Differentiated Writing Exam Practice

82 Pages·2017·10.08 MB·English

Spanish GCSE (9–1) | AQA | 8698

Differentiated Writing
Exam Practice
For GCSE AQA Spanish

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Contents

Thank You for Choosing ZigZag Education ................... ii Global Issues............................................................ 37
I
Teacher Feedback Opportunity ................................. iii Foundation .........................................N...................... 37
Higher ...................................................................... 39
Terms and Conditions of Use .................................... iv
Travel and Tourism ..............................S.................... 41
Teacher’s Introduction ............................................... 1
Foundation ............................................................... 41
P
Support: How to Write… ............................................ 2
Higher ...................................................................... 43
Support: Planning Your Writing .................................. 7 E
My Studies .............................................................. 45
Support: Tips to Enter Top Brackets ........................... 8
Foundation .........................................C...................... 45
Support: Tips to Approach the Translation Task ........... 10 Higher ...................................................................... 47
Me, My Family and Friends ...................................... 13 Life at School/College ..........................T.................... 49
Foundation ............................................................... 13 Foundation .........................................I...................... 49
Higher ...................................................................... 15 Higher ................................................O...................... 51
Technology in Everyday Life ..................................... 17 Education Post-16 .................................................... 53
Foundation ............................................................... 17 Foundation .........................................N...................... 53
Higher ...................................................................... 19 Higher ...................................................................... 55

Free-time Activities ................................................. 21 Jobs, Career Choices and Ambitions ......................... 57
C
Foundation ............................................................... 21 Foundation ............................................................... 57
Higher ...................................................................... 23 Higher ...................................................................... 59
O
Customs and Festivals in Spanish-speaking Peer-assessment Grids ............................................. 61
Countries/Communities ........................................... 25
Mark Scheme ........................................................... 62
Foundation ............................................................... 25 P
Answers .................................................................. 68
Higher ...................................................................... 27
Y
Lined Page ............................................................... 80
Home, Town, Neighbourhood and Region ................ 29
Foundation ............................................................... 29
Higher ...................................................................... 31
Social Issues ............................................................ 33
Foundation ............................................................... 33
Higher ...................................................................... 35

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- i -
Teacher’s Introduction

Purpose: I
This pack of Differentiated Writing Exam Practice for AQA GCSE Spanish is designed to help your students Nto excel in
the writing section of the GCSE AQA Spanish examination. The activities in this resource mirror a wide range of tasks
used in the AQA GCSE writing exam.
S
The topics covered in this pack are taken from the 2016 GCSE AQA specification, and are the following:
1. Me, My Family and Friends 7. Global Issues P
2. Technology in Everyday Life 8. Travel and Tourism
3. Free-time Activities 9. My Studies E
4. Customs and Festivals in Spanish-Speaking Countries/Communities 10. Life at School/College
5. Home, Town, Neighbourhood and Region 11. Education Post-16 C
6. Social Issues 12. Jobs, Career Choices and Ambitions

The grammar and vocabulary used in this pack reflect the 2016 GCSE AQA specification. T

The worksheets contained in this pack are differentiated. Indeed, each topic is equally divided between foIundation-
level questions and higher-level ones. This differentiation will prepare students for the writing exam accoOrding to their
particular level and skills.

Structure:
N
This introduction is followed by a support section. This section is divided into four parts.
• The first part explains how to write different types of texts, such as articles, blog posts, diary entries, emails and
letters. Key Spanish phrases are also provided for each text type.
• The second part gives students planning advice to help them structure their writing piece. C
• The third part provides useful tips to help students enter top brackets in the mark schemes. Key expressions are
given to students here.
• The final part shows students different ways to approach the translation task. O

The support section is then followed by the topic section. There are 48 worksheets in total: four worksheets per topic.
Half of these are aimed at students with a foundation level in Spanish, and the other two worksheets targePt students
with higher capacities. This differentiation can be seen through the different range of vocabulary and grammar used in
both levels. Y

The first worksheet starts with a list of useful topic-related words to help students complete the different tasks. This
list is followed by either a recap or an activity on one point included in the QACNOT strategy (quantifiers, a djectives,
connectives, negations, opinions, and time phrases).
• For foundation, the first worksheet ends with a photo card that students have to describe in four sentences.
• For higher, the first worksheet finishes with a 90-word writing task accompanied by four bullet points.

The second worksheet contains two different tasks.
• For foundation, the second task is divided into two parts. The first part is a 40-word writing piece including four
bullet points. The second part is a 90-word writing task with four bullet points. The worksheet ends with five
English sentences to translate into Spanish.
• For higher, the second task consists in a 150-word writing piece including two bullet points. For the third task,
students are asked to translate a short English text into Spanish.
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After the topic section, there are two grids (one for each level)
Free UpdaPteRsO! TECTED
divided by key points found in the official mark scheme. These
grids are to allow peer-marking.
Register your email address to receive any future
A mark scheme based on the AQA official scheme is then
free updates* made to this resource or other
provided so that teachers can mark students as per the real
Spanish resources your school has purchased,
exam.
and details of any promotions for your subject.

Answers to the starter activities and the translation tasks can * resulting from minor specification changes, suggestions from teachers

be found at the end. These are followed by a lined page which and peer reviews, or occasional errors reported by customers
can be photocopied and used in class to familiarise students
Go to zzed.uk/freeupdates
with the exam’s format.

How to Use:
This pack can be used for extra preparation in the run-up to the exam. Students can be timed to emulate the real
conditions of the speaking exam.

J Sendra, January 2017
Differentiated Writing Exam Practice for GCSE AQA Spanish Page 1 of 80 © ZigZag Education, 2017
Support: How to Write…

1. How to write an article I
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a. The heading is so important!
The heading is going to tell your readers what the article is about. It can be a simple, descriptiveS one or you
can attract readers’ attention by being more creative. Don’t forget you want your readers to keep reading!
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The heading should summarise the key topic or main point of view. It should also be short and catchy!
E

b. Introduction
C
The first paragraph should have a basic introduction about the topic. In this part of the article you start
introducing the addressed issue or main topic. One easy way to achieve a good introduction is answering the
five Ws: What? When? Where? Who? Why? T

I
If you answer these five questions at the beginning of your article you are on the right track.
O

c. Give details
Once you introduce the topic you can start writing a second paragraph with your opinion. You cNan answer
one more question: How?

Also, remember that coherence and transition between ideas are a must.
C

Key words to add ideas:
O
Además / También / Por otra parte / Asimismo

d. Give real examples P
If you know something interesting about the topic, include it! It is much easier writing about something that
you know rather than making it up. It can be, for example, about something that you experienceYd in your life
(holidays, school, free time, etc.). If you remember interesting information from the newspaper, radio or
television, go ahead and include it!

e. Avoid bias
When writing an article, do not give your personal opinion. An article aims at exposing and explaining issues,
trends and events.

A good way to avoid bias would be including different points of view. For instance, if you are writing about
social media or technology, give advantages and disadvantages.
Key words to contrast opinions: COPYRIGHT
Pero / Sin embargo / No obstante / Por el contrario / Al contrario / En cambio
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f. Conclusion
At the end of your article you need to summarise what has been presented. Do not write basic information
again. The reader needs to see an evolution between the introduction and the conclusion.

You can finish with an open debate by asking a new question or exposing new issues that you can think
about.
Key words to conclude:
Finalmente / Resumiendo / En definitiva / En conclusión / En resumen / Para concluir / Por último

Finally, don’t forget to check your grammar, and avoid any misspelling.
Differentiated Writing Exam Practice for GCSE AQA Spanish Page 2 of 80 © ZigZag Education, 2017
2. How to write a blog post

a. Don’t forget the heading! I
A blog post has similarities with an online article. As you are writing about a specific topic, it is aNlways better
to include a heading. The advice for the heading is no more than 10 words, so keep it short and catchy.
Remember you’re trying to convince people to read your post.
S

b. Introduce the subject
P
The first paragraph of your blog post has to start by introducing the issue under discussion. To achieve this,
one useful option is to use the five Ws: What? When? Where? Who? Why? E

If you answer these five questions at the beginning of your post, then you are making sure you aCre giving the
most important information first.

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c. Be personal and unique
I
Blogs are often very personal as you are the owner, so feel free to express your opinions. You can also talk
O
about your personal experience.

When expressing your opinion, you normally use the first person singular (yo) so remember to check the end
N
of all verbs as they have to agree.
Key words to express personal opinions:
En mi opinión / Opino que / Pienso que / Creo que / Considero que / Me parece que C
Desde mi punto de vista / A mi modo de ver / Para ser sincero
O
Key words to justify opinions:
Porque / Ya que / Puesto que / De hecho / Por esta razón / Debido a esto P

Y
d. Conclusion
Briefly summarise your main ideas and ask for the opinions of people who are visiting your blog. Don’t forget

a blog is a 2.0 interface that allows interaction and participation. Any reader can give their opinion about
your post, so do ask for opinions and improvements, inviting people to share their thoughts.

Key words to conclude:
Finalmente / Resumiendo / En definitiva / En conclusión / En resumen / Para concluir / Por último

Key expressions to ask for people’s opinions:
¿Cuál es vuestra opinión (sobre el tema)? COPYRIGHT
¿Qué os parece a vosotros?
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¿Qué pensáis vosotros (del tema)?

Y vosotros, ¿qué opináis?
¿Alguna sugerencia para mi blog? Dejad/escribid vuestros comentarios, por favor.

Differentiated Writing Exam Practice for GCSE AQA Spanish Page 3 of 80 © ZigZag Education, 2017
3. How to write a diary entry

a. Date your entry I
It’s so important to write the date for your entry to keep a record of your daily thoughts and opinNions. You
should write the date in this way: day + month + year (e.g. 9 de marzo de 2016).

S
b. Talk to your diary
Your diary is like your best friend. You do trust it and tell it all your secrets. So remember, when writing a
P
diary entry you should imagine you are talking to another person.
E
Start every entry with ‘Querido diario:’.
C
c. Describe past actions and events
The main reason to have a diary is to explain what happened during the day or during the week. So you need
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to describe what you have done during the day in the past. You can, for example, use adjectives for
I
describing your day. And later you can describe particular events and give details.
O

You may need some revision! When talking about the past you need to use:
• Preterite tense (Foundation): ayer monté en bicicleta, practiqué deportes, hice fotografías
N
• Perfect tense (Higher): hoy he escuchado música, he ido a la playa, he jugado al fútbol
• Imperfect tense (Higher): cuando era pequeño jugaba al tenis, tocaba la guitarra

C
d. Express your feelings
A diary should be a personal record of your feelings and personal opinions. Nobody should read it, so you
can be honest and express all your emotions. Do not hesitate to write down how you feel at theO moment or
what you felt at some point.

P
Key words to express feelings:
Siento que / A veces estoy enfadado / Ahora estoy contento / Me siento fenomenal / Ayer me sYentí triste
En general, soy alegre

e. Talk about your future plans
At the end of your entry, you can mention what you intend to do in the next few days, during the weekend
or even next summer. If you use different tenses, you’ll get more marks in your exams.

You may need some revision! When talking about the future you need to use:
• Immediate future (Foundation): voy a + verbo (cid:4) voy a montar a caballo
• Future (Higher): montaré a caballo, jugaré al tenis, escucharé música, viajaré en tren

Key sentences to talk about future plans: COPYRIGHT
El fin de semana que viene / Este verano / El próximo verano / El próximo año / En el futuro
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Tengo la intención de / Mi plan es / Quiero / Cuando sea mayor / Cuando termine el instituto

Differentiated Writing Exam Practice for GCSE AQA Spanish Page 4 of 80 © ZigZag Education, 2017
4. How to write an email

a. Think about the subject line I
Before starting to read your email, the recipient will check the subject line. Therefore, this line hNas to be
short, but also clear. Ask yourself: What is the main topic of my email? It will help you to find an efficient
title.
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b. Know who you are sending to
P
You need to keep in mind the recipient’s identity. This is important for the greetings at the beginning of the
email. If you’re writing to a friend, start with: ‘Hola’, ‘Buenas’, ‘¿Qué tal?’, ‘¿Cómo va todo?’, ‘QuEerido
Mario’, ‘Querida Laura’.
C
However, if you’re writing to someone you’ve never met before you need to use a formal greeting. It’s the
same if you’re addressing your email to someone who has an important job position.
T

I
Key expressions to start your email (formal/polite): O
Estimado Señor / Estimada Señora
Estimado Sr. Martínez / Estimada Sra. Cifuentes
N
Estimado Alcalde / Estimada Alcaldesa
Estimado Señor/a

C
c. Give the reason for your email
Say why you are writing and sending the email. It could be, for example, to ask for information about a
hotel, complain about something or apply for a job. You may also write to a friend to ask what tOhey are up
to, explain your holidays, talk about your future plans, etc.

P
Key sentences to give the reason for your email:
Envío este correo electrónico para / porque…
Y
Escribo porque me gustaría...
Escribo para…

d. Double-check the type of language you are using
If you are writing to a friend, you can use informal language.

On the other hand, if you are writing to someone you’ve never met before and you are asking for
information or a favour, then you need to be polite. Don’t forget to say: ‘gracias’ and ‘por favor’.

Key expressions to be polite:
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Necesitaría un favor / Necesitaría información sobre / Me gustaría…
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¿Podría tener más información sobre el tema, por favor?
Estaría muy agradecido / Os agradecería vuestra ayuda / Gracias por vuestra ayuda

e. Ending an email
At the end of your email you still need to remember who you are writing to.

Informal closing formula (for family/friends):
Escríbeme pronto / Espero verte pronto / Hasta pronto / Adiós
Un saludo / Un abrazo / Besos

Formal closing formula:
Atentamente / Un saludo cordial / Saludos cordiales / Saludos
Differentiated Writing Exam Practice for GCSE AQA Spanish Page 5 of 80 © ZigZag Education, 2017
5. How to write a letter

a. Starting a letter: who are you writing to? I
Keep in mind the recipient’s identity. N

This is important for the greetings at the beginning in your letter. If you’re writing to a friend, you may start
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with: ‘Hola’, ‘Buenas’, ‘¿Qué tal?’, ‘¿Cómo va todo?’, ‘Querido Mario’, ‘Querida Laura’.

P
However, if you’re writing to someone you’ve never met before you need to use a formal greeting. It’s the
same if you’re addressing your letter to someone who has an important job position. E

C
Key expressions to start your letter (formal/polite):
Estimado señor / Estimada señora
Estimado Sr Martínez / Estimada Sra. Cifuentes T
Estimado Señor/a
I
O
b. Give the reason for your letter
Say why you are writing and sending your letter. It could be, for example, to ask for information about a
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hotel, complain about something or apply for a job. You may also write to a friend to ask what they are up
to, explain your holidays, talk about your future plans, etc.

C
Key sentences to give the reason for your letter:
Envío esta carta para / porque…
Mando esta carta para preguntar… O
Escribo porque me gustaría... / Escribo para…

P
c. Explain yourself
Apart from stating the main reason for the letter you may need to use more sentences to explainY yourself.
Do that in the main body of the letter. Remember to use key vocabulary related to the topic you are talking
about. And use a variety of verb tenses.

c. Double-check the type of language you are using
If you are writing to a friend, you can use informal language.
On the other hand, if you are writing to someone you’ve never met before and you are asking for
information or a favour, then you need to be polite. Don’t forget to say: ‘gracias’ and ‘por favor’.

Key expressions to be polite:
Necesitaría un favor / Necesitaría información sobre / Me gustaría…
¿Podría tener más información sobre el tema, por favor?
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Estaría muy agradecido / Os agradecería vuestra ayuda / Gracias por vuestra ayuda
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d. Ending a letter
At the end of your letter you still need to remember who you are writing to.

Informal closing formula (for family/friends):
Escríbeme pronto / Espero verte pronto / Hasta pronto / Adiós
Un saludo / Un abrazo / Besos

Formal closing formula:
Atentamente / Un saludo cordial / Saludos cordiales / Saludos

Differentiated Writing Exam Practice for GCSE AQA Spanish Page 6 of 80 © ZigZag Education, 2017
Support: Planning Your Writing

1. Read the question carefully I
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Read it several times to be sure you understand what is being asked. If you don’t understand a word, don’t
panic! You can always guess the meaning of the question with the context and by reading all bullet points.
S
Underline key words. Start with the command words such as ‘Describe’, ‘Escribe’, ‘Menciona’, etc. Then,
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underline the words indicating which topic has to be covered.

E
Check what kind of text you have to write. Is it a blog post? An article? A letter?
C
Keep the bullet points in mind as you must include all of them to get full marks. Do you understand all of
them?
T

Don’t forget to look at the length you are expected to write. It will help you manage your time! I
O

2. Write down your ideas
N
After analysing the question, you may jot down in Spanish the first answers that come into your mind. You
don’t need to write sentences at this point, key words and phrases will be enough.

C

3. Make an outline
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Before writing, you need a clear outline!

When all your answers are written down, try to link them together. Some will naturally completPe each other,
while others will need connectives. Remember your text should easily flow.
Y
Then, create parts according to the bullet points. In other words, each part should cover a bullet point from
the question, so that you make sure you are completing the task.

Write down your answers for each part. Start with the main idea and include later details, explanations and
justifications in brackets.

Make sure you are actually answering the question! Try to make a clear separation for each part and avoid
repetitions or missing elements.

Finally, write down key vocabulary and structures you intend to use in each part. Try to apply the QUACNOT
strategy. Therefore, for each part, write down the quantifiers (muy, un poco, bastante, etc.), adjectives,
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connectives (y, pero, además, etc.), negations (no me gusta, nadie, ya no, nunca, etc.), opinions, and time
phrases (ayer, mañana, hoy, etc.) you intend to include in your writing. It will encourage PyoRu Oto TmEaCkeT ED
sentences with these words and phrases.

The planning should not take more than 10 minutes. Although planning is important, you need to give
yourself enough time to write. Also, spend longer on a task that requires you to write more words. For
example, if you have to write 40 words, spend 10 minutes on the task, if you need to produce a 90-word
piece, spend around 20 minutes, and when you are asked to write 150 words, spend 30 minutes on it.
Differentiated Writing Exam Practice for GCSE AQA Spanish Page 7 of 80 © ZigZag Education, 2017
Support: Tips to Enter Top Brackets

1. Cover all the bullet points I
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Examiners will first check whether you are answering the question or not. Indeed, even if your linguistic level
is excellent, you will not get full marks if you do not provide an appropriate answer to each question or bullet
point. S

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Therefore, to answer the question, make sure you cover all the bullet points.

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2. Produce a structured writing piece
C
A good writing piece is a structured one. Examiners do not want to read a text in which ideas are randomly
put forward or repeated. Ideas need to be coherently linked. To achieve this, you might find the following
phrases very useful. T

I
O
Key phrases to introduce ideas:
En primer lugar / Para comenzar / En principio / Primero / Antes

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Key phrases to add ideas:
Además / Asimismo / También / Incluso / Cabe añadir / Por cierto / Por otra parte / Sin olvidar

Key phrases to introduce examples: C
Por ejemplo / Es decir / Como / En concreto / Especialmente / Pongamos el caso de / Hay que considerar

O
Key phrases to contrast ideas:
Pero / En cambio / No obstante / Sin embargo / Por el contrario / Al contrario / Aunque / En cuanto a
En oposición / De otro modo / Por lo contrario / Por otra parte / Por un lado… por otro lado… P

Key phrases to expose similarities: Y
De igual manera / Igualmente / De igual modo / De modo semejante / Similarmente / Equiparable a

Key phrases to express causes:
La razón es / Porque / Debido a / Por este motivo / Esto se debe a que / Puesto que

Key phrases to express consequences:
Entonces / Por tanto / En consecuencia / Por consiguiente / Consecutivamente
Por eso / Precisamente por eso / De ahí que / Como resultado / En efecto

Key words to conclude:
Finalmente / Resumiendo / En definitiva / En conclusión / En resumen / En síntesis
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Para concluir / Por último / En último lugar / En breves palabras / Como conclusión
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3. Use key vocabulary
Key words will generally be in the question, so do not hesitate to use them. However, try to find synonyms
to show your linguistic capacities.

Differentiated Writing Exam Practice for GCSE AQA Spanish Page 8 of 80 © ZigZag Education, 2017