Students faced a “fair and manageable” higher level Leaving Cert Spanish exam on Tuesday which most found will have found very accessible, according to teachers.
“It was a very, very nice paper,” said David McArdle, a Spanish teacher at De La Salle College in Dundalk and ASTI representative. “It was very positive and accessible, and if you were practising past exam papers, there would not have been any surprises.”
Maria Fenton, a Spanish teacher with the Institute of Education, said that absence of curveballs meant prepared students would have found the paper very accessible.
“Students will likely feel happy with this paper. While it did have its challenges and a few idiomatic terms, it was fundamentally accessible, both in its topics and vocabulary,” she said.
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The reading comprehension section started with an extract by Gabriel García Márquez, Ms Fenton said most students skipedp this prescribed literature and opted for the journalistic piece.
This year’s paper had a piece on heatwaves in Spain which brought in discussion of global warming, an issue which many students and teachers would have prepared in advance.
“There were a few moments that were less typical, for example the phrase ‘a tope’ meaning ‘on full blast’ would not appear on any standard vocabulary sheet, but on the whole this piece was very manageable for students of all abilities,” she said.
The following shorter texts would also have been encouraging for students, Ms Fenton said.
While two pieces on a charitable thief and fashion range for pets were unlikely to have been predicted, but the clear and intuitive vocabulary offset the peculiarity of the topics.
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Section B
While section B’s longer reading comprehension was daunting in its length, the vocabulary would not be taxing to a prepared student, Ms Fenton said.
“Again, its theme was very relevant to the modern student: young adults living at home. This brought in discussions of rental costs and youth unemployment, both topics that students would have been aware of and likely discussed in class,” she said.
While accessible and topical, there was a moment that might throw off a weaker student.
“The synonym question demands students identify a partner to ‘bastante’, which many students would understand to typically mean ‘quite’, as in ‘quite tall’. However, the text uses the less common meaning of ‘sufficient/enough’,” she said.
The section finished with some very accessible and open writing prompts that had “something for everybody”.
“The idea that young people nowadays have a ‘vida muy fácil’ – ‘a very easy life’ – is something on which everyone will have an opinion. Students could adapt a wide range of topics from their study, so that anything from bullying, to exams, to drugs/alcohol could find a place on paper,” she said.
Section C
For Section C, most students enter the exam expecting to do the dialogue, but this year saw a “lovely” formal letter, she said.
“The question’s demands were clear, concise and all in the present tense. This allowed every student to navigate the task with ease, but stronger students would need to be imaginative in order to distinguish themselves,’ she said,
The rest of the paper was typical and should not surprise or shock students familiar with previous papers. The tense knowledge of the dialogue and styles of writing was all in line with what students will have practised.
Both teachers said that the listening comprehension was also very accessible.
“The tape was clear and well-paced,” said Mr McArdle, while Ms Fenton said that one or two phrases may have been trickier for weaker students.
“Phrases like ‘estar harto de’, meaning ‘fed up’ or other terms like ‘below average’ and ‘two centuries’ instead of numerals would have challenge weaker students. However, I suspect students will be very content with this section,” she said.
Ordinary level
On the ordinary level paper, Mr McArdle said that there were no surprises and that any student who had practised past papers should do well.
“There was a comprehension on an unforgettable trip in a hot air balloon, and the vocabulary was given to help students,” he said.
“Section B, where students write a letter, email, diary entry or note, had accessible vocabulary too.
“Overall, ordinary level students should be happy,” he said.
