It is important to be successful with GCSE Spanish to have a full understanding of all areas of language, a way to ensure this is to invest in the help and guidance of a GCSE Spanish tutor.
Spanish was the most popular modern language subject at A-Level in 2021 and it is anticipated that it will soon become the most popular at GCSE too. The Spanish language is spoken by more than 550 million people. A GCSE in Spanish is not only a passport for travel across the world but also a foundation for the study and appreciation of a rich heritage of Spanish and Latin American literature. Moreover, the GCSE qualification strengthens a student’s transferable written and verbal communication skills.
Exam Boards
It is important to identify which exam board your child is following for GCSE Spanish as syllabi do vary. For example, different boards tend to weigh marks differently in the Reading and Writing components of the examination.
The main exam boards for GCSE Spanish are:
- Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR)
- Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA)
- Edexcel
- Cambridge iGCSE
- Council for the Curriculum, Examinations & Assessment (CCEA)
What a GCSE Spanish Tutor will cover
Although course content varies according to the exam board, GCSE Spanish examinations assess a student’s competency in four key components of the language: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking.
It can be difficult for students to excel in all four areas, most pupils naturally are weaker in one or two areas and stronger in others. With the help of a GCSE Spanish tutor, they will be able to help build on the weaker areas, to bring them on par with the stronger areas.
Reading
The Reading component aims to help students develop their abilities in reading comprehension and the critical analysis of Spanish texts. Students are assessed on:
- Help to understand key takeaways in plain everyday Spanish (e.g. voicemails, shopping, or directions),
- understand authentic non-fiction texts on a range of familiar topics (e.g correspondence),
- understand descriptions and expressions of points of view in simple texts (e.g. interviews or conversations),
- identify and sift information in predictable texts (e.g. journalism).
Writing
The Writing component aims to help students develop their abilities in communicating in writing for varying purposes and registers. Students are assessed on :
- communicate simple factual information in plain everyday Spanish,
- write simple phrases and sentences on a familiar topic,
- write simple fluid prose describing events and points of view,
- employ a range of simple vocabulary and language structures to a reasonable degree of accuracy.
Listening
The Listening component aims to help students develop their abilities in understanding and responding to spoken language for varying purposes and registers. Students are assessed on:
- Help to understand key takeaways in everyday conversational Spanish,
- understand clear speech on a range of familiar topics,
- understand descriptions and points of view in simple passages,
- identify and sift information in predictable passages.
Speaking
The Speaking component aims to help students develop their abilities in communicating and interacting in speech for varying purposes and registers. Students are assessed on:
- communicate clearly and effectively in predictable everyday situations,
- hold conversation on familiar topics and express points of view,
- employ a variety of structures and vocabulary to a reasonable degree of accuracy,
- pronounce words clearly and accurately.
How a GCSE Spanish Tutor will help you to do well
For all four components of the Spanish GCSE exam, the key to success is for your child to have a solid understanding of grammar and a bank of interesting and varied vocabulary. It is also important to build your child’s confidence and familiarity with the language and culture through exposing them to as much spoken Spanish as possible. This exposure could be in the form of travel or simply listening to a podcast every day (e.g. ‘News In Slow Spanish’). Speaking Spanish may be uncomfortable for some at first, especially for those who struggle with less familiar sounds such as the rolled or trilled ‘r’ sound. Practising every day is essential to build confidence in their own abilities. However, to really distinguish themselves from the rest of the field. It is great to have a few hours with a native GCSE Spanish tutor.
How a GCSE Spanish Tutor will help you understand the mark scheme
It is important to understand how GCSE Spanish exams are going to be marked. All the exam boards publish detailed guidance on what they are looking for, including specimen marked answers. Some exam boards even go as far as publishing an indicative list of vocabulary that a student should know. This is something your GCSE Spanish tutor will know this vocab list like the back of their hand. They will make sure their students are well equipped with all the words on the given lists.
Your GCSE Spanish tutor will help your child know exactly what the examiner wants from them in every type of question- be it a variety of tenses or the correct adjectival agreement. Your child then needs to learn how to ‘tick the boxes’ on the mark scheme to ensure they pick up as many marks as they can.
How a GCSE Spanish tutor will help make a revision plan
Quality Revision
Students should actively revise key grammar (conjugations and tenses), as well as vocabulary, connectives, and opinions. Spanish revision can also be passive: playing a Spanish radio show or podcast at the breakfast table or in the car can help your child familiarise themself with common Spanish speech patterns or structures. For students aiming for an 8 or 9, reading a familiar English text in Spanish translation (e.g. Harry Potter) can improve comprehension speed, and introduce new and impressive vocabulary. Ultimately, towards exam season, doing past papers can help your child familiarise themself with common topics, styles of questions, and the particular time pressures of an exam.
What is different this year?
Coronavirus contingency arrangements for the 2022 exam cycle remain the same as last year’s. GCSE Spanish speaking exams are usually carried out face-to-face. There is however, one government mandated change in the syllabus: “exam boards will not have to include vocabulary that is not on the vocabulary lists for assessments in GCSE modern foreign languages”.
Sitting Public exams for the first time
Sitting important public exams comes with pressures that your child may never have experienced before. Although a small amount of pressure can help your child’s performance on the day, it is important they have some time to unwind. It is important for students to take some time to relax, taking time to do something social and something they love.
GCSE Spanish Tutor
The best way of supporting your child throughout their GCSE Spanish exams. Is to give them the tools and skills to succeed. An effective way to do this is having a GCSE Spanish tutor. We will ensure your GCSE Spanish tutor has a wealth of experience in teaching Spanish. They will help build your child’s confidence in tackling exams, through building their knowledge of the syllabus.
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