Revision Guide – Spanish

SUBJECT: SPANISH
EXAM BOARD AND CODE: AQA
NUMBER OF PAPERS: 4
LENGTH OF PAPERS:
Speaking: 7-9 minutes (F) 10-12 minutes (H)
Listening: 35 minutes (F) 40 minutes (H)
Reading: 45 minutes (F) 60 minutes (H)
Writing: 60 minutes (F) 75 minutes (H)
EQUIPMENT REQUIRED: black pen (and spare)
WEBSITE LINK: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/languages/gcse/spanish-8698

Topics to be revised

Questions will come from the three main themes:

• Theme 1: Identity and culture (me, my family and friends; technology in everyday life; free-time activities; customs and festivals in Spanish-speaking countries/communities
• Theme 2: Local, national, international and global areas of interest (home, town, neighbourhood and region; social issues; global issues; travel and tourism)
• Theme 3: Current and future study and employment (my studies; life at school/college; education post-16; jobs, career choices and ambition

Revision Tips

All students have a Kerboodle login (same as their Student ID number) which gives access to the AQA text book and a range of interactive activities for all 4 skills.

Useful websites:
Quizlet http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/languages/gcse/spanish-8698

Exam Hints

Speaking:
Prepare thoroughly for the general conversation. Come to Language Clinics and use Kerboodle for extra photo card and role play practice. Ask your teacher if you would like a mentor. Always try and extend your answers, use a variety of tenses and give opinions. Use your preparation time wisely.

Listening:
Section A: Answer in English. Section B: Answer in Spanish. Make notes while the audio is being played. Listen for the gist first and gradually pick out more details. Listen out for cognates, but beware of false friends. Before the audio starts you have 5 minutes to look through the paper. Use this time to translate words, pictures. If you don’t recognise a word, don’t panic; listen to the whole phrase and try and guess its meaning. Make sure you know the frequently used qualifiers (very, none, quite, too much etc.) as they can change a meaning. Try and eliminate wrong answers rather than make rough guesses.

Reading:
Section A: Answer in English. Section B: Answer in Spanish. Read the question first so you know what information you are being asked for. If you don’t know the meaning of a word, try and guess from the context, i.e. the other words around it. If you’re still not sure, make an intelligent guess; the answer is often quite predictable! Check your answers really carefully at the end.

Writing:
Spend at least 5 minutes planning your answer to each question. The questions will be in Spanish so practise understanding similar questions before you get in the exam. Make sure you include every bullet point in your plan, and plan when you are going to use your bank of ‘examiner-wowing’ phrases. Spend at least 15 minutes checking your writing for common mistakes, such as adjective/verb endings and word order.

Download a printable version here