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Tips for revising Spanish at AS? 24th May 2016

The subject I find it hardest to revise for is Spanish. It is no doubt my favourite subject, but it's hard to quantify the amount of efficient 'revision' done when studying a language a-level.

Does anyone have tips on how, what and when to revise Spanish for my upcoming AS exam? (likewise if students studying French/German have tips I'm sure they'd be useful)

But how to actually prep for the SN2 exam ?(comprises of several reading,writing,listening,translation tasks).

Do I make mindmaps, flash cards or is this a waste of time? It is not as simple as learning a list of vocab, I just want to know useful tips and advice other language students have. Is extra reading necessary for an A grade? (I'm cool with doing that anyway)


I.m asking now cause I want to get organized in February half term. If it makes it more relevant, I am on the WJEC syllabus. Thanks for any help.

Lluvia :smile:

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Hola!

I do French and Spanish at AS so I hope my advice will be useful (I'm currently averaging an A :smile: )

What I'm doing is getting my tenses really secure, and brushing up on my grammar (the AQA paper has an essay and a grammar section, but I'm not sure about the WJEC paper - what kinds of questions are there?)
I am also going to do ALL THE PAST PAPERS. They're so helpful because you can see the types of questions you're likely to get, and then you can measure your strengths and weaknesses and focus your revision accordingly. So if you're tripping up on a certain question you can work on it, or if you're struggling with vocab you'll know to revise it! :smile:

Perhaps we can help each other - message me if you want any more tips, hope this helps! :smile:
Hi I am an A2 doing WJEC Spanish and I got an A last year :smile:
I feel like I revised a lot less for Spanish than my other subjects (Bio,chemistry and maths) but I think that's because with a language you constantly learn it throughout the year so it isn't learning a bunch of facts etc.
That said I revised the tenses and got them sorted, went though grammar rules and did past papers - the actual exam wasn't bad I felt like I did quite badly but now I definitely see how different it is to other subjects, you just have to show that you can use the language well and you will do fine :smile:
Original post by justpondering
Hola!

I do French and Spanish at AS so I hope my advice will be useful (I'm currently averaging an A :smile: )

What I'm doing is getting my tenses really secure, and brushing up on my grammar (the AQA paper has an essay and a grammar section, but I'm not sure about the WJEC paper - what kinds of questions are there?)
I am also going to do ALL THE PAST PAPERS. They're so helpful because you can see the types of questions you're likely to get, and then you can measure your strengths and weaknesses and focus your revision accordingly. So if you're tripping up on a certain question you can work on it, or if you're struggling with vocab you'll know to revise it! :smile:

Perhaps we can help each other - message me if you want any more tips, hope this helps! :smile:


Where do I go to find the best vocab to learn? Is there a prescribed list?
(edited 7 years ago)
I am doing this exam too but with AQA. I lived in Spain before but I am quite nervous about the exam. I have not been speaking spanish and I think i am forgetting quite a lot of things. It would be great If you guys would like to be in a WhatsApp revision group. Thanks :biggrin:
Original post by ahmadraza281
I am doing this exam too but with AQA. I lived in Spain before but I am quite nervous about the exam. I have not been speaking spanish and I think i am forgetting quite a lot of things. It would be great If you guys would like to be in a WhatsApp revision group. Thanks :biggrin:


I don't have WhatsApp, but I need to know where I can get some good vocab?
Original post by stripedbox
I don't have WhatsApp, but I need to know where I can get some good vocab?


Ask your teacher? My teacher gave me a whole booklet of vocab. I am just worried about the writing bit.
Has anyone actually got a list they can give me?
Original post by ahmadraza281
I am doing this exam too but with AQA. I lived in Spain before but I am quite nervous about the exam. I have not been speaking spanish and I think i am forgetting quite a lot of things. It would be great If you guys would like to be in a WhatsApp revision group. Thanks :biggrin:


I am on AQA too, dreading the essay really, I always over complicate my points.
Original post by physicsamor
I am on AQA too, dreading the essay really, I always over complicate my points.


I have not done writing before in a Spanish exam. Listening and reading is going to be alright for me i guess. I just need that vocab for the writing. Hope we get an easy topic :tongue: haha. Good luck :biggrin:
Reply 10
Avatar for AlfieH
AlfieH
2
Original post by stripedbox
Has anyone actually got a list they can give me?


This is an AQA list of vocab that could be useful. This is just for AS.

Furthermore I recommend this website where a teacher has uploaded lots of other vocab and you can do tests etc - https://quizlet.com/Glenn_Smith

The essay's are quite easy to get full marks on it seems - if you look at the exemplar work on AQA's website from 2014 the essays are just well structured and laid out well. Planning is so important! I'm doing this exam for the 3rd time (lol) - just because I retook it last year and got an A, but I am 9 UMS off an A overall at A-level so thought I may as well do this paper if I'm doing the A2 one anyway.

Plan that essay!!!
AS Vocab Full.docx85.0KB
Original post by AlfieH
This is an AQA list of vocab that could be useful. This is just for AS.

Furthermore I recommend this website where a teacher has uploaded lots of other vocab and you can do tests etc - https://quizlet.com/Glenn_Smith

The essay's are quite easy to get full marks on it seems - if you look at the exemplar work on AQA's website from 2014 the essays are just well structured and laid out well. Planning is so important! I'm doing this exam for the 3rd time (lol) - just because I retook it last year and got an A, but I am 9 UMS off an A overall at A-level so thought I may as well do this paper if I'm doing the A2 one anyway.

Plan that essay!!!


Wow thank you so much. saved my grades :smile:
Reply 12
Avatar for AlfieH
AlfieH
2
Original post by stripedbox
Wow thank you so much. saved my grades :smile:


No probs!
Original post by AlfieH
No probs!


Thank you so much!! :biggrin:
Are you learning all the irregulars for every tense? and how are you revising for the essay part?
Original post by AlfieH
This is an AQA list of vocab that could be useful. This is just for AS.

Furthermore I recommend this website where a teacher has uploaded lots of other vocab and you can do tests etc - https://quizlet.com/Glenn_Smith

The essay's are quite easy to get full marks on it seems - if you look at the exemplar work on AQA's website from 2014 the essays are just well structured and laid out well. Planning is so important! I'm doing this exam for the 3rd time (lol) - just because I retook it last year and got an A, but I am 9 UMS off an A overall at A-level so thought I may as well do this paper if I'm doing the A2 one anyway.

Plan that essay!!!


How do you plan? Do you plan in English or what? And what structure do you follow when answering an essay.
Reply 16
Avatar for AlfieH
AlfieH
2
Original post by yoMilkSheikh
How do you plan? Do you plan in English or what? And what structure do you follow when answering an essay.


I plan in English - I don't see the point of wasting time trying to write a plan in Spanish because that's not going to be very helpful when you quickly want to refer back to it.

I just write out a few key points for/ against the hypothesis; a simple structure; maybe write down a few phrases that I want to throw in, possibly subjunctive or just some good connectors that I may forget once I get frantically writing.

Structure is basic really. If it's 'Do you think the Internet has completely changed our lives?' then I would write in my plan some points as to how it has changed positively and then negatively. Try and make it clear in your intro what you agree with.

Then, at the end of each paragraph what is really good to do is link back to the question because then there's no doubt that you aren't answering the question and this boosts your Content marks if you can always then say 'and therefore this is why the internet has positively completely changed our lives because nowadays we can communicate with people all over the world'.

Referring back to the question is super important - the marks are all about how 'relevant' material is and by constantly linking it back to the question you are continually proving that it is totally relevant.

Remember that length of the essay doesn't have to be that long, if you could get 2 well backed up paragraphs for/ against which link back well and a well rounded conclusion you'll do well. Don't try to over complicate it - even if it may sound basic in English like 'google serves as a brilliant tool for both students and parents because...' - if you can get that accurate in Spanish, you're on track to do well.

Accuracy, ideas, vocab. Sorted.
Reply 17
Avatar for joodaa
joodaa
5
Original post by AlfieH
I plan in English - I don't see the point of wasting time trying to write a plan in Spanish because that's not going to be very helpful when you quickly want to refer back to it.

I just write out a few key points for/ against the hypothesis; a simple structure; maybe write down a few phrases that I want to throw in, possibly subjunctive or just some good connectors that I may forget once I get frantically writing.

Structure is basic really. If it's 'Do you think the Internet has completely changed our lives?' then I would write in my plan some points as to how it has changed positively and then negatively. Try and make it clear in your intro what you agree with.

Then, at the end of each paragraph what is really good to do is link back to the question because then there's no doubt that you aren't answering the question and this boosts your Content marks if you can always then say 'and therefore this is why the internet has positively completely changed our lives because nowadays we can communicate with people all over the world'.

Referring back to the question is super important - the marks are all about how 'relevant' material is and by constantly linking it back to the question you are continually proving that it is totally relevant.

Remember that length of the essay doesn't have to be that long, if you could get 2 well backed up paragraphs for/ against which link back well and a well rounded conclusion you'll do well. Don't try to over complicate it - even if it may sound basic in English like 'google serves as a brilliant tool for both students and parents because...' - if you can get that accurate in Spanish, you're on track to do well.

Accuracy, ideas, vocab. Sorted.


Which order do you recommend doing the three sections in in the exam? Listening Reading and then writing?
Original post by joodaa
Which order do you recommend doing the three sections in in the exam? Listening Reading and then writing?

Nice question jodaaaaa
Reply 19
Avatar for AlfieH
AlfieH
2
Original post by joodaa
Which order do you recommend doing the three sections in in the exam? Listening Reading and then writing?


Hey guys I'm just another student here so don't take what I say as what you should do haha!

Personally I do the exam as it comes, listening first, then reading, then writing because you'll actually see quite a lot of vocab and hear words that you'll remember and go 'Hey! I remember what alojamiento means, I can use that in my essay' and then you can use all of this to boost your essay vocab.

Plus in the reading you'll also see some other words or phrases that you could also use in your essay. Plus then by the time you get to the essay you're in Spanish thinking mode and it'll make it easier.

Just my two cents! :smile:
(edited 7 years ago)

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