Spanish National Doing Spanish in LC

Northern lassie

Hi there

I have a Spanish student living with me for the academic year. He is in 5th year in our local school. Him and his family have decided that he will stay another year in Ireland and do the LC and then do third level in Ireland or the UK. He is currently doing 6 subjects and is considering doing Spanish as a 7th. Spanish is not available in our school so he would be doing it himself. Has anyone experience of this and could give me their opinion on how difficult he would find it. Is there prescribed reading on the Curriculum .... I presume there is but can't find the curriculum online but I can find past LC papers. Would anyone know that the novel etc is for LC 2021 so he can have a look at that.

Thanks for any replies

spurious

It presumes 5 years of school lessons so I don't think a native speaker would find it that taxing. He just needs to make sure the school enter him for it.

If a Spanish teacher doesn't post about any reading requirements, I will check circulars for you tomorrow.

Northern lassie

Spurious - thanks for the reply. The school principal is very accommodating so don't think there is a problem there.

Someone else I spoke to thinks the Spanish LC paper for Spanish nationals will be different i.e. more difficult to that for Irish nationals (or non Spanish nationals) is that right?

Thanks for any answers

Mango Joe

I might be incorrect here but I was speaking with a neighbour of mine a few years back - Irish Mother and German Father.

3 kids all raised bilingual Eng & Ger and he led me to believe that none of his children were allowed do German as an exam subject?

- Granted I may have picked this up entirely wrong??!?!

I presumed at the time that they'd simply have an unfair advantage in the points race/CAO etc.

tuxy

Can students from Irish speaking schools sit the Irish exam?

CrabRevolution

A former coworker from Ukraine had a daughter who spoke fluent Russian, and sat the subject at Junior and Leaving Cert.

I can't see how they'd bar anyone on the basis of being a native speaker. How would they prove it?

spurious

There is no bar on native speakers sitting any exam.
Native speakers will get exactly the same exam as those who have only learned it for 5 years (or 2 in the case of Russian and Japanese).

From the Department Circular: (.pdf file)

Prescribed material for Leaving Certificate Spanish (Higher Level) in 2021:
Gabriel García Márquez, “Relato de un Náufrago”

Northern lassie

Thanks Spurious ... it is very helpful to know what the reading material for the Spanish Curriculum

On another issue the Spanish student's parents want him to sit the JC as well!!! I explained that I think that would be very difficult for him especially as he is studying hard for his LC, and none of it is in his native language, making it even more challenging! Anyway they have an idea that you cannot go to College/Uni in Ireland or the UK without a JC or GCSE certificate. Have googled it but can't find any information on it.

Thanks

spurious

He would fly through JC Spanish, but there is no need. He does not need to have sat the JC for any Irish university. UK universities sometimes ask for JC grades on applications for a small number of high demand courses but only if people have sat it.

rainbowtrout

Northern lassie wrote: »

Spurious - thanks for the reply. The school principal is very accommodating so don't think there is a problem there.

Someone else I spoke to thinks the Spanish LC paper for Spanish nationals will be different i.e. more difficult to that for Irish nationals (or non Spanish nationals) is that right?

Thanks for any answers

There aren't two different papers. There is one Spanish paper and the nationality of the student doesn't come into it. I'm not familiar with the Spanish course but it would be on par with French and German for LC. So there will be an oral, a listening exercise and the rest will be written. Which are the exam papers you have got online.


Whoever you are talking to is getting mixed up with the 'non-curricular languages'. As we are members of the EU, the State Exams Commission is obliged to provide an examination in any official language of the EU. Hence why you will find Finnish, Czech, Latvian exam papers, as students who speak those languages have the right to sit an exam in their native language.

Spanish however is a prescribed subject here and we have a curriculum for it. Same goes for French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian and Japanese.

This is the syllabus for LC Spanish

https://www.curriculumonline.ie/getmedia/07bbdb0e-e958-4eac-8629-31557e34bac0/SCSEC32_Spanish_syllabus_eng.pdf


What would also be useful is for this student to get a set of exam papers or download them. That will give them a very good idea of what they are required to do. Have a look at some of the publisher's websites (Edco, Folens etc) and see what Spanish textbook is available. That will also give an idea of the standard required.

happyday

Hi OP.
I'm just wondering how you are getting on with having the student living with you? I have a 15 yr old Spanish student here for the school year. It's my second year taking someone for the whole school year and while this year is easier than last, there are a few things that annoy me. I'm not sure if I'll do it again next year. I have had others for shorter stays btw.

Avonoidea

He'd fly in the LC Spanish.
You don't need to do a novel - there's a second question choice- most of the LC students avoid the prescribed literature.
He should look at Past Papers and then get a few grinds for exam style.

Northern lassie

Thanks very one for the replies and apologies for not getting back sooner. The information from you all has been very helpful.

happyday wrote: »

Hi OP.
I'm just wondering how you are getting on with having the student living with you? I have a 15 yr old Spanish student here for the school year. It's my second year taking someone for the whole school year and while this year is easier than last, there are a few things that annoy me. I'm not sure if I'll do it again next year. I have had others for shorter stays btw.

Happyday, we are getting on well with our Student. We've had a lot of students and most of them are grand. Of course we've had a few that we were happy to see the back of but in general they get on well. Their personality is a big factor of course and you don't know that until they arrive and are here a few weeks.

happyday

Northern lassie wrote: »

Thanks very one for the replies and apologies for not getting back sooner. The information from you all has been very helpful.



Happyday, we are getting on well with our Student. We've had a lot of students and most of them are grand. Of course we've had a few that we were happy to see the back of but in general they get on well. Their personality is a big factor of course and you don't know that until they arrive and are here a few weeks.

Very true. Our girl has been sent back to Spain now due to all this Corona Virus stuff. Not sure if I will commit to a full school year again. It can be a long year if there are issues that cannot be resolved.