Leaving Cert Spanish Predictions 2022 (Higher Level)
Always exercise caution with any predictions and don’t take too many risks.
You may also like: Leaving Cert Spanish Oral Exam Guide (2021-25)
For 2022 only: COVID-19 Update (February 2022)
Please note that the original amendments via gov.ie have been superseded by more recents amendments available on the SEC website.
There will be no change to the aural exam in 2022
In Section A, Question 1(a) Prescribed Literature or (b) Journalistic Text will remain unchanged in 2022. In Section A, Question 2, instead of answering both parts (a) and (b) as it is usually required, students will only have to answer one part. This question will be marked out of 10 rather than the usual 20 marks. This section will be worth 70 marks
Section B will remain unchanged. This section will be worth 100 marks
In Section C, students will be required to answer ONE question from the entire section, that is, either Dialogue OR Formal Letter OR Diary Entry OR Note. All questions will carry equal marks. This section will be worth 25 marks
Spanish Exam Paper Structure
The Spanish examination has 4 components that encompass the 4 aspects of language comprehension and production, namely listening, reading, speaking and writing. These are described below.
The Listening Comprehension
The Listening Comprehension is worth 20% at Higher Level and 25% at Ordinary Level. There are 78 sections depending on the year and these are separated in 1 Anuncio, 23 Diálogos, 2 Descriptivos, 1 El Tiempo and 1 Noticia. All answers must be answered in English. The listening tapes can range from interviews, news, conversations, etc. While in this section topics cannot be predicted, El Tiempo comes up every year so make sure to know and understand vocabulary related to weather and nature. Some ways to prepare for this is to practice past papers and listen to news and music in Spanish as these greatly improve listening skills.
The Reading Comprehension
The reading comprehensions are worth 30% at Higher Level and 40% at Ordinary Level. It is separated into Section A and Section B. Section A consists of 3 reading comprehensions: a longer journalistic text and 2 shorter pieces. Section B has another long article which is connected to the opinion piece. In past years the reading comprehensions have been influences by current affairs and global events. Below are themes that have made an appearance in the short or long comprehensions in the last few years.
| 2021 | PE in schools, conservation, volunteering |
| 2020 | Online shopping, fast fashion, sport |
| 2019 | Sport, Working part-time while in university, Animals and extinction |
| 2018 | Obesity, Animals, Travelling |
| 2017 | Travelling, Transport, Sport |
| 2016 | Disability and Health, Presidency and Politics |
| 2015 | Spanish culture and language, Spanish traditions |
| 2014 | Food and Health, Holidays |
| 2013 | Technology and Education, The Economy and Transport, The world of work |
| 2012 | Animals, Transport, Emigration |
| 2011 | Social Networking Websites, Poverty |
| 2010 | Volunteering in the community, Transport and Electric Cars |
Themes such as Sport, Spanish culture and Animals are among the most popular, but it is important to read lots of different materials in Spanish, ranging from news articles to magazines and short stories in order to have a good coverage of most topics.
The Oral Examination
The Oral Examination is worth 25% at Higher Level and 20% at Ordinary Level and is separated into a general conversation section and a role play section. As with any language, speaking as much as possible in the classroom is key to doing well in the oral exam. A variety of topics can be examined here, ranging from more general ones such as mi familia, mis amigos y mi barrio, mi colegio, los pasatiempos to **more complex such as el mundo de trabajo, las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación, la cultura Española, temas de actualidad etc. It is key to be comfortable and confident when speaking the language and taking the initiative to bring topics you know into the discussion. As the oral exam is less predictable than the other sections of the exam, it is important to practice speaking about a range of themes. The most recent Chief Examiner’s report shows that having a good understanding of when to use different tenses allows students to tackle difficult topics better.
The Written Component
Opinion Piece
The opinion piece is worth an eighth of the exam and is probably the most difficult part to prepare for. In this piece students are encouraged to write their own opinions accompanied by arguments. Students are given a title which they either agree of disagree with in their opinion piece. It is advised to use the linked text as a springboard to your answer, but the arguments must be original. The Chief Examiner’s report encouraged candidates to include personal stories and experiences which make the opinion piece authentic and memorable, but still adhere to the argumentative style which includes fact driven reasoning.
This is one of the only section where students can make use of their knowledge of idiomatic Spanish and should reveal a variety of tenses and vocabulary. Your opinion piece should include an introduction, 3-4 well developed ideas and a conclusion.
Logical linking phrases such as ‘me gustaría empezar diciendo que’, examinemos la situación’, ‘sabemos que’ ‘por otro lado’, ‘ sabemos que’, ‘en mi opinion’, ‘para terminar’ etc. are a good way of making sure your argument is structured and coherent.
Titles chosen for the opinion piece are related to the Section B article and are influenced by important events and affairs that take place. Below is a list of the themes that have come up in the past years.
| 2021 | Volunteering and the importance of helping others |
| 2020 | Fast fashion and young people |
| 2019 | Animals and Stewardship |
| 2018 | Travelling and Adventure |
| 2017 | Sport and Physical Activity |
| 2016 | A simple lifestyle, the importance of helping others |
| 2015 | Respecting and changing traditions. |
| 2014 | Travelling, Escaping the routine |
| 2013 | The world of work |
| 2012 | Emigration |
| 2011 | Change in Ireland, Money and happiness |
| 2010 | The advantages and setbacks of a modern life, The most important invention of the 21st century |
Formal Letter
In Section C students have a choice in between completing the formal letter or the dialogue construction. The formal letter is usually addressed to the editor of a newspaper and requires a more serious and persuasive tone. You are given 5 points as prompts, but the 5 points you make do not have to be the same as these. It is important have the structure and phrases of a letter (muy senor mio, estimado Juan, sinceramente, les escribo para informarles etc.). Using the correct form and conjugations for usted and ustedes is key to successfully writing a formal letter.
While most people think the dialogue is easier, the letter gives students the opportunity to showcase their own ideas and vocabulary they are comfortable with.
Below is a list of the topics for the formal letter that have come up in the past years. These topics are more specific than the opinion piece and require more knowledge and vocabulary to successfully attempt.
| 2021 | Young people and mobile phones |
| 2020 | Spanish food |
| 2019 | The importance of the Spanish language |
| 2018 | Taking a gap year is a waste of time |
| 2017 | Young people do not read anymore |
| 2016 | The negative effects of part-time jobs on education |
| 2015 | Diets among young people |
| 2014 | The negative effects of social media |
| 2013 | Women and housework |
| 2012 | The role of royalty in today’s economy |
| 2011 | Increasing tourism though sport |
| 2010 | The Spanish tradition of bullfighting |
Dialogue Construction
Most students choose to complete the dialogue construction over the formal letter. In this section a conversation is taking place and the meaning of every other ‘turn’ must be translated into Spanish. It is important to mention that this is not a word-for-word translation exercise and students must understand the meaning and context in which they are writing. The ‘turns’ can be difficult to write as they often contain very specific vocabulary and grammatical constructions, including the subjunctive tense.
Note
Students can choose in between completing a Note or a Diary Entry. These are similar in the vocabulary that is required. Students are given 4-5 points which they must include in their note. These should be expanded upon in order to achieve a high mark. The tone is usually informal when writing instructions and communicating events. The imperative can comes up in the note question.
Diary Entry
For this question students must write on all the 4-5 points given. The tone of this should be personal and emotive as if writing in a daily journal and often includes describing feelings and emotions. Writing in the first person is key to this question. The Diary Entry should also include specific phrases such as ‘querido diaro’, ‘vaya día’, qué increíble’, ‘mañana te contaré más detalles’, ‘hasta mañana’ etc. and feature the format of a diary entry with the date at the bottom. The diary entry is more predictable and features simpler phrases and grammar than the note.
Topic Predictions
There are some topics that can frequently come up in every part of the exam, including the oral and the listening exam. These include education, plans for the future, your community, health, the Spanish language and culture, technology and young people, poverty, alcohol, the environment etc. Learning vocabulary and phrases relevant to these topics is key to enhancing an opinion piece or letter and gives students a better chance at achieving high marks in reading comprehensions.
The themes that have been featured in the opinion pieces relate to current affairs and topical debates. In light of the main events that have taken place in the past year, below are some topics that may come up:
Climate Change
After COP26, there has been huge discussions around what we can do to tackle climate change in our own lives. There has not been an opinion piece specifically on climate change or global warming so this would be likely in 2022. A journalistic text article on climate change is also likely so it would be a good idea to revise the climate change vocab.
Technology
This is a topic that was expected to appear as an opinion piece in 2021 but did not. Technology will always be relevant so it is likely to appear as part of an opinion piece or reading comprehension.
The Health System
This is something that is always topical in Ireland. The state of the health care system post pandemic with staffing issues and long waiting lists is likely to appear in a journalistic text. The vocabulary based on the health system can also be integrated into opinion pieces.
Alcohol and Young People
This is always a popular topic on the Spanish papers with articles based on ‘El Botellón’ appearing over the last number of years. This topic may not appear on its own but it would be an important one to include if the opinion piece was based on the youth of today.
The Education System
The debate over the fairness of the Leaving Cert has been ongoing for years but the accredited grades of 2021 have brought up more discussions and opinions. There might not be an opinion piece specifically on the leaving cert but an opinion piece on college vs apprenticeships would be likely with the changing of the CAO system this year.
As is evident from above, there is a wide range of topics that the examiners can choose from. By learning the vocab that is associated with each topic, you will cover yourself for opinion pieces, dialogues and reading comprehensions.
What to revise
The Chief Examiner’s Report in 2016 emphasised the need for students to give their own opinion in the opinion piece. Rote learning ideas is discouraged as students need to be able to express themselves in simple and accurate language.
For the opinion piece make sure to know the different linking phrases to help structure your argument. Know the layout of the letter, diary entry and note and phrases to open and close. Make sure the arguments you put forward answer the question asked and are presented in a logical manner. Clearly divide your ideas and elaborate on each one rather than writing a series of isolated ideas.
Topics relating to the Hispanic world are a feature of the exam almost every year. Make a list of the different tourist attractions in Spain and their importance. Know some of the different traditions and celebrations that take place in Spain throughout the year. Bringing this knowledge and cultural awareness into an oral exam will make the conversation more interesting and set you aside from the average candidate. Also learn off some idiomatic phrases to add to your opinion piece and letter.
Even though themes for opinion pieces are difficult to predict, prepare vocabulary and think about Covid-19 and the impact it has had on students, education, health, leadership and life at home. Prepare some phrases for political topics such as violence, poverty, immigration, climate change and voting. Knowing these will also benefit you in the oral exam where you can integrate the vocabulary into discussions with the examiner.
A good part of your study should be dedicated to grammar. Examiners have repeatedly mentioned some students don’t understand the difference in between ser and estar so candidates should make sure that they can use these verbs and a variety of other ones in the right context. Having a vocabulary that extends past the use of basic verbs such as tener, gustar, hacer will prove useful when writing long paragraphs and not using the same verbs multiple times. A well prepared student should be able to use different tenses and understanding the specific uses of each. Aside from el presente, pretérito y futuro, students should also use el imperfecto, el condicional, y el subjunctivo.
Overall, reading a variety of texts in Spanish is essential. Reading an article a day or listening to a podcast in Spanish will improve your vocabulary and fluency. Find a Spanish TV series and try to follow it without the subtitles. Surrounding and immersing yourself in the language will result in a deeper understanding of the language and culture and will give you an advantage when sitting the exam.
¡Buena Suerte!
Track record
What we predicted in 2021
Voting and expressing opinion
The United States Presidential election has highlighted the importance of voting. A question could be directed towards exploring the value and benefit of expressing one’s opinion and the importance of having the freedom to do so.
Online education
As many schools around the world have changed to online education platforms as their main method of teaching, this is likely to come up. An opinion piece might ask for students to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of converting to online teaching or to discuss whether or not this is a good long-term plan. Technology and social networking websites has been the topic of reading comprehensions (2013, 2011), but never an opinion piece, so this is a potential question.
Technology
This year is a prime example of the importance of obtaining accurate and true information from news. There might be a reading comprehension about fake news and listening to experts. As this is a very specific topic it is unlikely to come up in the opinion piece.
Loneliness and mental health
The lockdowns many countries around the world have experienced have led to many discussions around loneliness and mental health. The need for social interaction is clearly an important factor for mental health. This can come up in a Diary Entry or the Opinion piece as a question asking students to discuss the impact the pandemic has had on their lives or to explore some innovative ways to overcome social isolation and communicate with others. Mental health is a very specific topic that requires specific vocabulary, so questions will probably ask students to describe how they felt during the pandemic in a Diary Entry or Note.
Police brutality and violence
While this is not something that usually comes up in the paper, what we have seen this year with the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement might influence the comprehension or an opinion piece. This could be related to equality or violence in the media.
Women in leadership
The pandemic has brought to light the success of women in leadership as the USA has elected their first female Vice-President this year. Women like Jacinda Ardern have proven the value women have in politics and 4 women have won Nobel Prizes in literature, chemistry and physics. This could come up in the reading comprehension as a piece about the life and work of these women or as an opinion piece about overcoming challenges.
Climate change and Covid-19
Animals, extinction and the environment have made an appearance on the paper recently in both reading comprehensions and opinion pieces 2019, 2018, 2013 so it is unlikely that they will come up again. However, with the changes in climate as a result of the pandemic and the rising activism of people like Greta Thunberg, this might be a topic of the short comprehensions
Racism and immigration
These are very specific topics that most likely will not be asked in the opinion piece, but can come up in reading comprehensions.
