Social Issues: Exam Skills (AQA GCSE Spanish): Revision Note

Foundation Tier

Listen to three citizens talking about different social challenges. Match each speaker (1–3) to the statement that accurately reflects their problem or solution (A–D). One option is irrelevant.

1. Juan

2. Laura

3. Marcos

Options:

A. They believe more laws are needed to enforce respect.
B. They are concerned about the violence that affects the young.
C. They think the lack of jobs is the most serious issue.
D. They mention the responsibility to share resources.

[3 marks]

Answer:

1. C (The term falta de empleo relates directly to the lack of jobs/unemployment).

2. D (Mentions compartir los recursos).

3. B (Mentions violencia que afecta a la gente joven).

Audio script:

1. Pienso que la falta de empleo es el problema más grave en nuestra ciudad. (I think that the lack of employment is the most serious problem in our city.)

2. Es importante compartir los recursos en la comunidad. (It is important that citizens have the responsibility to share resources in the community.)

3. Es terrible la violencia que afecta a la gente joven en el colegio. (The violence that affects young people in school is terrible.)

Higher Tier

You will hear five short sentences. Write down in Spanish exactly what you hear for each sentence.

[10 marks]

Answer:

1. La pobreza es un problema que afecta a muchos ciudadanos. (Poverty is a problem that affects many citizens.) [Relative Pronoun que, H vocabulary pobreza]

2. Es necesario que el gobierno promueva la igualdad. (It is necessary that the government promotes equality.) [Subjunctive: promueva, H vocabulary igualdad]

3. Yo tengo que ayudar a las víctimas del delito. (I have to help the victims of crime.) [Obligation/Modal tener que, H vocabulary víctima]

4. El acoso que sufren los jóvenes es terrible. (The bullying that young people suffer is terrible.) [Relative Pronoun que]

5. Los ciudadanos deben asumir su responsabilidad. (Citizens must assume their responsibility.) [Modal deber, H vocabulary responsabilidad]

If a long sentence is broken into sections in the dictation, listen for the simple word que without an accent mark (tilde). This word signals a description or detail about the noun immediately before it (e.g., problemas que sufren...).

Foundation Tier

Imagine you are discussing a local social problem with your friend. Answer the following questions. In order to score full marks, you must include a verb in your response to each task.

1. Say what the main social problem is where you live. (give one detail)

2. Say who suffers most from this problem. (give one detail)

3. Give one opinion about why young people commit crime. (give one reason)

4. Say one thing you did last week to promote respect. (give one detail)

5. Ask a question about helping the community.

[10 marks]

Answer:

1. Pienso que la violencia es el mayor problema. (I think that violence is the biggest problem.)

2. Los ciudadanos jóvenes sufren el daño. (Young citizens suffer the harm.)

3. Cometen delitos porque no tienen trabajo. (They commit crimes because they don't have a job.)

4. Escribí un mensaje que promueve la tolerancia. (I wrote a message that promotes tolerance.)

5. ¿Qué haces tú para ayudar a la gente pobre? (What do you do to help poor people?)

For every task in the Foundation role-play, you must include a correctly conjugated verb (e.g., Pienso, Sufren, Escribí) to convey the message unambiguously and secure both marks for that task. If the verb is missing or incorrect, the maximum mark awarded for communication is severely limited.

Higher Tier

Read the text aloud. Then, answer the following questions in Spanish.

El delito y el acoso son un problema que sufre toda la sociedad actualmente. Por eso, es esencial que se promueva la igualdad y hay que reducir la violencia. La pobreza es el mayor riesgo que enfrentan muchos jóvenes en la comunidad. Me gustaría ayudarles; esto sería un gran resultado.

1. ¿Crees que el gobierno tiene la responsabilidad de resolver la pobreza, o es cosa de los demás?

2. ¿Qué harías con tu influencia para promover la solidaridad en la sociedad?

3. En el pasado, ¿qué factores destruyeron la confianza entre los ciudadanos en tu región?

4. ¿Qué harás para promover la igualdad de opciones para los jóvenes en el futuro?

[15 marks]

Answer:

1. Pienso que la responsabilidad es compartida. Es necesario que el gobierno invierta dinero en organizaciones que apoyan a las víctimas, pero debemos también luchar por el respeto. (Uses Subjunctive: invierta, Modals: deber)

2. Me gustaría usar mi influencia para promover la solidaridad. Construiría organizaciones para ayudar a la gente pobre y así combatiría el delito. (Uses Conditional: me gustaría, construiría, to express a future action.)

3. Creo que la falta de comunicación destruyó la confianza entre los ciudadanos. También, la violencia afectaba a muchas personas. Antes, había mucha duda en la comunidad. (Uses the preterite: destruyó, and the imperfect: afectaba, había, to describe past conditions.)

4. Haré un esfuerzo mayor. Voy a participar en organizaciones que promueven la igualdad y enseñan los derechos civiles en todos los colegios. (Uses Future/Near Future: Haré, Voy a participar)

Foundation Tier

Read the text below about social responsibilities in a Latin American city. Answer the questions in English.

Los ciudadanos tienen la responsabilidad de ayudar a otras personas de su comunidad. El mayor problema es la falta de oportunidades de los jóvenes en las zonas con mucha pobreza. Hay que luchar contra el acoso y la violencia en las escuelas, porque esto es un delito.

1. What sort of assistance are citizens responsible for providing?

2. What is the main challenge facing young people in the poor areas?

3. What specific anti-social issues must be actively fought in schools?

4. According to the text, what name is given to actions like violence and bullying?

[4 marks]

Answer:

1. Helping other people in their community.

2. A lack of opportunities.

3. Bullying and violence.

4. A crime

English: The citizens have the responsibility to help other people in their community. The biggest problem is the lack of opportunities of young people in the areas with lots of poverty. We must fight against bullying and violence in schools, because this is a crime.

• Recognise phrases that signal what must be done, such as hay que (one must) or tienen la responsabilidad (have the responsibility). These phrases guide you to the required solution or action

Higher Tier

Read the opinions below (1–4) about social responsibility. Match the comment to the opinion expressed (A–D).

Comments:

1. Pienso que la responsabilidad es del gobierno, no de los demás.

2. Es terrible que haya tanta violencia que afecta a la gente joven.

3. El mayor problema es la falta de libertad que sufren las víctimas.

4. Es necesario que los ciudadanos promuevan la igualdad en la sociedad.

Opinions:

A.The main problem is the absence of freedom for those who are targeted.
B.Action should be taken by ordinary people to ensure fairness.
C.The speaker believes that others should solve the problem.
D.The prevalence of violent behaviour has a disastrous effect on youth.

[4 marks]

Answer:

1. C

2. D

3. A

4. B

English Translation:

1. I think that the responsibility is the government's, not the others'.

2. It is terrible that there is so much violence that affects young people.

3. The biggest problem is the lack of freedom that victims suffer.

4. It is necessary that citizens promote equality in society.

Look for language that contrasts groups, such as gobierno (government) vs. los demás (the others). This contrast helps identify who the speaker believes is or is not responsible

Foundation Tier

Complete the following five sentences by writing the correct word in Spanish to fill the gap. Choose the correct option from the three provided below the blank space.

1. Mi barrio tiene un problema ___________ grande.

   A. sociales B. social C. pobreza

2. ___________ ayudar a las personas pobres.

   A. Debemos B. Tenemos C. El

3. Yo ___________ a mi familia la semana pasada.

   A. ayudo B. ayudé C. ayudar

4. El ___________ afecta a muchos jóvenes.

   A. acoso B. acosos C. acosa

5. Creo que el ___________ es muy importante.

   A. respeta B. respetamos C. respeto

[5 marks]

Answer:

1. B

2. A

3. B

4. A

5. C

Higher Tier

Write an article for a local newspaper about social challenges. Write approximately 150 words in Spanish. You must write something about both bullet points. Mention:

• Your opinion on the most serious social problems in your town and what causes them.

• The efforts that the government and citizens should make to promote safety and opportunity.

[25 marks]

Answer:

Me parece que el mayor problema en nuestra ciudad es la violencia y el delito que afectan a la comunidad. La causa principal es la falta de oportunidades que sufren muchos jóvenes. Es terrible que la pobreza sea tanta en la zona. Hay que terminar el paro. Sería más fácil reducir el riesgo de delito y mejorar la sociedad de todos los habitantes. La situación actual es difícil y necesitamos soluciones reales.

Es esencial que el gobierno haga un esfuerzo y promueva el desarrollo y la igualdad para construir un futuro mejor. Debe crear más centros para ayudar a los ciudadanos más pobres. Y espero que haga más esfuerzo en educación y formación profesional. Además, me gustaría que la gente haga un esfuerzo mayor para promover el respeto y la seguridad. La responsabilidad de mejorar nuestra sociedad es de todos.

English:

It seems to me that the major problem in our city is the violence and crime that affect the community. The main cause is the lack of opportunities that many young people suffer. It is terrible that there is so much poverty in the area. We must end unemployment. It would be easier to reduce the risk of crime and improve the society of all inhabitants. The current situation is difficult and we need real solutions.

It is essential that the government make an effort and promote development and equality in order to build a better future. It must create more centers in order to help the poorest citizens. And I hope that it makes more effort in education and professional training. Furthermore, I would like the people to make a greater effort to promote respect and security/safety. The responsibility of improving our society belongs to everyone.

Make sure you use grammatical structures exclusive to the Higher Tier, specifically the subjunctive mood (Es esencial que promueva, haga) and the conditional tense for hypothetical proposals (Sería más fácil).