Katie Lenehan is a Leaving Certificate French and Spanish teacher in The Dublin Academy of Education, and has been a media contributor for both subjects for the past number of years - including RTÉ Study Hub.
She shares exam tips, study advice and sample answers on Instagram @mslenslanguages and TikTok @mslenslanguages1. Watch her Study Hub video up top and read on for more top tips.
Tips for the Spanish exam
- Don't rush your comprehensions as they amount to 30% of your final grade.
- Make sure you understand what each question means in all of the comprehensions to avoid losing unnecessary marks.
- Spend 30 minutes total on your opinion piece. Divide that into 10 minutes of planning, 15 minutes of writing and 5 minutes of proof reading. When planning, make sure you don’t overcomplicate your answer, and ensure that you don’t contradict yourself by using arguments that don’t support your initial opinion.
- In Section C, pay very close attention to the verbs in both the question and your answer. When revising, ensure that you learn the endings for each tense but also when each tense equates to in English so you can accurately translate in the exam.
- Read everything written on the two pages in the dialogue construction before writing a single word down. Often there are many clues provided in the question, and you will also figure out who you’re talking to, who you’re meant to be in the question, and how the other person addresses you. This will ensure you don’t lose makes for adjective agreement and register (formal/ informal).
- Use the first playing of the track in the aural to listen and write down any buzz words in the columns on the side of the page. Use the pauses in the second playing to write your answers, and then use the third playing of the track to proofread your answers and fill in any gaps you may have.
Timings for Spanish
- 220 Marks in 150 minutes
- Use the first 10 minutes to scan the paper and pick your opinion title piece
Section A
- Journalistic Text - 25 mins
- Short Comps - 10 mins
Section B
- Questions 1-4 - 25 mins
- Opinion Piece - 30 mins (10 to plan, 15 to write and 5 to proofread)
Section C
- Dialogue Construction - 25 mins
- Diary/ Note - 20 Mins
Then give yourself 5 mins to check on everything.
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