0530 Foreign Language Spanish June 2004

w
w
w
.X
tr
e
CONTENTS

m
eP
ap
er
s.c
om
FOREIGN LANGUAGE SPANISH...................................................................................... 2
Paper 0530/01 Listening ............................................................................................................................... 2
Paper 0530/02 Reading and Directed Writing ............................................................................................... 3
Paper 0530/03 Speaking ............................................................................................................................... 4
Paper 0530/04 Continuous Writing ............................................................................................................... 6

1
 0530 Foreign Language Spanish June 2004

FOREIGN LANGUAGE SPANISH

General comments

The overall performance of the candidates was good; there were very few really weak candidates.

Comments on specific questions

Section 1

Exercise 1 Questions 1-8

Most candidates could cope with all the questions in this exercise. Perhaps the ones that caused more
difficulty were Question 6, which surprised Examiners as the key word was libro, which must be widely
known; Question 7 which required candidates to match a physical description to a picture; and Question 8
which tested parts of the body.

Exercise 2 Questions 9-14

Most candidates understood the passage well. Question 10 perhaps caused the most problems as some
candidates found selva difficult to identify. Most candidates coped extremely well with the phone number,
but if any element caused difficulty it was usually ‘62’, which tended to be confused with ‘72’.

Section 2

Exercise 1 Questions 15-21

The majority of candidates scored full or nearly full marks. Question 16 sometimes caused problems: it is
Boris’s teachers who have recommended a Spanish course, but this is not what he wants to do. Weaker
candidates often thought Question 20 was True, perhaps because it sounded plausible, but although Boris
is interested in the eggs of the birds that he has only seen in photos, he is not interested in photography per
se.

Exercise 2 Questions 22-26

This exercise, which required candidates to write short answers in Spanish, proved more challenging. Some
Centres appeared not to have touched on the topic medio ambiente and even basic words such as basura
seemed not to be known. Questions 22, 23 and 24, however, proved very accessible to the vast majority.
In Question 25, even when candidates could pick out the key words, carretera and coche, they were
sometimes unable to explain that an animal that went to eat the apple could be killed by a car. Likewise, in
Question 26, weaker candidates were not able to explain that they should take with them bags in which to
put their rubbish/pick up any rubbish they saw/throw no rubbish on the ground – any two of these three
options were accepted.

Section 3

Exercise 1 Questions 27-34

This exercise was understood by most candidates and even the very weakest coped well with Questions 30
and 34. No question seemed to present particular difficulties though Questions 31 and 32 required very
close attention to and good understanding of the text.

2
 0530 Foreign Language Spanish June 2004

Exercise 2 Questions 35-40

This exercise proved to be a good discriminator. Question 36 was the most challenging, and only better
candidates were able to say that the feast started in pagan times/before Christian times/a long time ago (any
one of these alternatives scored the mark). Also only better candidates were able to answer Question 37
and explain that in the beginning there were two feasts.

Paper 0530/02
Reading and Directed Writing

General comments

The level of difficulty of the paper seemed similar to last year and the standard of work seen by Examiners
continues to be extremely pleasing. Teachers are clearly familiar with the demands of the paper and are
able to prepare candidates thoroughly for this examination.

Comments on specific questions

Section 1

Exercise 1 Questions 1-5

This was done well by most of the candidates, who scored 4 or 5 out of 5. The most common errors
occurred in Question 3, where several candidates opted for C, seemingly because they were unfamiliar with
the word equitación.

Exercise 2 Questions 6-10

This was done quite well, with most candidates scoring 4 out of 5. Nearly all the candidates dropped a mark,
usually in Question 8 or Question 9.

Exercise 3 Question 11

This was done perfectly by most candidates with the vast majority scoring full marks.

Exercise 4 Question 12

Many excellent answers, though a number of candidates omitted to mention the new location of their home,
and others thought that the number of habitaciones referred to the number of inhabitants rather than to the
number of rooms. Three marks were awarded for mentioning the new location, the number of rooms and
what they liked most about the new house. The other two marks were awarded for appropriacy of language,
with special attention being paid to verbs.

Section 2

Exercise 1 Questions 13-20

This exercise was done very well by the large majority of candidates: there were very few scores of below
7 out of 10 and many candidates scored full marks. In Question 13, candidates were expected to refer to
the fact that Elsa Carsolio was Mexican and in Question 14 a reference to the summit of Everest was
required. Question 20 caused some problems and Examiners did not accept comments such as fue
increíble, but were looking for something along the lines of ver el mundo desde allí arriba.

3
 0530 Foreign Language Spanish June 2004

Exercise 2 Question 21

This proved quite a straightforward exercise, and most of the middling and better candidates managed to
score full marks. Scores below 10 out of 15 were rare. 10 of the 15 marks were for communication and the
remaining 5 for accuracy of language.

One communication mark was allocated for each item of relevant information provided by the candidate.
The rubric specified 6 tasks (adónde viajaste; por qué viajaste; cómo viajaste; con quién viajaste; lo que
pasó/el problema; cómo terminó todo). Candidates who did not cover all these elements could not score full
marks for communication: a candidate who omitted 1 task could score a maximum of nine marks, a
candidate who omitted 2 tasks could score a maximum of 8, and so on. A number of candidates forgot to
state the purpose of their trip, or how it all ended, and thereby lost one or two communication marks.

Accuracy ticks were awarded according to the scheme outlined in the report for Paper 4. 20 ticks or more
were sufficient to secure the full five marks for communication and it is no exaggeration to say that nearly
every candidate achieved this. It was a pity that several candidates got the gender of problema wrong, since
it was provided in the wording of the question.

Section 3

This section, aimed at grades A*-B, proved to be the most demanding on the question paper.

Exercise 1 Questions 22-27

This exercise required candidates to indicate whether a series of statements were True or False according to
the passage and to correct those statements thought to be False. While many candidates coped well with
the first part of the task, providing a correcting statement proved more difficult. A number of candidates did
not attempt this second part of the task: it was not clear whether they felt it was too challenging or whether
they did not realise what was required. No one question presented any particular difficulties.

Exercise 1 Questions 28-34

Another exercise which discriminated well between candidates at the top of the range of ability. The full
range of marks was achieved. In Question 31, Examiners accepted a range of answers, including playas no
abiertas/no tomar precauciones/mucho viento/correr riesgos. However, candidates who did not read the text
carefully and gave answers such as playas abiertas/espacio de sobra/tomar precauciones/poco viento/no
correr riesgos could not score. Question 34 also caused problems as many candidates misunderstood
atrás quedaron mis estudios de Arquitectura and thought this meant Rodríguez had taken up the study of
architecture.

Paper 0530/03
Speaking

General comments

To be read in conjunction with the Teacher’s Notes Booklet for Paper 3 June 2004.

Recording of candidates

The overall quality of the recordings was very good. There were a few instances where the candidate was
not as audible as the Examiner: this can be easily rectified by testing the equipment prior to the
commencement of the Speaking test.

Centres should clearly label their cassettes with the Centre name and number and the candidate’s name and
number. Candidates should not identify themselves on tape, but should be identified by the Examiner.
Centres should indicate the end of the recording by stating ‘end of sample’.

Examiners are reminded that once a test has started the cassette should run without interruption and should
not be stopped and re-started during a test.

4
 0530 Foreign Language Spanish June 2004

Sampling

The correct sample size for moderation was submitted by Centres.

Administration

The vast majority of Centres forwarded their completed Oral Examination Summary Mark Sheet(s), together
with the sample and the Moderator copy of the MS1 Computer-printed Mark Sheet(s), to arrive at CIE by
15 May, as required.

Preparation

Centres are reminded that materials for the Speaking Test can be opened up to four working days prior to
the assessment period. While most Examiners were to be commended for their careful preparation of the
role plays, some had not taken the time to familiarise themselves adequately with the situations and either
miscued or missed out certain tasks. It is particularly important for new Examiners or Examiners who have
not carried out the Speaking Test for some time to familiarise themselves with the procedures and prepare
for their own roles. Lack of preparation on the part of the Examiner can cause unnecessary confusion and
distress for the candidates.

Assessment

The assessment of candidates was both consistent and positive in the vast majority of Centres. There was a
slight tendency by some Examiners to be overgenerous in their assessment on Scale (b) Linguistic Content
for the two conversation sections. Likewise there was a slight tendency to be harsh when awarding marks
for Impression.

Comments on specific questions

Role Plays

Section A

Centres are reminded to encourage candidates to attempt all parts of each set task. The set tasks must not
be changed. If only one part of a task is completed, only 1 mark can be awarded.

At the grocer’s

These tasks were straightforward and the majority of candidates carried them out successfully. In Tasks 1
and 2, candidates were sometimes unsure about the gender and quantity of the fruit they were buying.

At the hotel

Candidates coped well with the specified tasks.

At the tourist office

Candidates communicated the required elements in Tasks 1 to 4, but a number of them had difficulty in
obtaining the necessary information in Task 5.

Section B

The Section B role plays were more demanding in that they required the ability to use different time
frames and to give explanations and justifications where necessary.

At the museum

This role play was generally well accomplished. In Task 2, the verb perder caused some difficulties. In
Tasks 3 and 4, the majority of candidates were able to communicate the information required despite
problems with adjectival endings and agreements.

5
 0530 Foreign Language Spanish June 2004

At the airport

Most candidates carried out the specified tasks well. Although there was a tendency to omit some parts of
the individual tasks, in most cases the Examiner was able to elicit the information subsequently. The second
part of Task 5 proved to be difficult for weaker candidates.

Phoning a friend to change holiday dates

The vast majority of candidates managed to communicate all the information required although the language
used was not always appropriate. Candidates particularly encountered difficulties with the correct use of
tense in Tasks 2 and 3. In Task 4, some candidates ran into difficulties with tense and vocabulary.

Topic (prepared) Conversation

Candidates presented a good range of topics. The best performances were from candidates with a real
interest in their chosen topic. It is important that candidates are guided in their choice of topic. While
discouraging candidates from choosing topics where there is insufficient scope in terms of language and
discussion, the Examiner should also advise candidates against presenting topics which are clearly beyond
their linguistic ability. In both cases a poor choice of topic can lead to underperformance.

General (unprepared) Conversation

Candidates were given the opportunity to converse on a number of topics of a more general nature. Many
candidates clearly enjoyed taking the initiative and were encouraged by Examiners to perform to the best of
their ability.

Examiners should clearly indicate where the Topic Conversation ends and the General Conversation section
of the test begins. The Examiner should aim to cover at least two or three of the Defined Content Topics in
the General Conversation section of the test.

Paper 0530/04
Continuous Writing

General comments

The standard achieved by the majority of candidates in this paper was as high as in recent years. Many
candidates thoroughly understood the requirements of each question and scored high marks for
communication.

Some candidates, however, did not read the rubric carefully and consequently omitted or misunderstood
some of the required mark-bearing elements. This was particularly evident in Question 2 where some
candidates gave their own impressions of the school and area instead of those of the visiting students.
Candidates should be reminded to read and understand the rubric requirements fully in order to obtain the
maximum marks.

The total marks for the paper (out of a maximum of 50) covered the full mark range.

Candidates are expected to produce two pieces of extended writing, communicating as accurately as
possible and making use of a variety of idiom, vocabulary, structure and appropriate tense. A system of
positive marking is used to assess the written tasks. Each exercise is marked out of 25, of which 5 marks
are awarded for relevant communication, 15 for accuracy of language and 5 for general impression.

No credit is given for anything beyond the 140th word since the rubric stipulates 110-140 words. The first
stage in marking is for Examiners to count up to the 140th word and cross out the remainder. Any tasks
carried out beyond 140 words do not score marks for communication, nor do they contribute to the mark
awarded for accuracy. A number of candidates wrote far too many words and while they gained full marks
for accuracy within the 140 word limit, they were often were unable to achieve full marks for content due to
their verbosity. Likewise, candidates who wrote under the suggested word limit, while fulfilling the
requirements for communication, were often unable to gain all the available marks for accuracy. Candidates
should be advised to write 140 words or just under in each of the two questions; it would be beneficial to do a
preliminary word count early on in each task and keep a running total.

6
 0530 Foreign Language Spanish June 2004

Marking for accuracy of language in each question

As in the past, special attention was paid to verbs. Strong candidates varied tenses and knew how to use
them appropriately while weak candidates lapsed into the present. With those of middling ability a common
defect was the incorrect use of the perfect or the imperfect when only the preterite was appropriate. It was
common to omit vital accents in verb endings. All verbs score for accuracy, but only if used correctly and
accented, if necessary. Credit was also given to interrogatives (which must be accented); to negatives; to
prepositions; to adverbs accept for the common muy; to conjunctions except for the very common y and
pero; to adjectives correctly positioned and agreeing; to pronouns other than subject pronouns and
reflexives; to pronouns correctly joined into a verb e.g. escríbeme. In all these cases a tick is awarded when
a unit is correct. Four ticks are worth one mark up to a maximum of fifteen marks per question. Candidates
should be discouraged from writing lists of items such as clothes, food, drinks or places visited without
including adjectives and verbs as they give themselves less opportunity to obtain the maximum marks for
accuracy within the word limit.

Common errors included the following:

Question 1

In (a) use of ser/estar, ser + profession, agreement of adjectives, misuse of perfect for preterite, use of
reflexive verbs in the first person plural, use of gustar. In (b) confusion between pedir/preguntar, difficulties
with irregular future tenses, use of gustar.

Question 2

Incorrect use of tense, failure to accent certain verbs e.g. había, preterite tense of the verb decir, use of
gustar in the third person plural, agreement of adjectives, the verb pensar.

Marking for general impression in each question

Up to five marks were awarded for the quality of language used: use of idiom, vocabulary, structures and
appropriate tenses. In order to score the full five marks the writing had to display the features mentioned and
read fluently like good Spanish.