Getting a top grade in your Spanish GCSE will give you a huge confidence boost in your Spanish learning journey, whether you are going to further it with an A Level in Spanish or use it when travelling abroad or getting to know people who speak Spanish as their mother tongue.
Memorise Spanish vocabulary
This has to be the easiest – but also the most effective – way to ensure you get a top grade. If you memorize all the vocabulary that you are expected to know for GCSE Spanish (you’ll find a comprehensive list in the GCSE specification for your exam board), it becomes much easier to read, write, listen and speak in Spanish.
Imagine a listening exercise, for example. If an important word is mentioned but you don’t recognise it or remember what it means, there simply isn’t time to think about it. You’ll miss the rest of the dialogue. Even in a writing exercise, instead of spending precious exam time trying to work out the meaning, you can maximise the time to slide in some extra-impressive conjunctions.
But importantly, examiners will not look kindly on mistakes for things you are expected to know – so if the vocabulary is in the specification, you need to know it.
For me, personally, when it comes to memorizing vocabulary, the simplest way has always been the most effective way: (1) write it down in your own handwriting and (2) say it out loud in your own voice. Somehow, by doing these two things, the vocabulary seems to stick.
Master the main tenses
While it might be tempting to memorize a few snazzy verb constructions to score extra points (which can definitely be a boost!) it’s essential that you master the key verb tenses in a range of high-frequency verbs.
The main tenses to focus on are: present tense, preterite, imperfect, perfect, conditional, future and future with “going”. Is this a big demand? Yes, it is a big demand BUT there are ways to narrow down the expectations.
Focus on some of the most commonly used verbs and get familiar with them in every tense so you that you can recognise them and use them fluently.
For example, “jugar” – regular in some tenses, but not in others, so it can be tricky. However, it’s very common at GCSE level, so you definitely need to know how to use it in a range of tenses.
For a bit of context here, don’t get frustrated. The truth is that those of us who learn Spanish as a second language will still be honing our skills in conjugating verbs for years. Recognise that it is hard, but also, the more you simply use your tenses (by listening to Spanish being spoken, by reading Spanish texts, and by writing and speaking) the more fluid it becomes.
Speak to a five-year-old native English-speaking child and you’ll start to realise how long language skills take to develop. It doesn’t happen overnight, but eventually it becomes very obvious that “I goed to the park” is wrong and you automatically say, “I went to the park”. The more you practise your Spanish, the more your brain will recognise when something is wrong or right.
Read and listen to Spanish regularly
Most Spanish learners dread listening activities and panic as soon as the recording starts. We automatically think that listening is therefore much harder than the other language skills. Is there any truth in that? There might be, but I suspect the main reason is simply that we don’t get anywhere near enough exposure to listening in Spanish.
Consider how much time you actually get to listen to Spanish in your lessons. There is a lot for teachers to pack into a very short time – vocabulary testing, teaching grammatical constructions, explaining tenses, etc. and there simply isn’t time to provide the volume of Spanish listening practice that we all know is essential.
Use resources for GCSE Spanish to practice reading and listening to Spanish regularly. Think of it like building muscles. You can’t get strong in one day, no matter how many weights you lift. But you can get strong by lifting weights for a few minutes a day if you do it regularly.
For GCSE level, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend (though I wouldn’t discourage) watching TV shows or films made for Spanish-speaking populations as the level is too high to be truly effective.
However, I would certainly discourage any Spanish learner from reading books that have been translated from English into Spanish. It is simply not a good way to learn Spanish, no matter how good the translation.
Conclusion
So, if you are starting out on the first or second year of your Spanish GCSE, these are areas to keep in mind. By building on your Spanish little by little and focusing on memorising vocabulary, mastering the main tenses and practising reading and listening to Spanish regularly, you’re sure to sail through your GCSE Spanish exams.