Transition Pack A Level Spanish

2020

Name: _________________________

When you begin A Level in Year 12/13 your ability doesn't suddenly miraculously improve-you have to work at it and very hard at that.

You may not have had "real" lessons since maybe April when you may have begun doing sample papers concentrating on examination technique. Getting back into learning mode where you may need to do 5 hours extra work on top of lessons is important if you are going to get a good A level grade.

This is a short course: we begin in September and you are likely to do your Spanish speaking exam at the end of April 2022. That comes to around 67 weeks. The move to A level is a difficult one, and some of you are making it after only 72 weeks of GCSE work.

This booklet aims to support you in taking the first steps you need before the course starts, to make sure you are ready to cope with the pace of work.

A Little about the A level coursePaper 1: LISTENING, READING AND WRITING

What’s assessed Aspects of Hispanic society (AS content)

Artistic culture in the Hispanic world (AS content)

Multiculturalism in Hispanic society (A Level content)

Aspects of political life in Hispanic society (A Level content) Grammar

How it’s assessed

• Written exam: 2 hour 30 minutes• 100 marks• 50% of A level

Questions

• Listening and responding to spoken passages- Material will include complex factual and abstract content and questions will target main points, gist and detail. - Studio recordings will be used and students will have individual control of the recording.- Questions in Spanish to be answered with non-verbal responses or in Spanish (30marks).

• Reading and responding to a variety of texts - Material will include complex factual and abstract content and questions will target main points, gist and detail.- Questions in Spanish to be answered with non-verbal responses or in Spanish (50marks).

• Translation into English; a passage of minimum 100 words (10 marks).

• Translation into Spanish; a passage of minimum 100 words (10 marks).

No access to a dictionary during the assessment.

Paper 2: WRITING

What’s assessed

• One text and one film from the lists in the specification• Grammar

How it’s assessed

• Written exam: 2 hours• 80 marks• 20% of A level

Questions

One question in Spanish on a set text from a choice of two questions andOne question in Spanish on a set film from a choice of two questions (40 marks).

All questions will require a critical response to aspects such as plot, characterisation, imagery or other stylistic features as appropriate to the work studied.

No access to texts, films or dictionary during the assessment.

Students are advised to write approximately 300 words per essay.

Paper 3: SPEAKING

What’s assessed

Individual research project One of four themes

i.e. Aspects of Hispanic societyor Artistic culture in the Hispanic world or Multiculturalism in Hispanic societyor Aspects of political life in Hispanic society

How it’s assessed

• Oral exam: 21-23 minutes including 5 mins preparation time• 60 marks• 30% of A level

Questions Discussion of a sub-theme based on stimulus card (5 – 6 mins). Student studies the card for 5 mins at the start of the test (25 marks).

Presentation (2 mins) and discussion (9 – 10 mins) of individual research project (35 marks).

No access to a dictionary during the assessment (including 5 mins preparation).

Students may take the assessment only once before certification.

Aspects of Hispanic Society (AS)

• Modern and traditional values

(Los valores tradicionales y modernos)

• Los cambios en la familia

• Actitudes hacia el matrimonio/el divorcio

• La influencia de la Iglesia Católica

• Cyberspace

(El ciberespacio)

• La influencia de internet

• Las redes sociales: beneficios y peligros

• Los móviles inteligentes en nuestra sociedad

• Equal rights

(La igualdad de los sexos)

• La mujer en el mercado laboral

• El machismo y el feminismo

• Los derechos de los gays y las personas transgénero

Artistic culture in the Hispanic world (AS)

• Modern day idols in relation to any Spanish-speaking country or countries. (La influencia de los ídolos)

• Cantantes y músicos

• Estrellas de televisión y cine

• Modelos

• Spanish regional identity (La identidad regional en España)

• Tradiciones y costumbres

• La gastronomía

• Las lenguas

• Cultural heritage in relation to any Spanish-speaking country or countries. (El patrimonio cultural)

• Sitios turísticos y civilizaciones prehispánicas:

Machu Picchu, la Alhambra, etc

• Arte y arquitectura

• El patrimonio musical y su diversidad

Multiculturalism in Hispanic society (A level)

Students may study all sub-themes in relation to any Spanish-speaking country or countries.

Immigration (La inmigración)

• Los beneficios y los aspectos negativos

• La inmigración en el mundo hispánico

• Los indocumentados – problemas

Racism (El racismo)

• Las actitudes racistas y xenófobas

• Las medidas contra el racismo

• La legislación anti-racista

Integration (La convivencia)

• La convivencia de culturas

• La educación

• Las religiones

Aspects of political life in the Hispanic world (A level)Students must study Monarchies and dictatorships in relation to any relevant Spanish-speaking country or countries. Students may study the remaining sub-themes in relation to any Spanish-speaking country or countries.

Today’s youth, tomorrow’s citizens (Jóvenes de hoy, ciudadanos del mañana)

• Los jóvenes y su actitud hacia la política : activismo o apatía

• El paro entre los jóvenes

• Su sociedad ideal

Monarchies and dictatorships (Monarquías y dictaduras)

• La dictadura de Franco

• La evolución de la monarquía en España

• Dictadores latinoamericanos

Popular movements (Movimientos populares)

• La efectividad de las manifestaciones y las huelgas

• El poder de los sindicatos

• Ejemplos de protestas sociales

(eg El 15-M, las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo, …)

What now?

What needs to be done:

¨ Read through this folder thoroughly before the Autumn term starts

¨ Take out Acción gramática out from the library: ¨ Try to watch the film ‘El Laberinto del Fauno’ (possibly on Amazon prime)

¨ Complete the summer transition tasks outlined below. If you need help accessing the resources, please contact jcrowley@wigstonmat.org

Resources

What materials will I need?

¨ A ring binder folder for all my A level resources¨ A set of dividers¨ Lined A4 paper or other notebook for lessons¨ Acción gramática borrowed from the college

What other resources do I need?¨ A physical dictionary can be useful and if you wish to buy one, we recommend the Collins

Spanish dictionary and Grammar. (price around £9.00) It includes a very useful grammar section. However, many of you have easy access to a computer and the best on-line dictionaries are www.wordreference.com , www.collinsdictionary.com/ or http://www.linguee.com/english-spanish or www.spanishdict.com

¨ Don’t forget useful programmes such as cue card as a way of learning your vocabulary. (http://www.brothersoft.com/cuecard-75463.html or Google: cue-card; it is a first hit, or the memrise app)

¨ If you do have any money stashed away and want to spend it on something useful, this vocabulary book is the best one available (currently £7.99 on Amazon, and specifically geared for A level students).

Summer Transition Tasks

Summer Task 1: Grammar practiceDeadline: Friday 20th September 2019

Source & Materials: Acción gramática (orange book or using OneDrive, with link to this from your teacher).

It will give you a tremendous head start to have studied the following grammar units over the summer. A lot of this will be revision rather than totally new!

Units 2, 3, 4, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22 will be assessed by your teacher during week starting Monday 24th September.

Task: From the book, make notes about the following chapters (below, and shown with arrows on following pages)

Chapter 2 Nouns and ArticlesChapter 3 AdjectivesChapter 4 AdverbsChapter 13 InfinitivesChapter 14 Present tenseChapter 17 Future tenseChapter 18 Conditional tense Chapter 19 Imperfect tenseChapter 21 Preterite tenseChapter 22 Preterite and Imperfect tenses together

Summer Task 2: Grammar practice exercisesDeadline: Monday 23rd September

Source & Materials: Acción gramática (orange book)Task:

It is your responsibility to complete these exercises, in order to assess how much you understand. You have the key to the ¡Ponte a punto! exercises section, page 280, for checking. Your teacher will therefore not take the exercises in for marking. Complete the self-review on next page for each exercise. Your understanding will be assessed during week starting Monday 23rd September.

Ponte a punto! Exercises

2. Nouns and Articles ¨ exercise 1, page 14 How I coped with this exercise ¨ exercise 2 page 14 How I coped with this exercise ¨ exercise 3 page 15 How I coped with this exercise

3. Adjectives ¨ exercise 1, page 21 How I coped with this exercise ¨ exercise 2 page 21 How I coped with this exercise ¨ exercise 3 page 22 How I coped with this exercise

4. Adverbs ¨ exercise 1, page 26 How I coped with this exercise ¨ exercise 2 page 27 How I coped with this exercise ¨ exercise 3 page 27 How I coped with this exercise

13. Infinitives ¨ exercise 1, page 78 How I coped with this exercise ¨ exercise 2 page 78 How I coped with this exercise ¨ exercise 3 page 79 How I coped with this exercise ¨ exercise 4 page 79 How I coped with this exercise

14. Present tense ¨ exercise 1, page 83 How I coped with this exercise ¨ exercise 2 page 84 How I coped with this exercise

17. Future Tense ¨ exercise 1, page 100 How I coped with this exercise ¨ exercise 2 page101 How I coped with this exercise

18. Conditional Tense ¨ exercise 1, page 105 How I coped with this exercise ¨ exercise 2 page 106 How I coped with this exercise

19. Imperfect Tense ¨ exercise 1, page 110 How I coped with this exercise ¨ exercise 2 page 111 How I coped with this exercise

21. Preterite Tense ¨ exercise 1, page 120 How I coped with this exercise ¨ exercise 2 page 120 How I coped with this exercise

22. Preterite and Imperfect Tense together ¨ exercise 1, page 123 How I coped with this exercise ¨ exercise 2 page 123 How I coped with this exercise ¨ exercise 3, page 123 How I coped with this exercise ¨ exercise 4page 124 How I coped with this exercise ¨

Summer Task 3:

Vocabulary Deadline: Monday 30th September

Learn the vocabulary listed below using the online book I have given you access to.Pages: 30,44,62 Please learn the spellings and meanings

ExpectationsThis is a tough one!

By establishing the right habits, right from day one, we believe that you are more likely to make the most of the course and to fulfil your potential. So here it is:

You should…

1. Commitment: It is expected that each language lesson should be followed up at home. As a rule of thumb: 8 hours per fortnight of class time about 8 hours follow-up per fortnight/ 4 hours per week

2. Punctuality: Be in the classroom at the beginning of each lesson.

3. Absences: In case of absence, it is your responsibility to catch up on any work missed, to follow-up the lesson missed, and complete the relevant homework

4. Note-taking: Take notes as appropriate during the lesson (vocabulary, grammar, etc.) and keep all work neatly in a folder, specifically designated for French.Best practice is to take notes during the lesson, and write them up, with the support of grammar book/text book, as part of your lesson follow-up .All folders will be taken in at the beginning of the week before the end of each half term.

5. Vocab Learning: Learn vocabulary regularly and thoroughly.Vocabulary test will take place at least once a fortnight with one or other of your teachers. There will be no warning, as you should be committing new vocabulary to memory anyway; 70% is a pass mark for vocabulary tests. - If the class average is below 70% everyone will take the test again;- If your mark is below 70% it will be counted as a Homework Not Done.

6. Submission of Homework: You should hand in homework on time and to a good standard.

Here are some guidelines for presentation: all homework should be submitted on A4 paper, or electronically, via e-mail or Dropbox it should be typed up or written neatly in blue or black ink; longer pieces of writing should be double-spaced lines homework must have:

o the submission dateo your name clearly printed, o the initials of the teacher you are submitting the homework to, o a title or reference (eg. page and ex.number. from book)

where required, each exercise should be written in full, with reference, question and answer, word or phrase and definition, full sentence for grammar.

You teacher may refuse to mark your work if it is not completed to standard. It will count as Homework Not Done.

‘No Homework’ and ‘Late Homework’ are unacceptable.

If you fail to meet the deadline, this will be counted as a Homework Not Done and you will be asked to submit the homework, generally before the next day.

If you miss the second deadline, you will be asked to do the homework during the lesson (outside of the class), to be seen by the teacher at the end of the lesson. You will then need to use your own time to catch up on missed class work;

Repeated /persistent late homework will entail parental contact anyway.

If you are unable to complete homework for a valid reason you should make every effort to see your teacher as soon as possible.

We know the tone seems harsh… but we do have your best interest in mind, and want you to do well. Please take this on board, and get into the right habits from Day 1.

Thank you for your effort and commitment to the subject. Please be assured of our continued support.Please do not hesitate to get in touch with your teacher. Email: jcrowley@wigstonmat.org