A Complete Guide To GCSE Spanish and German (and how to get a 9)

For GCSE, I did both Spanish and German. Despite many people thinking that double languages would be overwhelming and confusing, it was one of the best choices I made! Being more familiar with the exam papers, mark schemes and teaching methods helped me to be more prepared throughout the GCSE course. For me, languages not only provide an efficient way to communicate with others, but also allow you to explore new cultures and traditions - giving you a much broader insight to the world.

So here’s some advice to help you learn languages more effectively, in particular, for GCSE. 

The key to success

Immerse yourself in whichever language you’re learning, for example: 

• Read foreign magazines

• Listen to foreign music (Alvaro Soler has lyrics which aren’t too complicated to translate)

• Watch TV series and films in the language you’re trying to learn (Netflix have quite a few- High Seas, Elite and Cable Girls)

Even though you may end up reading the English subtitles, listening to the language makes you pick up new words and phrases. Being passionate and interested about a language really does help fuel your knowledge and cultural awareness for it, although this is crucial for A-Level, it’s great for GCSE! Consistency is also crucial to learn languages (test yourself using active recall) and it ensures that, whilst your language skills are building all the time, you can utilise whatever knowledge of the language you have at any moment.

The Exam (structure)

Most exam boards (I did AQA) test you on four main skills at GCSE languages: 

• Reading 

• Writing

• Listening

• Speaking

Each of these are equally important and are worth 25% of your final mark at the end of year 11. What I love about learning languages is that, for GCSE, every theme or topic will come up in at least one of the four different types of exam (reading, writing, listening and speaking). 

The different themes are: 

Theme 1: Identity and culture

Theme 2: Local, national, international and global areas of interest 

Theme 3: Current and future study and employment. 

It’s hard to believe how much progress you make at the beginning of the course through to the end of year 11 - not just with the building bank of vocabulary, but also your grammar skills. For example, when revising, I found it helpful to go back to my early written pieces and add more complex structures and varieties of tenses to improve my work.

The Vocabulary

Vocabulary is extremely important, perhaps even more so than grammar when you study languages at GCSE. This is because you don’t always need to understand the exact translation of something to win the marks in an exam, you often just need to have a general understanding. In many questions this is enough to get the bulk of the marks. I find that websites such as Spanish Quizlet, German Quizlet and Spanish Memrise, German Memrise were very helpful, as long as you use them consistently throughout the course. If you simply search for the sets with the correct exam board, you’ll find topic specific vocabulary which can be used for all the language exams which you sit. After all, there’s no better way to understand others and communicate than having the right words to say it readily available!

👆Quizlet example

👆Memrise Example

The Grammar

Personally, I found German grammar and Spanish tenses quite confusing - as we rarely pay a second thought to the grammar and tenses we use in English! Even when we are using English, it seems as though there are only three tenses: 

• Present 

• Past 

• Future

Yet, without realising it, there are many forms of each time frame which we use in everyday life. For example, the preterite past, present continuous and subjunctive… These are only a few tenses and it still sounds confusing! Initially, it is slightly annoying, and I couldn’t help thinking - why can’t we all just use three tenses? But, as you delve deeper into a language, you realise that tenses are crucial to communication. As a visual learner, I found it really helped me to make a timeline of when to use what tenses (for example: the preterite is for single, completed actions in the past), what endings to include and any irregular verbs.

The Listening Exam

Out of the four sections which are examined, I always found listening exams the hardest: most of the time I could understand what the audio was saying, but transferring it from my ears to the paper in the correct format for that question was slightly trickier. 

So what’s the best way to improve? Sounds simple... but the answer is to just practice! Practice listening out for words in whatever language you’re studying on a regular basis. When you encounter a word you don’t know - write it down (even if it seems irrelevant) anything can come up in the exam. 

Remember to write down things you do not yet remember or understand, it takes time but it works! 📝

Writing and Oral Exam

For both the written and spoken exam, there is so much freedom for creativity, which will help you to use the best language you can and get the top marks. To practice writing and improve my vocabulary, I would regularly write paragraphs for each topic we studied in class. Using a checklist for exams was extremely useful for me, as it ensured I included the best variety and quality of work that I could, for example: 

• Opinions

• Connectives

• Tenses

I used other complex language and phrases, for example, in German - the ‘verb comma verb’ structure:

‘um…zu’ and connectives such as ‘obwohl’.

In Spanish, showing off a range of tenses in phrases like:

‘no podría’ (conditional)

Using the subjunctive phrase

‘cuando tenga…’

Or perfect past

‘siempre he querido’. 

Make sure to have some handy phrases when writing about the past, present and future to impress the examiners and show a wide range of knowledge. 

Opinion phrases are crucial to show your passion and interest when you’re writing in a language (I found that, I believe/ think that, in my opinion, some say…). Connective phrases show fluency in both speaking and writing, and using sophisticated conversational terms helps you sound less like a robot and more like a native!

German grammar can also be quite difficult once you move onto the more advanced (and slightly less relevant) aspects, but my advice is to focus more on the skills you will use. For example, instead of learning multiple versions of the past tense, recognise a few of the important verbs in the imperfect tense - such as ‘ich war’, but make sure you know the basic German perfect preterite tense like the back of your hand. Similarly, in Spanish, make sure you have some good ‘go to’ phrases in different tenses which can be easily used during a writing or speaking exam.

Practice is crucial for any exam: learn the content, vocabulary and basic grammar. Remember, you’ll be improving all the time as you continue to use the language. This also means that whilst you complete practice papers and questions (I get mine here, on AQA's website) you’ll automatically get more familiar with the format as you gain more understanding in the language.

Some of the German GCSE Revision materials I used

For the written exam in particular, it’s important to practice the questions to time. Often, most people finish extremely early, yet still manage to write above the expected word count: I strongly advise not to do this! You are marked on: 

• Accuracy - thoroughly check your work after finishing to make sure the tenses and word order is correct

• Range - include a few impressive phrases or idioms in different tenses as well as having opinions and justifications

• Content - stay relevant to the question, the examiner is likely to mark you down for wandering off topic

The Reading Exam 

Make sure to read the text a few times before answering questions, underlining the key information as you go. And, of course, learn vocab!

Here are a few German words that are key to distinguish ideas in a text:

Doch, aber: but

Jedoch, obwohl, trotzdem: although

Vorgestern: day before yesterday

Neulich: recently

Selten: rarely

Streng: strict

Zuverlässig: reliable

Frech: cheeky

Witzig:funny

Hilfsbereit: helpful

Gelegenheit: opportunity

Geduldig: patient

Chef: boss

Also: so

Note: grade

Bald: soon

And for Spanish:

Mañana por la mañana: tomorrow in the morning

Decepcionante: disappointing

Sensible: sensitive

Sencillo: simple

Aunque, sin embargo, a pesar de, por otro lado: however

Sin duda: without doubt

Por eso, por lo tanto: therefore

Mejor: better

Peor: worse

Cuidar: to look after

Querer: to want

Suelo de: I usually

Acabo de: I have just

Largo: long

Nota: mark

Some Spanish revision notes and guides 🇪🇸

The Real Thing

For the real exam - make sure to be calm and focused. For me, the speaking exam was the most daunting, it seems as there is added pressure because of the one-to-one conversation, but most teachers understand how you feel so support you as much as they can! 

Make sure you stick to the plan which you have prepared, for example, I remember in my German speaking, every time my teacher was looking down at her sheet of paper, I thought she was disinterested (when really she was looking for a new question) - so I stopped answering the question and didn’t add as much detail as I had intended to. Expand and elaborate on your points as much as possible. After all, this gives the teacher less time to ask you more questions which might catch you out, and more time to talk about what you know. You’re in control of what you say, so take the initiative and play to your own strengths! 

The great thing about doing two languages was that my Spanish was significantly less nerve wracking, having recently been in a similar situation for German, I felt much more composed and took my time. Making sure to answer all my questions in sufficient detail, unlike my previous German exam!

Summary

Languages are one of the most essential skills to learn, they provide so many external benefits. The topics explored are culturally valuable and relevant, so they give you an amazing foundation to build your skills on and are compatible with every other subject! At GCSE, make sure you keep on top of the vocabulary and the main tenses that you need to know in order to fluently write or talk to someone. Whereas the more complex phrases have the capacity to boost your grade. It may seem embarrassing at first, but try to converse with friends, family (or even yourself) in the language.

I hope this has been helpful, gracias por leer/danke fürs lesen!

How To Do Well In Your GCSE Exams: The Basics

Credit: Tallis Photography

The purpose of this blog post is to give you a sense of the skills you’ll need to work on to achieve high grades in the new GCSE. I’ve kept the steps as concise as possible so you can quickly give this a scan whenever you’re in need of some direction during your own GCSE preparation. I know I would have found something like this useful back in the day! 

Within, I lay out the key changes between the old and the new GCSEs. I then provide 10 areas where the difference between a low grade and a high grade will be decided. This is based on 5 years of working with GCSE level students across the UK. Year-in year-out the students who effectively manage to do the things I list below end up achieving the highest grades. Whatever your level, or what you’re predicted, this guide is designed to help you get some momentum going with your GCSE revision. 

Let’s get into it! 👍

What’s the difference between the old and new GCSE? 

Here’s the Government Fact Sheet on the new GCSE reform made in 2015. It’s a bit wordy. So I’ve summarised the three key take aways below: 

• They’ve become harder 

• They’re almost entirely exam focussed 

• There’s less opportunity to resit 

Nice! 😉

I know this might seem a little daunting at first. But let’s take a look at what steps you can take to wrestle this new GCSE format under control.

Become awesome at taking exams

The new GCSE is almost entirely exam based. That’s a fact. Therefore, the first and most important step to GCSE success is believing that going through the process of taking exams will be useful to you in the future. 

Here are three things I have come to know about exams: 

• They’re a learned skill - check out this video showing my experience transitioning from a distracted, mischievous, underperforming student to one who figured out how to prepare for and perform well in exams. Anyone can improve, no matter where you start from. 

• The ability to successfully pass exams is needed in later life. I’m in my mid twenties and I’ve had many different types of jobs ranging from a litter picker to an account executive at a global advertising agency. I have friends who work in industries such as Finance, Law, Health, Commerce, Construction and Governance. Many of these industries require you to acquire further exam qualifications after you’ve left University. I had no clue about this! Exams aren’t just something you need for formal education, they’re something you need in life. It’s worth learning a system to pass them now and reaping the benefits in the future. 

• They build transferable skills for any workplace. Even if you don’t want to choose any of the careers listed above. If you want to become anything ranging from an artist to a weightlifting champion! Exams help you develop basic skills which come in handy for many areas of life. They help you to develop strong routines, manage your time, organise your thoughts and stay calm in pressurised situations. 

Plan effectively for the year 

There are some really important things you need to do depending on what stage you’re at in the GCSE process: 

• Figure out your strengths and weaknesses subject by subject

• Know when you are prioritising the following activities: 

  • Paying attention in class, taking great notes, understanding everything and gathering all the information you need to revise

  • Revising the key topics and fundamentals of each subject syllabus 

  • Revising the specific details which will push you into the top grand bands (8 and 9)

• Want to watch a video which will help you through this exercise? Check out this IGTV video called: When To Start Revising For GCSE? 

Pay Attention in Class

If you watched the video above about my experience of school you can see that I wasn’t the most focussed student in class. The teachers even called me out on it!
So, why you need to pay attention in class?

These GCSE exams are more difficult and complex than previously. Paying attention in class and understanding all the information as you go through year 10 and 11 is more important than ever before. You can’t coast. Instead, consistency is the key to success. 

Make sure you understand what the teacher is teaching and ask the right questions in class. Consistency is tough to achieve. But if you can work on paying proper attention every day, you’ll thank yourself on results day. 

Create a winning environment 

In the previous step the importance of consistency was mentioned. In order to generate this consistency you need to make sure the environment around you allows you to be consistent. For example, a constantly messy workspace doesn’t provide a platform on which you can consistently get work done. There are few things you need to do in order to create a winning environment: 

• An organised room. Know where your stuff is for school. If you forget your equipment you’ll needlessly set yourself further behind on your studies.

• Your desk should be totally clear with nothing on it. When you revise bring what you need to your desk. 

• Make your bed. This is a saying I’ve enjoyed from this graduation speech video. It’s the first task of the day successfully done and, even if the day doesn’t go to plan, you can come home and get a good nights sleep to be ready to make an improvement on the next one. 

Use Effective Revision Technique 

It’s not going to be the students who revise the longest or make the prettiest notes for Instagram who will achieve the top GCSE grades. The highest performers will use effective and efficient revision technique. 

The of the best revision techniques I recommend you use are: 

• Active recall 

• Spaced Repetition

Jump to 2 mins 28 secs in this video for a more detailed explanation of what they are and how they can be applied. 

Build an awesome daily routine

‘The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine’ 

Building a solid routine for the day-to-day at school and during revision season is crucial. Knowing what you need to do each day to make the day a success is important because it generates a feeling of growth and momentum. As long as we think and feel like we’re moving forward we tend to stay positive and are more likely to achieve our goals. Doing the little things everyday which add up and accumulate to make a big difference. 

Your routine should be a balance of maintaining the tools you need to get the work done. These are, your body and your mind. Secondly, it should allocate specific time towards getting the work/revision done. 

Three things you should factor into your daily routine:

• Physical - at least 20 minutes of intense exercise a day or every other day 

• Mental - a screen free time (10 minutes to 1 hour in length) when you don’t look at your phone or think about school. 

• The work/revision - be specific with when sessions for tasks start and end, focus on task completion over ‘time worked for’. 

Prepare for exams as if you were a professional athlete 

The new GCSE tests your ability to understand and recall information learned over an extended period of time. We’ve come up with some ideas to tackle this truth in the previous sections. 

But it’s also about your ability to perform at a consistently high level for shorter periods of time. For example, the period of exam season and the exams themselves. I see exam season just like a sports season. It’s a series of games or matches, some more challenging than others, what matters is how you prepare and perform throughout the whole season to finish as near to the top of the table as possible. 

It makes sense that you should take the same approach as professional athletes in controlling all other variables in addition to the training programme you’ve undertaken to make sure you’re in top condition for game day. You should be paying close attention to and prioritising the following factors: 

• Sleep - if you’re tired in the middle of the day, that’s a sign you need to reconsider the quantity and quality of your sleep. Find an amount that’s right for you. 

• Diet - at a basic level everyone knows what is and what isn’t good for their body. Stick to the complex carbohydrates, healthy fats and protein rich sources of food. Bolster this with vitamins and minerals and you’ll be fully fit throughout exam season. Cut down on sugar. 

• Water intake - we’re practically made of water! Make sure you stay hydrated. Science has proven both our physical and mental performance drops off when dehydrated. It’s an easy factor to control when you have running water, control it! 

• Exercise routine - the combined effect exercise has on stress relief and keeping your body physically healthy is huge. Get outside every day. Take some deep breaths and raise your heart rate a little with some exercise.

Have a pre, during and post exam routine

Just as you should create a daily routine. You need to create an exam routine to ensure a similar trend of consistent progress and high performance.

Exam stress and anxiety exists because, by the very nature of an exam, we’re about to face something unpredictable which we fear might go badly. Furthermore, we can’t control what’s on the exam, we can only control our reaction to it.

Being absolutely clear on what you do before, during and after an exam will help to settle your nerves and get you thinking clearly under pressure. An exam routine should outline specific actions you take to eliminate exam stress and provide a reassuring sense of control. 

Have a technique for every exam 

There are many different types of exams. From multiple choice to essay-based exams, you must know your approach for each. 

• How many times do you read the question to ensure you fully understand it? 

• In what order do you answer the questions? 

• Where are the most marks to be won? 

• Where (what topics) do you feel most confident scoring the most marks? 

• How much time do you leave to check through your answers?

• How long do you spend planning your essays?

Knowing how to apply your knowledge within the context of each exam is key. Make sure you decide your approach to each of the subjects you’re going to be examined on. 

BONUS TIP: the way you use your smartphone is one of the key factors to exam success 

The smartphone can either be a massive help or huge hindrance to the achievement of good GCSE results. With this device, all of the world’s information is in the palm of your hand and at your disposal. This is both a blessing and a curse depending on how you use the device on a daily basis. Yes, it has all the answers to help you on your way, but it also has an eternity of distraction and irrelevant information ready for you. 

I’m a huge fan of the smartphone. It has made our lives easier and more convenient than ever before. We just need to make sure we’re using the phone rather than it using us! Be conscious of how you use your own smartphone and how you can turn it into your biggest exam supporter! 

Here are 7 ways to become less distracted by your smartphone. 

Conclusion

The new GCSE is going to be challenging. But I’d encourage you to see the positives here. You’re going to learn a lot about yourself through this process. 

I’d also ask you to put exams into context. They do not determine who you are and what you will become. They are just an opportunity for you to prove you have a type of intelligence which much of society and the job market values. But just because it’s valued doesn’t mean it’s the only thing that’s valued. Here’s a good video on exam stress which I feel puts everything into context nicely. 

Think back to the skills you learn from the process of taking exams mentioned in the introduction to this eBook. Focus on building those and you will come away with something valuable to apply to anything you become passionate about in the future.