My Home: Exam Skills (AQA GCSE Polish): Revision Note

Exam code: 8688

Sylwia Jurczak

Written by: Sylwia Jurczak

Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett

Updated on

  • The topic of 'My Home' can appear in any of the exams

  • You might be asked to listen to someone describing where they live, talk about your own home and neighbourhood, or read and write about what makes a good place to live

  • Use the vocabulary and grammar we have seen so far to take a closer look at some typical exam questions and how you might tackle them

My home: listening

  • In the listening exam, you will hear people speaking about different topics and may need to identify the main idea of each recording

  • These questions will help you to practise listening for key information and recognising the topic being discussed

Foundation tier

Worked Example

Listen to these short recordings about people's homes. For each recording, choose the topic from the list and write the correct letter in the box.

A. describing a bedroom

B. living in a flat

C. a garden

D. living in a room

E. living in the countryside

F. living in a town

G. a future home

My home: listening
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Answers

Recording

Answer

1

B

2

A

3

C

4

G

5

E

Examiner Tips and Tricks

  • Read the list of topics carefully before you listen. Think about which Polish words you might hear for each topic

  • Listen for key words and phrases, such as mieszkam, dom, mieszkanie, ogród or w przyszłości

  • Do not try to understand every single word. Focus on the overall meaning of the recording

  • The topic may not be mentioned directly. Listen carefully for clues that tell you what the speaker is talking about

Higher tier

  • In the Higher tier listening exam, you may need to identify several pieces of information from a longer recording

  • These questions will help you to practise listening carefully for different details and selecting more than one correct answer

Worked Example

Your Polish friend is telling you about their home and where they live.

Which three answers are correct? They are talking about their...

A bedroom.
B neighbours.
C garden.
D ideal home.
E local area.
F household chores.

My home: listening
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Answers

A – bedroom
D – ideal home
E – local area

Examiner Tips and Tricks

  • Remember that there are three correct answers

  • Listen for evidence for each option rather than choosing an answer based on one familiar word

  • Be careful with distractors – some words or ideas may be mentioned, but they may not answer the question

  • Use the second listening to check all three answers

My home: speaking

  • In part 2 of the speaking exam, you will describe a photo and then answer questions about the theme of ‘My Home’

    • The Photo card lasts approximately two minutes at Foundation tier and three minutes at Higher tier (the whole speaking test is 7–9 minutes at Foundation and 10–12 minutes at Higher)

  • Here are some questions to help you practise describing your home and answering questions about where you live

Worked Example

Look at the photograph and answer the following questions in Polish. Try to give as much detail as possible and explain your opinions.

  • Describe what you can see in the photograph.

  • Answer the questions in full sentences and give reasons for your opinions where possible.

  • Teachers will ask five prescribed questions

    • Three of these five questions will be printed on your card

My home: speaking
  1. Co widzisz na fotografii?

  2. Jak myślisz, czy to jest wygodne miejsce do mieszkania? Dlaczego / dlaczego nie?

  3. Jakie meble i przedmioty znajdują się w tym pokoju?

  4. Jaki jest twój dom lub mieszkanie?

  5. Gdzie chciałbyś / chciałabyś mieszkać w przyszłości? Dlaczego?

Answers

  1. Na fotografii widzę nowoczesny i przytulny pokój dzienny. Jest tam duża kanapa, stolik, telewizor, półka z książkami oraz dużo roślin. W pokoju jest również duże okno i balkon. In the photograph, I can see a modern and cosy living room. There is a large sofa, a coffee table, a television, a bookshelf and lots of plants. There is also a large window and a balcony in the room.

  2. Tak, myślę, że to jest bardzo wygodne miejsce do mieszkania, ponieważ pokój jest przestronny, jasny i dobrze urządzony. Podoba mi się również to, że jest tam dużo naturalnego światła. Yes, I think this is a very comfortable place to live because the room is spacious, bright and well decorated. I also like the fact that there is a lot of natural light.

  3. W tym pokoju znajduje się wygodna kanapa, drewniany stolik, telewizor i regał z książkami. Są tam także lampy, zasłony, rośliny oraz kwiaty na stole. In this room, there is a comfortable sofa, a coffee table, a television and a bookcase. There are also lamps, curtains, plants and flowers on the table.

  4. Mieszkam w domu z moją rodziną. Nasz dom nie jest bardzo duży, ale jest wygodny i przytulny. Mój ulubiony pokój to mój pokój, ponieważ mogę tam odpoczywać i odrabiać lekcje. I live in a house with my family. Our house is not very big, but it is comfortable and cosy. My favourite room is my bedroom because I can relax and do my homework there.

  5. W przyszłości chciałbym / chciałabym mieszkać w nowoczesnym mieszkaniu w centrum miasta. Chciałbym / chciałabym mieć duży balkon i przestronny pokój. Byłoby to wygodne, ponieważ sklepy i transport publiczny znajdowałyby się w pobliżu. In the future, I would like to live in a modern flat in the city centre. I would like to have a large balcony and a spacious room. It would be convenient because shops and public transport would be nearby.

Examiner Tips and Tricks

  • When answering Photo Card questions, try to give more than a short answer. Add extra information, opinions and reasons to develop your ideas

  • Try to use a range of time frames and connectives, such as: because, but, however, also, in the future

  • This will help you give longer and more detailed answers in the speaking exam

My home: reading

  • In the reading exam, you will need to read Polish texts and answer questions in English or Polish, depending on the task

  • Read each text and question carefully — look for the key information rather than translating every word

  • Questions can test your understanding of specific details, opinions, reasons and overall meaning

  • You may also need to complete sentences, choose the correct answer or identify information from the text

Foundation tier

Worked Example

Your Polish friend has sent you an email.

Cześć!

Dziękuję za e-mail. Mieszkam w dużym domu na przedmieściach. Mam własną sypialnię, która jest mała, ale bardzo wygodna. W moim pokoju mam łóżko, biurko i dużą szafę.

Na dole znajduje się kuchnia i salon. Lubię salon, ponieważ oglądam tam telewizję z rodziną. Mój młodszy brat Kuba najbardziej lubi ogród. Codziennie gra tam w piłkę.

Do zobaczenia!
Zosia

Complete the sentences in English.

  1. Zosia lives in a…

  2. Zosia’s bedroom is small but…

  3. Three things in Zosia’s bedroom are a bed, a desk and…

  4. Kuba’s favourite place is…

Answers

  1. large house in the suburbs

  2. comfortable

  3. a wardrobe

  4. the garden

Examiner Tips and Tricks

  • If you do not understand every word, do not panic — use the context and the words you do understand to work out the meaning

  • Make sure your answer matches exactly what the question is asking for

Higher tier

Worked Example

Read the text carefully. For each statement, write T if it is true, F if it is false, or NT if the information is not given in the text.

Kiedy przeprowadziłem się do nowego domu, byłem trochę rozczarowany. Dom znajduje się na obrzeżach miasta, więc do centrum jest dość daleko. Z zewnątrz wygląda niepozornie, ale w środku jest bardzo przestronny. Na parterze znajduje się duży salon połączony z nowoczesną kuchnią. To moje ulubione miejsce, ponieważ wieczorami cała rodzina spotyka się tam, żeby porozmawiać.

Na piętrze są trzy sypialnie i łazienka. Dzielę pokój z młodszym bratem, co czasami jest trudne, ponieważ lubię mieć ciszę podczas nauki. Na szczęście mam własne biurko przy oknie. Z mojego pokoju widać ogród, w którym latem często jemy obiady.

Moi rodzice planują w przyszłości wyremontować łazienkę. Ja natomiast chciałbym mieć własny pokój. Mimo kilku wad bardzo lubię nasz nowy dom, ponieważ jest spokojny i mamy dużo miejsca.

Read the statements below.

Write T if the statement is true.
Write F if the statement is false.
Write NT if the information is not in the text.

  1. The house is located in the centre of the city.

  2. The kitchen is connected to the living room.

  3. The writer studies in the living room every evening.

  4. The writer shares a bedroom with his younger brother.

  5. The parents want to renovate the bathroom.

  6. The family has lived in the house for five years.

Answers

  1. F „Dom znajduje się na obrzeżach miasta, więc do centrum jest dość daleko.”

  2. T „Na parterze znajduje się duży salon połączony z nowoczesną kuchnią.”

  3. NT, The text never says where the writer studies.

  4. T „Dzielę pokój z młodszym bratem...”

  5. T „Moi rodzice planują w przyszłości wyremontować łazienkę.”

  6. NT, The text does not give any information about how long the family has lived in the house.

Examiner Tips and Tricks

  • Look for specific evidence in the text to support your answer

  • T (True) means the statement agrees with the information in the text

  • F (False) means the text gives information that contradicts the statement

  • NT (Not in the text) means the text does not give enough information to decide

  • Do not choose F just because you cannot find the information — if the text does not mention it, the answer is NT

My home: writing

  • In the writing exam, you will need to write in Polish and respond to the task using the information given in the bullet points

  • You must cover every bullet point — make sure you do not leave any part of the task unanswered

  • Read the task carefully and check what tense and type of information each bullet point requires

  • Your answer should be clear, relevant and accurate, with appropriate vocabulary and grammar for your level

Foundation tier

  • In the writing exam, you will be asked to write approximately 40 words in Polish, covering four bullet points

  • You must write something about each bullet point

Worked Example

You are writing a postcard from home to a friend in Poland.

Describe:

  • swój dom lub mieszkanie

  • swój ulubiony pokój

  • z kim mieszkasz

  • co najbardziej lubisz w swoim domu

Write approximately 40 words in Polish.

Cześć!

Mieszkam w dużym domu na przedmieściach. Mój ulubiony pokój to moja sypialnia, ponieważ jest jasna i wygodna. Mieszkam z rodzicami i młodszym bratem. Najbardziej lubię nasz ogród, bo latem możemy tam grać w piłkę.

Do zobaczenia!

Hi!

I live in a large house in the suburbs. My favourite room is my bedroom because it is bright and comfortable. I live with my parents and younger brother. What I like most about our home is the garden because we can play football there in summer.

See you!

Examiner Tips and Tricks

  • Use simple, accurate sentences rather than trying to use language that is too difficult

  • Check your verbs, word order, adjective endings and spelling

  • Read the task carefully and make sure your answer is relevant to the topic

  • Leave a few minutes at the end to check your work for mistakes

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Sylwia Jurczak

Author: Sylwia Jurczak

Expertise: Content Writer

Sylwia Jurczak is a Content Writer at Save My Exams and an experienced Polish teacher with over 12 years of teaching experience. She specialises in GCSE and A-level Polish and has experience as an AQA examiner for the GCSE Polish Writing component.

Bridgette Barrett

Reviewer: Bridgette Barrett

Expertise: Development Editor

After graduating with a degree in Geography, Bridgette completed a PGCE over 30 years ago. She later gained an MA Learning, Technology and Education from the University of Nottingham focussing on online learning. At a time when the study of geography has never been more important, Bridgette is passionate about creating content which supports students in achieving their potential in geography and builds their confidence.