Holiday Activities: Exam Skills (AQA GCSE Spanish): Revision Note

Listen to a statement about a recent trip. Decide whether the speaker's opinion of each aspect is Positive (P), Negative (N), or Positive and Negative (P+N).

1. The accommodation

2. The flight

3. The surrounding area

4. The food

[4 marks]

Answer:

1. P+N - bonito (P) vs. demasiado caro (N)

2. N - duró más de diez horas / aburrido

3. P - ambiente alegre / a pie

4. P+N - Comimos muy bien (P) vs. sopa un poco fría (N)

Audio script:

El hotel era muy bonito y grande, pero la verdad es que era demasiado caro. Tendrían que bajar el precio.

Normalmente me encanta viajar, pero el vuelo duró más de diez horas. Fue muy aburrido.

El pueblo cerca de la playa tenía un ambiente alegre y podías ir a pie. Me gustó mucho.

Comimos muy bien, mucha fruta y carne. No me gustó mucho la sopa porque estaba un poco fría.

Pay attention to connectives like pero (but) which signal a change in opinion.

Foundation Tier

Read aloud the following text in Spanish:

Me gusta mi casa porque está cerca de la playa.
Fui de vacaciones el verano pasado con mi familia.
Nadamos en el mar y comimos en un restaurante.
Compré un recuerdo muy bonito.
Pienso que viajar es muy interesante.

Now, answer four questions in Spanish that relate to the topic of Travel and Tourism. You must try to answer all four questions as fully as you can to score the highest marks.

1. ¿Qué haces durante las vacaciones de verano?

2. ¿Dónde fuiste de vacaciones el año pasado?

3. ¿Cuál es tu opinión sobre viajar?

4. ¿Qué vas a hacer el próximo fin de semana?

[15 marks]

Answer:

1. Normalmente voy a la playa con mis amigos y juego al fútbol ( Normally I go to the beach with my friends and I play football - Present Tense)

2. Fui a España. Viajé en avión con mi familia (I went to Spain. I travelled by plane with my family - Preterite Tense (Irregular fui))

3. Pienso que viajar es muy interesante porque me gusta descansar (I think that travelling is very interesting because I like to rest - Opinions/Connectives (Present Tense))

4. Voy a reservar un viaje a la montaña con mi novio (I am going to book a trip to the mountain with my boyfriend - Near Future Tense)

The compulsory conversation questions are often phrased in the present tense at Foundation Tier, but high-scoring answers should demonstrate the use of the preterite (like fui) or the near future (voy a hacer) if relevant to the question topic, showing range and control.

Higher Tier

This long section requires higher-level language, spontaneous interaction, and the use of multi-clause sentences and multiple pronouns. This task focuses on complex future plans and conditional structures.

Prepare complex answers to the following questions for the unprepared conversation:

1. ¿Cómo serían tus vacaciones ideales?

2. ¿Crees que el turismo afecta al medio ambiente de forma negativa?

3. ¿Qué harás si hay una huelga de trenes durante tu viaje?

[15 marks]

Answer:

1. Viajaría a un país lejano. Iría a la playa todos los días y me alojaría en un hotel de lujo. (If I had a lot of money, I would travel to a far away country. I would go to the beach everyday and I would stay at a luxury hotel.)

• Uses Conditional Tense ( viajaría) and H-Tier Vocabulary (lujo).

2. Sí, lo creo. Creo que los aviones producen humos. Deberíamos reducir la contaminación porque el cambio climático es un problema grave. (Yes, I think so. I think that planes produce fumes. We should reduce pollution because climate change is a big problem.)

• Uses modal verb (deberíamos), conditional future, and H-Tier thematic vocabulary (contaminación, grave).

3. Si hay una huelga, alquilaré un coche o reservaré un vuelo inmediatamente para no perder el resto del tiempo. (If there is a strike, I will rent a car or book a flight immediately to not waste the rest of the time.)

• Uses future tense (alquilaré, reservaré)

Foundation Tier

Read the comments from three friends about their last holiday. Match each comment (1-3) to the correct detail (A-E).

1. Marcos: Fui a la montaña la semana pasada. Dormí en un camping. Me gustó mucho porque pude descansar.

2. Julia: Viajé a Cádiz. El verano pasado nos quedamos en un hotel cerca de la playa. Fue un viaje muy bueno, pero había mucho ruido por la noche.

3. Pedro: Fui a Italia con mi familia. Comimos mucha pasta, pero las tapas me parecen mejores.

A. He missed the beach.

B. The hotel was noisy.

C. He did not like the food.

D. The weather was bad.

E. He stayed in a camp site.

[3 marks]

Answer:

1. E (The text mentions camping)

2. B (The text mentions ruido [noise])

3. C (He thinks tapas are better than pasta / the food he ate)

• Since more options are provided than necessary, quickly eliminate the distractors (A and D) to increase the likelihood of success

• Reading comprehension requires matching ideas conveyed in Spanish to the summary provided in English. Highlight essential nouns (hotel, camping) and verbs (especially the preterite form, like dormí or viajé) in the text to help you deduce meaning

Higher Tier

Read the short text about a traveller, Alba. Choose the correct continuation (A, B, or C) in English to complete each sentence according to the text.

Cuando era niña, Alba solía viajar a lugares cercanos con sus padres. Ir en coche siempre era aburrido para ella. Ahora, su familia está ahorrando para un viaje a Sudamérica. Alba querría alquilar un coche allí. Sin embargo, si tiene un problema con el alojamiento, elegirá regresar inmediatamente.

1. When Alba was a child, traveling by car...

   A. was usually fun.
   B. was always boring.
   C. used to take too long.

2. The purpose of the family currently saving money is so they can...

   A. buy a new car.
   B. afford a ticket for Alba's trip to South America.
   C. avoid having problems with accommodation.

3. If Alba faced an issue with her accommodation, she will...

   A. look for a new place to stay immediately.
   B. immediately choose to go back home.
   C. travel to a different country.

[3 marks]

Answer:

1. B - The text states travelling by car siempre era aburrido (was always boring), demonstrating Imperfect Tense comprehension.

2. B - The text states the family is saving for un viaje a Sudamérica (a trip to South America).

3. B - The text uses the Future: elegirá regresar inmediatamente (she would choose to return immediately), testing advanced structures.

If you see unfamiliar vocabulary (e.g., alquilar), use the surrounding context—like coche (car) or viaje (trip)—to infer a plausible meaning, which is a core skill tested in the reading paper.

Foundation Tier

Write an email to a Spanish friend about your last holiday. Write approximately 50 words in Spanish. You must write something about each bullet point.

Mention:

• Destination

• Companion

• Activities

• Food

• Accommodation

[10 marks]

Answer:

Fui a la playa con mi familia el verano pasado. Nadamos en el mar y visitamos un castillo histórico. Nos alojamos en un camping pequeño cerca de la costa. Pienso que la comida era deliciosa porque comimos mucha carne y fruta. Quiero volver el año próximo para descansar.

English:

I went to the beach with my family last summer. We swam in the sea and visited a historical castle. We stayed in a small camp site near the coast. I think the food was delicious because we ate a lot of meat and fruit. I want to return next year to relax.

• Since this task focuses on a "last holiday", make sure to use the preterite tense (e.g., fui, nadamos) accurately, as verb tense security contributes significantly to your accuracy score

• Even within a short answer, use connectives like porque to justify your opinions, which helps achieve the "clear communication" required

Aiming for around 50 words is key to ensure you develop your answers sufficiently to address all five compulsory bullet points.

Higher Tier

Translate the following sentences into Spanish.

1. We visited the beach every day.

2. I would reserve a good hotel and eat in a restaurant.

3. We decided to buy the tickets for the boat.

4. My sister always makes herself happy when she shares the travel photos.

5. My parents are saving money now so that they can stay in a luxury hotel next year.

[10 marks]

Answer:

1. Visitamos la playa cada día (Uses preterite tense for fixed past actions.)

2. Reservaría un hotel bueno y comería en un restaurante. (Conditional)

3. Decidimos comprar los billetes para el barco. (Preterite)

4. Mi hermana siempre se alegra cuando comparte las fotos del viaje. (Reflexive verb, Present tense for habitual action, Temporal clause)

5. Mis padres están ahorrando ahora para que puedan quedarse en un hotel de lujo el año próximo. (Present Continuous + Para que + Subjunctive + H-Tier vocabulary lujo)

• The mark scheme divides the translation into multiple small elements (typically 15 for 10 marks). Ensure you translate all parts of the English sentence accurately, focusing on rendering the original meaning sufficiently

• This task specifically tests your secure command of various time frames, including the preterite (for single completed actions) and the imperfect (for habitual or ongoing past states, e.g., 'we used to visit' or 'we were')