TASKS (Anchored in Spanish)
A task is worth 10 credits, and should be approx. 10 hours work.
1. Anchoring a Task in Spanish:
Spanish can anchor a task –ie. The task will be primarily based in Spanish. This would be for
the General Education Task which the students submit at the end of Session 1 (end of
January of Year 1).
The General Education Task can be:
1. An Investigation
2. A Service/Event
3. A Product
The task can be an individual or group task, but every student must have their own individual
task reports, describing the different stages of the task (aims, planning, research, carrying out,
evaluation, self-evaluation, evidence, etc)
2. Spanish linking with other Tasks:
Often it may be a link for other tasks, e.g. reference may be made to the language or the
country for a task based in another subject area, e.g. names of sports translated into Spanish
for a task on sports anchored in Leisure and Recreation.
Examples of possible cross-curricular links to Spanish in other Tasks:
Hotel, Catering and Tourism – Spanish foods/dishes, reference to tourism in Spain,
translating menus/food vocabulary.
Craft and Design – Reference to Spanish painters, museums, biography of one famous
Spanish painter, poster/painting of something with a Spanish theme.
Social Education – I.D. cards, personal profile in Spanish, contemporary issues/topics in
Spain to compare with same issue in Ireland.
Leisure and Recreation – translation of sports/hobbies/football terminology, Famous
Spanish sports personalities, popular sports in Spain/Bullfighting.
Music/Dance – Music and Dances from Spain (Flamenco, Sevillanas), history/research into
Spanish guitar/castanets.
VPG – Translate chosen profession, e.g ‘profesora’ on a Careers Investigation for the
Enterprise Task, or investigate working in Spain, e.g a holiday representative, etc.
GENERAL EDUCATION TASK – Anchored in Spanish
Suggestions:
1. Investigations:
Research one aspect of Spain that the student is interested in. Brainstorm a range of
possible topics – bullfighting, a particular football club, sports, food, drink, music, dance, top
10 places to visit, art/artists, skiing, watersports, schools, festivals, etc. And let students
choose one (key assignment in Module 1).
Research a place/city/region in Spain:
Use at least 2 sources of information, e.g. the internet, books, magazines, brochures, write to
the Spanish embassy, interview someone from Spain) (Same key assignment as above in
Module 1)
Research organising a trip to Spain
Students could pick a place in Spain, and research the city/island, cost/times/airline/airport
for flights, type and price of accommodation, passport, insurance, places to visit, etc. (key
assignment in Module 2)
Combination of the above:
Students could research a visit to Sevilla for Semana Santa/La Feria, or to Pamplona for San
Fermin, or Valencia for the Fallas.
Students could research information about the festival (internet, embassy, travel books), how
to get there, where to stay on a student budget, etc
Write a list of key phrases they would need while on holidays.
They could do a profile of the city in question and include places of interest, local customs
and typical food of the area.
Integrate with Hotel, Catering and Tourism (Food and Drink), Visual Art (posters), English
and Communications (letters, surveys), ICT (internet, word processing), Maths (budgeting,
prices) etc.
Compare and Contrast Spain and Ireland:
Students should make their research as focused as possible, by choosing one topic or area to
investigate, e.g. ‘Secondary Schools in Spain vs. Ireland’ – quite difficult in general.
Interview a Spanish person about life in Spain:
Supplement with some background/secondary research, eg about the place the person is
from...
Survey a number of Spaniards:
If there is an English language school in the area, or a lot of Spanish living in the area, a
survey could be designed and carried out, and the results analysed and presented.
2. Events/Service:
Spanish Meal – for the teachers or for some other students
Research a possible menu of typical Spanish food, eg. Gazpacho, Tortilla, Paella..
Design a menu. Source and buy the ingredients and learn to make with the help of the Home
Economics teacher?!
Possible subject areas to integrate the task with are H.C.T. (cooking), Maths (make out a
budget, estimate costs), Art (Posters, design menus, decorations for the ‘restaurant’), and ICT
(research on the internet, typing..)
Spanish Day in the School:
Have posters and information on Spain displayed around the school. Have Spanish music
playing during the breaks. Spanish costumes? Aim to teach everyone in the school at least 3
phrases in Spanish. Play a video about Spain. Carry out a survey/quiz.
Tapas Bar at lunch time:
(Similar to the Spanish meal above)
Guest Speaker:
Invite a Spanish person in to talk to the class, e.g. someone married to an Irish person living
here, from a company in the area...
Music/Dance Display:
Get someone in to teach the group one Sevillana dance, which they could then perform for
another class or at lunchtime, and record it. Lots of preparation and practice time required
but would be great fun, especially if mainly female students.
3. A Product
This would have to be done with the assistance of another teacher:
Spanish Dish (HCT Teacher) but the dish would have to be reproduced on the day of the task
interview, for the examiner to see/taste?
Wooden Castanets (Wood Work Teacher)
Reproduction of a Spanish Painting (Art Teacher)
Paper Mache Guitar (Art Teacher)
Spanish Costume for a doll (HCT Teacher) etc, etc.
Remember: This is the students’ first ever task, so it is better if they pick something that
they are interested in, that is not too difficult to research or carry out, and to keep the tasks as
simple as possible.
Get them to write down what they want to find out and achieve-clear, simple aims, and to
keep focused on that and not to veer off too much – ie. Keep it focused. Some students tend
to print loads off the internet, but not make the information their own, or they start writing
about a different topic all together. Clear guidelines and headings work best.