ES.W3 Theme 3: Education and work - Writing

AQA 8692 · Calculators not allowed · about 45 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Question 1 is the Foundation tier task: write approximately 90 words in Spanish. Question 2 is the Higher tier task: write approximately 150 words in Spanish. Answer the question that matches your tier, or attempt both for practice. Question 3 is a short structured writing task: answer each bullet point with a short response in Spanish. Question 4 asks you to translate five sentences into Spanish.

Foundation tier. You are writing a message for a Spanish school's exchange website about your studies. Write approximately 90 words in Spanish. You must include the following points:

- las asignaturas que estudias y tu opinión sobre ellas
- cómo es tu instituto
- si tienes un trabajo a tiempo parcial
- lo que te gustaría estudiar o hacer después del instituto

(Total for Question 1 is 20 marks)

Higher tier. You are writing an article for a Spanish careers magazine about your education and future plans. Write approximately 150 words in Spanish. You must include the following points:

- cómo es tu vida escolar actualmente
- cómo ha cambiado tu actitud hacia los estudios en los últimos años
- qué planes tienes para tus estudios o tu carrera en el futuro
- tu opinión sobre la importancia de tener experiencia laboral antes de terminar el instituto, con razones

(Total for Question 2 is 28 marks)

You are completing a short careers questionnaire for a Spanish work-experience programme. Answer each question below with a short response in Spanish (one or two sentences).

(a)¿Cuál es tu asignatura favorita?(2)

(b)¿Cómo vas al instituto?(2)

(c)¿Tienes un trabajo a tiempo parcial?(2)

(d)¿Qué te gustaría hacer en el futuro?(2)

(Total for Question 3 is 8 marks)

Translate these sentences into Spanish.

(a)I study French, science and geography at school.(3)

(b)Last year I did work experience in a hospital.(3)

(c)If I studied harder, I would get better grades.(4)

(d)My parents want me to go to university next year.(2)

(Total for Question 4 is 12 marks)

Mark scheme · ES.W3 Theme 3: Education and work - Writing

Question 1

Content and communication (AO4, 10 marks)
- Level 3 (8-10): All four bullet points covered with relevant detail; the message communicates clearly throughout; the opinion on school subjects is clearly expressed and justified.
- Level 2 (4-7): Most bullet points covered, though development may be thin on one or two; the message is mostly clear; an opinion is given but the justification may be brief or missing.
- Level 1 (1-3): One or two bullet points covered in a basic way; the message has some clarity but gaps in meaning may occur; little or no opinion is offered.
- Level 0 (0): No creditable content, or the response is entirely irrelevant to the task.
Range and accuracy of language (AO4, 10 marks)
- Level 3 (8-10): A good range of vocabulary and structures, including at least one opinion phrase and one connective beyond 'y'/'pero'; verbs are mostly correctly formed and agree with their subject; errors do not hinder understanding.
- Level 2 (4-7): Some variety of vocabulary and structures; verbs are mostly recognisable though with some agreement or spelling errors; meaning is usually clear despite errors.
- Level 1 (1-3): Limited, repetitive vocabulary and structures; frequent verb errors; meaning is sometimes unclear.
- Level 0 (0): Language too limited or inaccurate to communicate meaning.
Indicative content:
- A list of school subjects with an opinion using ser or gustar, e.g. 'Estudio matemáticas, ciencias e historia' / 'Me encantan las ciencias, pero no me gusta nada la historia'.
- A description of the school using ser/hay, e.g. 'Mi instituto es bastante grande y hay muchas instalaciones deportivas'.
- A statement about a part-time job, e.g. 'Trabajo los sábados en una tienda de ropa' or 'No tengo trabajo, pero me gustaría tener uno'.
- A future ambition using ir a + infinitive or me gustaría, e.g. 'Voy a estudiar informática' / 'Me gustaría hacer un aprendizaje'.
- A justifying clause introduced by 'porque', e.g. 'porque se me da bien la tecnología'.
- Use of 'tengo que' or 'debo' to express a study-related obligation, e.g. 'Tengo que hacer muchos deberes cada noche'.
- A connective beyond 'y'/'pero', e.g. 'aunque', 'sin embargo', 'además', to link ideas within or across sentences.

Question 2

Content and communication (AO4, 16 marks)
- Level 4 (13-16): All four bullet points covered with well-developed detail and a clear personal voice; ideas are linked coherently; the article is fully relevant and communicates with precision.
- Level 3 (9-12): All four bullet points covered, though development may be uneven; communication is clear with only occasional loss of precision.
- Level 2 (5-8): Most bullet points covered but with limited development; communication is generally clear though some ideas may be underdeveloped or list-like.
- Level 1 (1-4): One or two bullet points covered in a basic way; communication is patchy, with noticeable gaps in meaning.
Range and accuracy of language (AO4, 12 marks)
- Level 4 (10-12): A wide range of vocabulary and complex structures; a genuine spread of tenses (past, present and future/conditional) used accurately; minor errors only, never obscuring meaning.
- Level 3 (7-9): A good range of vocabulary and some complex structures; at least two different time frames attempted with general accuracy; errors occasionally affect precision but not overall understanding.
- Level 2 (4-6): Some variety of vocabulary; mostly simple structures with limited attempts at other time frames; verb errors are frequent but meaning is usually recoverable.
- Level 1 (1-3): Narrow, repetitive vocabulary confined mostly to the present tense; frequent errors that sometimes prevent understanding.
Indicative content:
- Present-tense description of current school life, e.g. 'Actualmente estudio ocho asignaturas y tengo un horario bastante exigente'.
- Past-tense account of a changing attitude, e.g. 'Antes no me tomaba los estudios muy en serio, pero desde que empecé a pensar en mi futuro, he trabajado mucho más duro'.
- Future or conditional plans for studies or a career, e.g. 'El año que viene, elegiré mis asignaturas para el bachillerato, y me encantaría estudiar ingeniería en la universidad'.
- An opinion on the value of work experience with a developed reason, e.g. 'En mi opinión, tener experiencia laboral es fundamental porque nos ayuda a decidir qué carrera nos conviene de verdad'.
- Use of a subordinate clause with 'porque', 'ya que' or 'aunque' to justify an opinion in depth.
- A concluding sentence that draws the points together, e.g. 'En resumen, aunque los estudios son exigentes, creo que valdrán la pena a largo plazo'.
- Accurate use of at least one comparative or superlative, e.g. 'Ahora soy mucho más disciplinado que antes'.

Question 3

(a) B1 Content: names a plausible school subject
(a) B1 Accuracy: ser correctly conjugated and the subject noun correctly gendered
(a) Answer: Mi asignatura favorita es el arte porque soy muy creativo.
(b) B1 Content: names a plausible method of transport
(b) B1 Accuracy: ir correctly conjugated with en + transport, or a pie
(b) Answer: Voy al instituto en autobús todos los días.
(c) B1 Content: gives a plausible yes/no answer with a relevant detail
(c) B1 Accuracy: tener or trabajar correctly conjugated in the first person
(c) Answer: Sí, trabajo los fines de semana en un restaurante.
(d) B1 Content: gives a plausible future ambition
(d) B1 Accuracy: me gustaría + infinitive correctly formed
(d) Answer: Me gustaría ser veterinario y trabajar con animales.

Question 4

(a) B1 'Estudio francés, ciencias y geografía' for I study French, science and geography
(a) B1 'en el instituto' for at school
(a) B1 correct present-tense conjugation of estudiar
(a) Answer: Estudio francés, ciencias y geografía en el instituto.
(b) B1 'El año pasado hice prácticas laborales' for last year I did work experience, preterite of hacer
(b) B1 'en un hospital' for in a hospital
(b) B1 correct irregular preterite form hice
(b) Answer: El año pasado, hice prácticas laborales en un hospital.
(c) B1 'Si estudiara más' for if I studied harder, imperfect subjunctive of estudiar in the si-clause
(c) B1 'sacaría' for I would get/achieve, conditional of sacar
(c) B1 'mejores notas' for better grades, mejores agreeing in number
(c) B1 allow 'obtendría' as an alternative conditional verb for sacaría
(c) Answer: Si estudiara más, sacaría mejores notas.
(d) B1 'Mis padres quieren que vaya a la universidad' for my parents want me to go to university, present subjunctive of ir after querer que
(d) B1 'el año que viene' for next year
(d) Answer: Mis padres quieren que vaya a la universidad el año que viene.

Theme 3: Education and work - Writing - Worksheets, Questions and Revision

ES.W3 Theme 3: Education and work - Writing

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4