AS AQA spanish exam 23rd May - Revision thread

I'm not sure if one has already been created. I couldn't find one so i created i revision thread myself. This thread is for students sitting as AQA spanish, listening, reading and writing exam on the 23rd of May 2013.
Post revision tips, resources etc.
E.g. what websites you use to practice listening, a grade phrases for the essay and reading exercises :smile:

Reply 1

EllieS96

I'm sitting the AS Spanish on 23rd May.

Really struggling on grammar, which is the last question on the reading paper on every single past paper, where you conjugate the verbs - find it so hard!

How are you feeling about the exam? :-)

Reply 2

blondie24

OP

2

Original post by EllieS96

I'm sitting the AS Spanish on 23rd May.

Really struggling on grammar, which is the last question on the reading paper on every single past paper, where you conjugate the verbs - find it so hard!

How are you feeling about the exam? :-)

Its so hard to revise for i feel like i can only revise for the essay and i just have to keep practising the listenings. All the past exam papers are SO hard :frown:

Reply 3

Jennnnnnnnnnnnnn

Any got any ideas about what essay topics will come up? :smile:

Reply 4

mjmoo

I'm really struggling too. I took my French Unit 1 today and it went fine, but Spanish is a whole different story. I also struggle with the grammar section but I find printing off the grammar sections off from past papers and doing them over and over helps to learn the structures and certain grammatical rules. These are the essay topics that have come up since 2010:

Jan 2010: New Technology, Trends/Fashion, Sport
June 2010: Family, Music, Publicity
Jan 2011: Family, Health, Television
June 2011: Trends/Fashion, New Technology, Holidays
Jan 2012: Television, Marriage, Health
June 2012: New Technology, Cinema, Sport

So possibly topics that might come up could be Publicity, Friendship or Relationships? But this is only as they haven't come up before. AQA tend to prefer certain topics...

What does everyone else think?

Reply 5

Jennnnnnnnnnnnnn

Original post by mjmoo

I'm really struggling too. I took my French Unit 1 today and it went fine, but Spanish is a whole different story. I also struggle with the grammar section but I find printing off the grammar sections off from past papers and doing them over and over helps to learn the structures and certain grammatical rules. These are the essay topics that have come up since 2010:

Jan 2010: New Technology, Trends/Fashion, Sport
June 2010: Family, Music, Publicity
Jan 2011: Family, Health, Television
June 2011: Trends/Fashion, New Technology, Holidays
Jan 2012: Television, Marriage, Health
June 2012: New Technology, Cinema, Sport

So possibly topics that might come up could be Publicity, Friendship or Relationships? But this is only as they haven't come up before. AQA tend to prefer certain topics...

What does everyone else think?

Hey, I'm an A2 student re-sitting this paper so haven't done much revision!

Like yourself, I re-sat the unit 1 French exam today & it went fine.. but I'm just concerned about the essay topics! My teacher said that advertising, holidays, music, friendship and relationships could come up! The French essay questions were really decent but I'm not so sure that the Spanish ones will be! :frown:

Reply 6

IEnjoyBones

They do seem to like talking about television, but I never like to put my hope in anything specific...

I've already done this exam twice and I always do well on everything except the essay which continues to shaft me every time. :frown:

I dont suppose anybody has any last minute advice or tips, that would be appreciated..

Reply 7

Mabes

2

Friendships has never come up.
Tv, music and parents came up in Jan

Reply 8

mjmoo

Original post by Jennnnnnnnnnnnnn

Hey, I'm an A2 student re-sitting this paper so haven't done much revision!

Like yourself, I re-sat the unit 1 French exam today & it went fine.. but I'm just concerned about the essay topics! My teacher said that advertising, holidays, music, friendship and relationships could come up! The French essay questions were really decent but I'm not so sure that the Spanish ones will be! :frown:

Im A2 as well and resitting :frown:

I think advertising and friendship could come up. But i predicted sport for the french today and it didn't' come up :'( However, because in Jan TV, Music & Family came up, Sport, Heath or Holidays have to come up this time. So I might just revise those three throughly.

Reply 9

Mabes

2

Original post by IEnjoyBones

They do seem to like talking about television, but I never like to put my hope in anything specific...

I've already done this exam twice and I always do well on everything except the essay which continues to shaft me every time. :frown:

I dont suppose anybody has any last minute advice or tips, that would be appreciated..

1) Don't summarise your argument in your intro, otherwise you have nothing left for a conclusion! (I always used to do this and run out of ideas because I'd already said them all)
2) Write a plan - I literally cannot emphasis this enough!

3) Write a checklist of things you can cross off when you've included them - this should boost your language marks. You don't have to do all of them but it's a good reminder.

Mine goes something like this:

Future
Simple future
Conditional
Preterite
Imperfect
Continuous (present/imperfect)
Perfect
Pluperfect
Conditional/future perfect
Present subjunctive
Imperfect subj.
Pluperfect subj.
Passive
Reflexive passive

Aspiration
Past anecdote/story
Topic history/development (ie. how things used to be/are now)

4) For advantage/disadvantage essays write a list of pros and cons. Use this as a structure - a few paragraphs on each side.
For 'why' essays choose 3 themes/ major points and do a paragraph on each, with stories, examples etc.

5) Finish with a conclusion, eg. 'para concluir/teniendo en cuenta todo lo que he dicho, pienso que.....'
Don't add new points in the conclusion, but this is a good time to hope for a better future etc.

Hope this helps! :smile:

Reply 10

Jennnnnnnnnnnnnn

Original post by mjmoo

Im A2 as well and resitting :frown:

I think advertising and friendship could come up. But i predicted sport for the french today and it didn't' come up :'( However, because in Jan TV, Music & Family came up, Sport, Heath or Holidays have to come up this time. So I might just revise those three throughly.

I think it will be advertising, holidays or friendship :smile:

Reply 11

caglap

2

The essays shouldn't be TV, Music or Family because they all came up in Jan. I reaallllyy hope we get technology or health and well being essays :frown:

Reply 12

IEnjoyBones

Original post by Mabes

Hope this helps! :smile:

Thanks for typing that out for me, that was a great guide - very much appreciate it.

My complexity of language/accuracy and vocabulary haven't really been an issue, but that grammar list is a solid idea.
My problem is the content - I actually got my paper back for the Jan 13 one and there were so few ticks, it really was quite depressing.

I just struggle to get into my head what they think is a content mark, it all seems fairly arbitrary.

Nonetheless I'm sure many will appreciate your guide, thanks for your reply.

Reply 13

mescoriza

1

If anyone needs help with Spanish grammar ... Words ect let me know I'm I was born in London but have been brought up with Spanish and now back to English ... I live in Gibraltar .. We speak both hahaa ! Good luck x

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 14

meenod

I always find myself writing heaps and then running out of time, but I think a massive tip is remember not to write more than 3 paragraphs and if you can its better to stick to 2. You only need to write a conclusion, two paragraphs and introduction and you'll definitely be above 200 words, plus by writing more you just expose yourself to more errors and so lower accuracy marks!

Reply 15

IEnjoyBones

Original post by meenod

I always find myself writing heaps and then running out of time, but I think a massive tip is remember not to write more than 3 paragraphs and if you can its better to stick to 2. You only need to write a conclusion, two paragraphs and introduction and you'll definitely be above 200 words, plus by writing more you just expose yourself to more errors and so lower accuracy marks!

On the flip side of that: you then don't have as much content that could be getting ticks. My understanding is the more ticks the higher band you get into, and after all if you don't get enough content marks then your accuracy will get capped anyway.

However if you manage to fill a shorter essay with plenty of good solid points then it shouldn't be an issue, you just have to make sure you're incredibly concise.

Reply 16

boumavilla

4

Original post by Mabes

3) Write a checklist of things you can cross off when you've included them - this should boost your language marks. You don't have to do all of them but it's a good reminder.

Mine goes something like this:

Future
Simple future
Conditional
Preterite
Imperfect
Continuous (present/imperfect)
Perfect
Pluperfect
Conditional/future perfect
Present subjunctive
Imperfect subj.
Pluperfect subj.
Passive
Reflexive passive

Aspiration
Past anecdote/story
Topic history/development (ie. how things used to be/are now)

Whilst that was quite good advice, thanks :h:

, your 3rd piece of advice is crazy! :zomg:

No way is anyone going to fit that many tenses in! 3-5 different tenses should be enough to increase your grammatical structures mark.

Reply 17

olimyers

Do people think publicity is gonna come up? It's not come up since June 2010.

Reply 18

elliebray

(hi all!)
friendship hasn't come up - but as a topic the board don't seem to like it very much, not as much scope for questions as the others. but maybe I'm wrong ^_^

Reply 19

boumavilla

4

I don't think anyone can be 100% sure on a second guess of what will come up, so just revise a bit of everything! You never know what phrases from other topics could be useful for the question! :h:

On another note, if I write an essay this afternoon, could someone please mark it for me and give me some feedback please? One of my teachers isn't very nice (I'll be kind) and always seems to mark down my essays and give me Cs compared to my other teacher who awards higher marks and sometimes awards me As! :biggrin:

I'll be very grateful! :h:

AS AQA spanish exam 23rd May - Revision thread

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you