Travel & Tourism: 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 travel and tourism can appear in any of the exams - from listening to someone describe their daily commute to writing about the advantages of public transport

  • 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

Travel and tourism: 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 travel and tourism. For each recording, choose the topic from the list and write the correct letter in the box.

travel and tourism listening
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Letter

Topic

A

a holiday destination

B

travelling by plane

C

a hotel

D

holiday activities

E

a journey by train

F

a holiday abroad

G

a future holiday

Answers

Recording

Answer

1

E (Wczoraj pojechałem pociągiem do Krakowa)

2

C (zatrzymałam się w małym hotelu nad morzem)

3

D (...pływam w morzu,..... zwiedzam miasto,......idę do restauracji,.....kupuję pamiątki)

4

G (W przyszłym roku chciałbym pojechać do Hiszpanii)

5

A (Moim ulubionym miejscem na wakacje jest Chorwacja)

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 hotel, restauracja, pamiątki,

  • 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 recent holiday and travel experiences.
Which three answers are correct? He is talking about their...

travel and tourism higher
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A a camping holiday
B holiday activities
C travelling by car
D holiday abroad
E visiting a theme park
F plans for a future holiday

Answers

B – holiday activities
D – holiday abroad
F – plans for a future holiday

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

  • Use the second listening to check all three answers

Travel and tourism: speaking

  • In Part 1 of the speaking exam, you will take part in a role-play

  • Your teacher plays the part named on the card (a friend or an adult such as a receptionist)

    • Check whether to use ty or Pan/Pani

  • The role-play lasts approximately 2 minutes

  • You need to prepare answers to the prompts in advance

  • You need to ask your teacher a question when you see the ? symbol

  • Each response must include a verb, but you do not need to develop your answers as fully as you would in the conversation tasks

  • This question will help you to respond to role-play prompts on the topic of travel and tourism

Foundation tier

Worked Example

You are talking to your Polish friend about travel and tourism. Prepare the following role-play.

  1. Say two things you like doing when you go on holiday.

  2. Say where you went on holiday recently and give one detail about the trip.

  3. Say what you are going to do on your next holiday. (Give two details.)

  4. Give your opinion of travelling abroad and explain why it is a good idea. (Give one opinion and one reason.)

  5. ? Ask your friend where they would like to go on holiday in the future.

Answer
Here are some example responses.

  1. Lubię zwiedzać zabytki i próbować lokalnego jedzenia.
    I like visiting historical sites and trying local food.

  2. W zeszłym roku pojechałem do Hiszpanii i codziennie spędzałem czas na plaży.
    Last year I went to Spain and I spent time on the beach every day.

  3. W przyszłym roku pojadę do Włoch i zwiedzę Rzym.
    Next year I will go to Italy and visit Rome.

  4. Uważam, że podróżowanie za granicę jest dobrym pomysłem, ponieważ można poznać nowe kultury.
    I think travelling abroad is a good idea because you can learn about new cultures.

  5. Dokąd chciałbyś pojechać na wakacje w przyszłości?
    Where would you like to go on holiday in the future?

Examiner Tips and Tricks

  • At Foundation tier, give exactly what each task asks for: if it says two details, give two

Higher tier

Worked Example

You are talking to your Polish friend about travel and tourism. Prepare the following role-play.

  1. Say two things you enjoy doing when you go on holiday.

  2. Say where you went on holiday recently and give one detail about the trip.

  3. Say what you would like to do on your next holiday. (Give two details.)

  4. Give your opinion of travelling abroad and explain why it can be beneficial. (Give one opinion and one reason.)

  5. ? Ask your friend which country they would most like to visit and why.

Answer
Here are some example responses.

  1. Podczas wakacji najbardziej lubię zwiedzać ciekawe miejsca i próbować lokalnego jedzenia, ponieważ dzięki temu mogę lepiej poznać kulturę danego kraju.
    During holidays, I most like visiting interesting places and trying local food because this helps me learn more about the culture of the country.

  2. Ostatnio pojechałem do Hiszpanii, gdzie zatrzymałem się w hotelu niedaleko plaży, ponieważ chciałem odpocząć i cieszyć się dobrą pogodą.
    Recently I went to Spain, where I stayed in a hotel near the beach because I wanted to relax and enjoy the good weather.

  3. W przyszłym roku chciałbym pojechać do Włoch i zwiedzić Rzym, ponieważ interesuje mnie historia i chciałbym zobaczyć słynne zabytki.
    Next year I would like to go to Italy and visit Rome because I am interested in history and would like to see the famous sights.

  4. Moim zdaniem podróżowanie za granicę jest bardzo korzystne, ponieważ pozwala nam poznać inne kultury, a także poszerzyć nasze horyzonty.
    In my opinion, travelling abroad is very beneficial because it allows us to experience other cultures and broaden our horizons.

  5. Do jakiego kraju najbardziej chciałbyś pojechać i dlaczego?
    Which country would you most like to visit and why?

Examiner Tips and Tricks

  • At Higher tier, some tasks ask for two details or an opinion with a reason, so make sure you give enough information

  • A response without a verb cannot score full marks

  • Notice how the Higher sample answer uses a range of tenses, including the past tense, future tense and conditional — this shows good grammatical range

  • When giving an opinion, use a reason to develop your answer, e.g. Moim zdaniem..., ponieważ...

Travel and tourism: reading

  • In the reading exam, you will need to identify different time frames and say what people do in the past, present and future

  • Look out for time phrases to help you, for example, w przeszłości (in the past / previously), w tym momencie/ teraz (at the moment), w przyszłym roku (next year)

  • You should also be able to identify time frames from the verb itself - look out for present tense verb endings, past participles with mieć or być, and zostać + infinitive or chciałbym+ infinitive to indicate the future

Worked Example

Jarek is talking about travel and tourism. What does he say about each aspect?
Write P for something he did in the past.
Write N for something he does now.
Write F for something he wants to do in the future.

W zeszłym roku pojechałem z rodziną nad morze. Zatrzymaliśmy się w małym hotelu i codziennie chodziliśmy na plażę. Teraz często podróżuję pociągiem, ponieważ jest to wygodne i szybkie. W przyszłym roku chciałbym pojechać do Hiszpanii. Chcę zwiedzić Barcelonę, spróbować lokalnego jedzenia i zrobić dużo zdjęć.

  • staying in a hotel

  • travelling by train

  • going to the beach

  • visiting Spain

Answers

  • staying in a hotel — P
    Zatrzymaliśmy się w małym hotelu.

  • travelling by train — N
    Teraz często podróżuję pociągiem.

  • going to the beach — P
    codziennie chodziliśmy na plażę.

  • visiting Spain — F
    W przyszłym roku chciałbym pojechać do Hiszpanii.

Examiner Tips and Tricks

  • Here are the key time phrases and verb forms from the text that indicate each time frame:

    • Present - teraz (now)

    • Past- w zeszłym roku (last year)

    • Future - w przyszłym roku (next year)

  • Notice that there are two past answers - always read the whole text carefully before writing your answers, as more than one aspect can refer to the same time frame

Travel and tourism: 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

  • 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 your holiday to a friend in Poland.

Describe

  • gdzie jesteś na wakacjach

  • co robisz podczas wakacji

  • jaka jest pogoda

  • co planujesz zrobić w przyszłości

Write approximately 40 words in Polish.

Cześć!

Jestem teraz w Hiszpanii z rodziną. Codziennie pływam w morzu i zwiedzam ciekawe miejsca. Jest bardzo słonecznie i gorąco. W przyszłym roku chciałbym pojechać do Włoch, ponieważ uwielbiam podróżować i poznawać nowe kultury oraz próbować lokalnych potraw tam z przyjaciółmi.

Do zobaczenia!

Hi!

I am currently in Spain with my family. Every day I swim in the sea and visit interesting places. It is very sunny and hot. Next year I would like to go to Italy because I love travelling, discovering new cultures and trying local food with my friends there.

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

Higher tier

Worked Example

You are writing a postcard from your holiday to a friend in Poland.

Describe

  • gdzie jesteś na wakacjach i z kim podróżujesz

  • co robiłeś podczas wakacji i co najbardziej Ci się podobało

  • jaka była pogoda i jaki wpływ miała na Twój wyjazd

  • dokąd chciałbyś pojechać w przyszłości i dlaczego

Write approximately 90 words in Polish.

Cześć!

Pozdrawiam Cię z Hiszpanii, gdzie spędzam wakacje z rodziną. Wczoraj zwiedziliśmy Barcelonę i odwiedziliśmy kilka ciekawych zabytków. Najbardziej podobała mi się atmosfera miasta oraz lokalna kuchnia. Na szczęście pogoda jest słoneczna i bardzo ciepła, więc codziennie pływamy w morzu i odpoczywamy na plaży. Gdyby jednak padało, musielibyśmy zmienić nasze plany. W przyszłym roku chciałbym pojechać do Włoch, ponieważ bardzo interesuje mnie włoska kultura. Chciałbym również zwiedzić Rzym, spróbować tradycyjnych potraw i podróżować z przyjaciółmi. Mam nadzieję, że niedługo odwiedzimy to miejsce razem. To będzie naprawdę niezapomniana podróż.

Do zobaczenia!

Hi!

Greetings from Spain, where I am spending my holiday with my family. Yesterday, we visited Barcelona and saw some interesting monuments. I liked the atmosphere of the city and the local food the most. Luckily, the weather is sunny and very warm, so every day we swim in the sea and relax on the beach. However, if it rained, we would have to change our plans. Next year, I would like to go to Italy because I am very interested in Italian culture. I would also like to visit Rome, try traditional food and travel with my friends. I hope we will visit this place together soon. It will be an unforgettable trip.

See you!

Examiner Tips and Tricks

  • 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

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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.