It is in the last couple of weeks that I have seen otherwise extremely capable students surprisingly panicking over their upcoming Spanish exams. Spanish concepts that had barely elicited any questions during class have all of a sudden become the talk of the block.
Students at the end of the Spanish Ab Initio course have been given the tools necessary to express numerous simple ideas about themselves and their entourage (a friend, their neighborhood, their interests, experiences, likes and dislikes). They have learnt how to navigate a text, such as those posted in this blog, and how to understand vocabulary ranging through a variety of topics. Students have learnt to speak about their present, past and future and multiple opportunities to express themselves in Spanish have been provided to them through interactions, projects, games, reading and proactive use of media, which are all enriched by the degree of personal motivation in each student.
As a teacher, I remain perplex at some students' keen desire to know all about the number of marks in an exam. Exams undoubtedly end up being graded, however I do not believe students need to focus on numbers. All students will do better in an exam if they shift that focus into practicing and being able to communicate in Spanish using the box of tools they have so carefully collected (and asking questions when they have encountered a roadblock).
Some people might not agree with me, but my experience as a foreign language teacher has led me to believe that learning languages is a bit like playing with a box of Lego blocks. These come in all shapes, sizes and colors and it is up to our imagination and inspiration to use them to our advantage. Foreign languages are living organisms that require creativity and a deep motivation to communicate thoughts appropriately. Lego blocks have been designed with guiding principles that help us build something imaginative that does not fall apart. Languages too: the guiding principles are grammar, vocabulary and acquiring a singular view of the world as seen through the Spanish language lens. The more you are familiar with these, the more you can enjoy experimenting with these building blocks on your own, because aren't Lego blocks a thousand times more fun when you are able to use them without following a model? Languages are extremely similar to this fun and mind-boggling game.
My students know that my exams have a mix of all question formats: open-ended questions, reflection prompts, multiple choice, true and false, fun reading comprehension tasks, image descriptions... All of these are necessary to prepare for IB or IGCSE exams and are therefore valuable exam exercises. I would like to encourage all my students to take advantage of school time and homework time to practice using the "Spanish Lego blocks" they have been playing with in class. If you are a student and you feel inspired to go beyond what we have done in class, please write, talk, tell me about yourself and what is important to you, in Spanish. We have spent two years enjoying a relationship that nurtures this type of interaction and this should help you achieve your very best in the upcoming exams.
Mucha suerte en sus examenes, Estudien y usen su español. ¡Han aprendido mucho y son estudiantes muy capaces!
