocations that don’t follow the general grammatical rules. 

Now that you know how to make your writing better, let’s consider a step-by-step guide to essay writing in Spanish. 

Pick an interesting topic 

If possible, choose a topic you are truly excited about. Unless the specific title was given to you by instructors, find a theme you want to research and write about. True interest is what will drive you towards creating an excellent piece. If you enjoy reading about the subject you are going to analyze in your essay, then you will definitely succeed in writing. Remember that decent work can be done only if you are passionate about it. 

Brainstorm the ideas 

When it comes to any project, brainstorming is an integral stage of the creation process. This is one of the most efficient ways to gain insights and generate new ideas. You can use this technique to think of the main supporting arguments, an approach for a catchy introduction, and paragraph organization. You can also try freewriting and/or make a brief outline to ease the writing process itself. 

Create an introduction 

Probably the main rule about creating an introduction that you have to stick to is adding a clear thesis statement there. It must be included in the first paragraph to give your essay a certain direction and help the readers focus their attention on the topic. Also, your introduction must be catchy and intriguing to evoke the desire to read the essay further and learn more. 

Organize an essay body 

It’s essential to make the body paragraphs organized logically. You need to make sure that each of them is closely related to the main topic and discusses one major point. Each body paragraph must consist of a topic sentence and supporting arguments with evidence. It’s very important to write sentences in a logical sequence so they follow each other orderly. Also, since paragraphs shouldn’t overlap in content, add smooth transitions from one to the other. 

Sum up the content 

The vital requirement to the conclusion is that it must logically relate to the original thesis statement. Generally, it’s not acceptable to introduce new ideas in the conclusion. Instead, you need to sum up the main points mentioned in the essay’s body. It’s also forbidden to add any off-topic ideas to the last paragraph of your paper.

Check content relevance and cohesion 

Once you complete the conclusion, read through the essay for relevance and cohesion. Make sure that the whole piece is on the topic and in the mode required. In particular, check if body paragraphs support the thesis statement and whether the conclusion relates to it. After that, read your paper once again to see whether the parts connect together well. Think if there are logical links between ideas and if you need more transitions. 

Read for clarity and style

Scan your essay to find out whether some sections may be unclear to the reader. Analyze the text to find out if it sounds academic and polished. Check if there are any vague pronouns, excessive wording, or awkward phrases. Don’t forget to make sure that all points are listed in similar grammatical forms.

The last stage of your writing process is final proofreading. Read your paper the last time looking at grammar, spelling, punctuation, verb tense, word forms, and pronoun agreement. Correct all the mistakes to make your work excellent. 

Remember that the most important thing about learning a foreign language is a regular practice. Therefore, you should use any opportunity provided by instructors to polish your skills. Hopefully, the recommendations given above will help you write an excellent essay and master the Spanish language!

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A Simple Guide to Spanish Sentence Structure and Order

Some people say that Spanish sentences structures are very flexible and they are not mistaken. 

Let’s take a look at an example sentence. 

Siempre cocino una deliciosa sopa para mi madre.

Now, you surely understood that it says: I always cook a delicious soup for my mother.

What about If I change the order of the words and say:

Cocino una deliciosa sopa para mi madre siempre.

Exactly! It communicates the same meaning. 

Of course there are some rules to follow and remember while constructing basic Spanish sentences, but I will show you all about it in this post. 

Here you will find some tricks that will help you understand Spanish word order and sound like a native Spanish-speaking person.

Some Basic Information About Spanish Sentence Structure

Let’s start with some groundwork. We will have more opportunities later to delve into the secrets of the Spanish subjunctive sentence structure and some other more complex sentences. 

For now, let’s get acquainted with some simple facts.  

You’ll need some basic knowledge about parts of speech, but we won’t need to worry too much about Spanish grammar. I promise that if we get to something more complicated, I’ll guide you towards helpful resources. If you need help now, a quick reminder on verbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and adverbs will do—you can check out “Spanish Grammar for Beginners: The 8 Parts of Speech.”

1. Every Verb is Conjugated Depending on the Subject Pronoun

This is one of the main differences when comparing Spanish vs. English grammar. 

Spanish verb endings change depending on who the subject is for all tenses. In contrast, English may have the same verb form for all pronouns depending on the tense.

The changes in verb endings in English are few—for instance, we say “I cook,” “you cook,” but “she cook s ”. 

In Spanish, however, each grammatical person will have a different ending in each tense and in each mood. 

Look at how the verb cocinar (to cook) looks in present simple tense:

Cocinar – present tense conjugation chart

If you want to know more about Spanish conjugation, here is “ An Exclusive Beginner’s Guide to Spanish Conjugation .”

2. Subject Pronouns Are Optional

Point one logically leads to point two. Because of the verb conjugation, subject pronouns in Spanish are not obligatory. Let me explain.

Look at what happens if we remove all the subject pronouns from the chart above, both for Spanish and English:

That’s right! English might only give us clues about the third person singular only, and even then, we would have to blindly choose from he, she, or it. 

If we use other tenses, this unique distinction would disappear. 

However, for Spanish, we still know if it’s you or he, or us, who cooks. This is why a sentence without a subject pronoun in Spanish is grammatically correct.

Empiezo a las 8pm.  I start at 8 pm.

¿Terminas tan tarde? Do you finish that late?

Abran los libros en la página 22. Open your books on page 22.

The only English sentence where I could omit the subject pronoun was the last one—in the imperative form. If I did that for the other ones, they would simply be incomplete and incorrect.

3. Pronouns Almost Always Go Before The Verb

Yes, all types of pronouns (personal, reflexive, direct, and indirect) go before the verb. Take a look.

Quiero un coche. I want a car.

Lo quiero. I want it.

This is another case to remember in the Spanish vs. English game. In English, we place the object after the verb. 

In Spanish, when you substitute a noun with a pronoun, it should be placed before the verb. Here are some examples. 

Me gusta. I like (it).

Pedro se levanta tarde. Pedro gets up late.

Nos hablamos ayer. We talked yesterday.

Why do pronouns almost always—and not always—go before the verb?  Well, if the verb is in the imperative, gerund, or infinitive form, the pronoun will go after the verb.

Siéntese, por favor. Sit down, please.

Estoy bañándome. I’m taking a bath.

¿Quieres darme este cuaderno? Do you want to give me this notebook?

If you want to read more about pronoun placement, check out “The Ultimate Guide to Using Double Object Pronouns in Spanish” . There are some exercises at the end of the article, so you can practice on word order.

4. Verbs Sometimes Go before The Subject

A typical structure in Spanish is:

Subject + Verb + Object

For example:

Los invitados entraron a la reunión. The guests entered the meeting.

Los invitados : subject entraron : verb a la reunión : direct object

However—and that is the beauty of the Spanish language—you can switch this order if you want to place the emphasis on a different part of your message. 

Entraron los invitados a la reunión. 

In this case, the emphasis is placed on the fact that the guests entered the meeting. The structure we see there is: Verb + Subject + Object

It’s still a perfectly correct sentence where the verb is placed before the subject.

5. Adjectives Go After Nouns in a Spanish Sentence Structure

Another difference between English and Spanish is the placement of adjectives in a sentence.

Opposite to English, in Spanish we place the adjective after the noun it describes. 

Take a look:

In English, we say: I want a black cat.  (Subject + Verb + Adjective + Object Noun)

In Spanish, we say: (Yo) quiero un gato negro. (Subject + Verb + Object Noun + Adjective)

Now, you’ll probably be on the lookout next time you hear someone say “ quiero este rojo tomate ” (literal, yet not correct in Spanish, translation for “I want this red tomato”), instead of the proper “ quiero este tomate rojo.”  

There will be some cases where you can play with the adjective placement, but that’s another story. You can read more about it in an article: “Positive Adjectives in Spanish for Any Person or Occasion. ”

6. Adverbs Can Go Almost Everywhere

Yes—adverbs can go almost everywhere but there are still some rules to remember.

The most flexible adverbs are the ones that modify the whole sentence. They can go at the beginning, before the verb, after the verb, and also at the end of the sentence. 

Check out how the English sentence—Juan slowly eats his soup—can be translated into Spanish:

Juan come su sopa lentamente .

Lentamente, Juan come su sopa.

Juan lentamente come su sopa.

Juan come lentamente su sopa.

However, it does look a bit different using other adverbs for their placement will depend on the word they describe.

Adverbs that modify adjectives will go before them:

Soy muy feliz. I am very happy.

Adverbs that modify another adverb also go before the adverb they modify:

Puede correr tan rápido. He can run so quickly.

Adverbs that modify a verb go after the verb.

Su ensayo se basa principalmente en las entrevistas con niños. His essay is based mainly on interviews with children.

Adverbs of negation go before the verb.

Yo nunca salgo después de las 9 de la noche. I never go out past 9 at night.

If you want to read more about adverbs, don’t forget to check “50 Common Spanish Adverbs to Start Using Today.”

Three Basic Sentence Types in Spanish

While learning about Spanish sentence structure, it’s good to have a quick look at the three basic types of Spanish sentences: 

• affirmative statements
• negative sentences

Let me show you how they work.

1. Affirmative Spanish Sentence Structure

If you have thoroughly read all the information above, you already know the Spanish sentence structure for declarative sentences.

Subject+ verb + object

Yo como una manzana. I eat an apple.

The basic sentence structure is the same as in English. It will feel great to breeze right through it once you get to practice it! 

You also know how to use objects, add adjectives, and adverbs if you need to. 

You also know that you can place the verb before the subject and omit the subject.

2. Negative Spanish Sentences

It is simple to build a negative Spanish sentence. . You just need to add “no” before the verb and you get the negative sentence.

Yo no como una manzana. I don’t eat an apple.

So the structure of a negative sentence is:

Subject + No + Verb + Object

Simple, right?  You may also omit the subject.

No como una manzana 

Double Negatives

It’s a good moment to mention double negatives in Spanish. Double negatives are sentences with two negative words, which sound perfectly fine in Spanish.  

I have also included my literal English translations to  show you that the use of double negatives is a correct practice exclusively in Spanish. 

No como ninguna manzana. I don’t eat no apple.

No me gusta nada. I don’t like nothing.

No quiero nada de ti. I don’t want nothing from you.

If I sparked your curiosity with the topic of the double negatives, you should definitely read this super fun Guide to Double Negatives in Spanish , written by my colleague Luis! 

3. Spanish Questions

There are several ways to ask questions in Spanish. 

Here are some ways to build interrogative sentences—and they are all easy to grasp!

• Just add question marks and rising intonation

This is definitely the easiest way. You take an affirmative sentence, add question marks at the beginning and at the end of the sentence, raise your intonation at the end, and voilà!

¿Yo como una manzana? Do I eat an apple?

• Switch verb and subject

You can also switch the verb with the subject, add the question marks, and raise your intonation.

¿Como yo una manzana? Do I eat an apple?

¿Escribe Juan? Does Juan write?

• Add question tags

This is also a simple way to turn a sentence into a question. You take the affirmative statement, and use a comma to add a question tag word—inside question marks—.It can be a “ no ”, “sí”, or “ verdad ”.

Juan escribe libros, ¿ verdad ?

Juan escribe libros, ¿ no ?

Juan escribe libros, ¿ sí ?

They can all translate into “Juan writes books, doesn’t he?”

Thank you for having worked so hard on understanding Spanish sentence structure! 

Now that you’ve learned how to build a basic sentence, your knowledge about word order in Spanish is surely greater than ever. Am I right?

Test Your Knowledge Taking This Multiple-Choice Quiz On Spanish Sentence Structure 

Let’s see how much you’ve learned about common Spanish sentence structure. 

1. Where do we place adjectives in a Spanish sentence?

2. what’s the correct order of a basic spanish sentence, 3. which sentence is grammatically correct, 4. which of these is a correct question., 5. which sentence order is correct (adverb of frequency), 6. translate this sentence: i want a red car., 7. what’s the correct translation for: i don’t want anything., 8. what’s the correct translation for: do you write books, 9. where do you put an adverb that modifies another adverb in a spanish sentence, 10. what is true about spanish sentence structure, practice time.

Congratulations on learning a lot about basic Spanish sentence structure today. You’ll notice it will start to feel completely natural once you put it into practice.  

My recommendation is that rather than trying to memorize Spanish sentence structure you practice it on a daily basis.

If you don’t have a Spanish-speaking friend to help you with frequent practice, you can always sign up for a FREE class with one of our native Spanish-speaking teachers from Guatemala. They will be more than happy to help you tackle the sentence order in Spanish and help you with any other questions you may have. 

Just imagine yourself using affirmative, negative, and interrogative statements in Spanish—you would easily make it in a Spanish-speaking country! So, maybe you should be getting your suitcases ready!

Would you like more lessons on Spanish grammar? Check these out!

• 25 Common Subjunctive Phrases in Spanish Conversation
• What Is an Infinitive in Spanish?
• A Complete Guide to Imperfect Conjugation for Beginners
• How to Talk About the Temperature in Spanish: Fahrenheit, Celcius, and Descriptions
• A Complete Guide to Preterite Conjugation for Beginners
• Spanish Words with Multiple Meanings in Latin America
• How Many Words Are in the Spanish Language? Really?
• Avoiding Common Errors in Spanish Grammar
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essay-based subject

• Thread starter genie67
• Start date Aug 30, 2018
• Aug 30, 2018

Senior Member

By "essay-based subject" you are reffering to a single assessment criteria? If that's the case, I would say " Asignatura evaluada con ensayos " or, in a more general sense, " Asignatura evaluada con trabajos prácticos [ensayos] ".  

fcarmona said: By "essay-based subject" you are reffering to a single assessment criteria? If that's the case, I would say " Asignatura evaluada con ensayos " or, in a more general sense, " Asignatura evaluada con trabajos prácticos [ensayos] ". Click to expand...