Spanish

Spanish is the official language of 21 countries and is the second language in the world in terms of the number of speakers. It is third language on the internet and the numbers of speakers worldwide is growing.

A person who can speak Spanish and English is able to communicate with 80% of the world’s population. In terms of the benefits of language learning in general, employers are always interested in applicants with languages skills because of the well-documented links between language learning and increased levels of mental flexibility, processing speeds, memory skills and their ability to multitask. Furthermore, in our increasingly global economy, employers value the crucial ability to work with overseas businesses in their own language, and since Spanish is now the second language of the USA, it is an incredibly useful language to have for the world of business in three continents.

Lower School

Upper School

Trips & Events

In the Lower School students are normally able to take part in our biennial trip to Spain, which we aim to restart soon, after a break due to the pandemic. Recent trips have visited Madrid, Cantabria and Seville. Students visit a number of cultural attractions, learning about Spanish history and everyday life through interactions with Spanish speaking guides and visits to local schools. Students are accompanied by Spanish speaking Cranleigh staff to help them to get the very best out of their visit to Spain. Students always report that this is a very exciting and enjoyable aspect of language learning, and they always return with a renewed confidence in their spoken Spanish ahead of the rehearsal and final oral examinations in the Year 11.

We do not currently organise a Sixth Form Spanish trip, for it would be too easy for pupils to simply speak English to one another without really engaging with the Spanish language and properly immersing themselves. Therefore, we support individuals and pairs of Cranleighans in organising their own visits to Spain, often to the Language Schools of Salamanca or other parts of Spain.

Head of Spanish

Sara Gonzalez Saavedra

Head of Spanish