Spanish ab Initio Written assignment

THIS COMPONENT IS NO LONGER PART OF THE IB EXAM!!! 

Clarification for 2017:
This is the official document from the IB [Subject component upload requirements] where you can find the answers to your questions. Confirmed, you do not have to submit any comments for the written assignment. It is externally assessed.
What is it?
It is an independent research written paper based on the prescribed topics divided into three sections:

• Section A: Description [resources]
• Section B: Comparison [resources]
• Section C: Reflection [resources]

This paper should be use as an instrument to know better the target culture and the student's own culture. One of the most important outcomes is to show intercultural understanding. Check out the rubric to familiarize yourself with the requirements.

There is no need to fill out the old cover sheet for the written assignment since 2015. It isn't required by the IBO anymore.

Objectives:

• To develop intercultural understanding by reflecting on differences and similarities between cultures
• To describe aspects of the target language culture(s)
• To compare aspects of the target language culture(s) with similar aspects in the student’s culture(s)
• To develop language competence.

Formal requirements:

• To develop intercultural understanding by reflecting on differences and similarities between cultures
• To describe aspects of the target language culture(s)
• To compare aspects of the target language culture(s) with similar aspects in the student’s culture(s)
• To develop language competence.

When the students can/must have to work on their written assignment?

The students are not allowed to work on their written assignment during their first year. This is an assignment to be completed on the second year of the course. This doesn't mean the format, requirements are not to be explained and practice in class during the first year of the course.

Format?

Your writing should be of three short written answers set out under three separate headings (obviously in Spanish):

• A - Description: in relation to a Hispanic culture.
• B - Comparison: between Hispanic culture and your own
• C - Reflection: respond to three questions.
• Which aspect of your chosen topic surprised you?
• Why do you think these cultural similarities/differences exist?
• What might a person from the target culture(s) find different about your chosen topic in your culture(s)?

How many sources must I have?

Between 2 and 4 in Spanish (target language) with the possibility of listing more sources in other languages. Consider using different formats for your sources: articles, videos, pamphlets, interviews... 

Word count?

Students have to produce an assignment of 200-350 words. Work which falls significantly beneath this word count is unlikely to meet the requirements of the task and will, very probably, receive low marks. If the word limit is exceeded, the assessment will just be based on the first 350 words.

Use of dictionaries and reference material?

This is the only assessment that allows students to use dictionaries and reference material.

Sources, documents & related links:

• ab Initio WA rubric [pdf]
• Language ab Initio Subject Guide [IBO]
• Assessment criteria for the written assignment
• Clarifications for the written assignment [IBO] [En] [Spa]
• To know more about what type of texts can you write for your written assignment click here [Antonio Luna]
• If you are interested in more materials for Spanish ab Initio, click here
• Teaching Spanish B as well? Check our Spanish B page or this post

Lunaprofe 2/01/2016  9 comments

Oral Individual: Español B

La mejor presentación de un alumno se parecería a algo así:

Los alumnos

- expresan sus ideas y opiniones propias.

- exploran la opción con la que está conectada la imagen y la relacionan con la leyenda

- investigan/cuestionan/opinan sobre el contenido y lo relacionan con la leyenda

Comprobamos que uno los puntos más relevantes es la leyenda, por lo que los profesores:

- tienen que ofrecer leyendas adecuadas

- las mejores leyendas suelen ser preguntas y/o frases polémicas

- la leyenda no puede ser demasiado breve ni demasiado compleja, tiene que adaptarse al nivel de los alumnos.

Además los profesores deberían hacer preguntas abiertas para permitir al alumno entablar una conversación relevante e interesante.

Algunos de los errores más típicos de un alumno de Español B realizando el Oral Individual son:

- concordancia sustantivo-adjetivo

- género incorrecto

- conjugaciones

- tiempos verbales

- ser y estar

- la problema

Algunos consejos que pueden resultar útiles para preparar el Oral Individual:

• Prepárate para manejar tu tiempo. Divide la actividad en 2 mitades de 3-4 minutos para la presentación y 5-6 minutos para la conversación.
• Relájate
• No hay que hablar más de lo necesario.
• Enfatiza las conexiones que haces con la opción, con la cultura hispana y con tu propia cultura.
• Puedes re-preguntar, o pedir que tu profe te clarifique la pregunta. Estas dos acciones tienen una acogida fantástica entre los profesores y los examinadores. Incluso si eres un valiente puedes hacer una pregunta a tu profe, será de lo más auténtico que es de lo que se trata.
• Prepara al menos una respuesta para una situación hipotética usando el subjuntivo: ¿qué le dirías a ….? o ¿qué harías si tuvieras/fueras …?

En colaboración con mis alumnos creamos unos materiales que ofrezco aquí como ejemplo de los estímulos visuales para prepararnos para el examen de verdad.

Materiales:

• Estímulo visual para practicar
• Spanish B rubrics & more
• Recursos

Lunaprofe 12/17/2015  No comment

Spanish B rubrics & more

We all have the IB language guides and we all have the same thought: It would be way easier to have this in a table or at least in a different format. 
Yeah! I had that same thought until I got bored of it and started just putting everything in a easier format to work with.
Then I couldn't stop myself there and I kept creating resources to complement the rubrics. Along with the rubrics I have been working on more documents that come in handy for multiple purposes.

Assessment outline: This document is a simple summary of the assessment. 

Clarifications: these documents come directly from the IB, just to make easier to have a big picture of the paper. 

Connection home-school: this documents have a brief explanation of the paper (or exam), key information that families and students must know and more useful information like the word count or if they can or can not use dictionaries. Their purpose is to inform families and students at the beginning of Year 1, making sure they know the structure of the program and what our students are going to be required to learn and be able to do at the end of the program.

DP Unit Planner: a template with guidance that fits the IB format.

Descriptors for final scores: [Google doc] On this document you will find the descriptors from the IB to get to know better how a 7 looks like. 

IB Profile: Simple, here you'll find the IB Profile in Spanish with links to visual resources and activities ready to take to class. 

Tips for papers: thoughts, tips based on my own and my students experience.
 

Paper 1 Home-school connection 20 potential questions you can get in a Reading Comprehension task	Paper 2 Home-School connection  Rubric for paper 2 [Spanish] Tips on Paper 2
Written assignment Home-school connection Rubric for written assignment Station: student's input on Do's, Dont's and best practices How to write the rationale Assessment criteria	Individual Oral Rubric for IA [Oral]  Rubric for Interactive Oral Home-school connection  Tips for the Oral exam Thoughts on choosing a topic for a presentation Useful Spanish phrases Walk through template [feedback]

How to use these documents?
1. Click on the link to open the google doc.
2. Make your own copy [you need a google account for this]

You can leave a comment on the Google doc or in this post if you have any trouble making a copy or don't know how to download the document into your computer.
If you have any documents that could contribute to this post, please, send them through!
Spanish teacher? Teaching ab Initio too? Check this post out!

Example isn't another way to teach, it is the only way to teach.

Albert Einstein

Lunaprofe 9/28/2015  2 comments

Spanish ab Initio rubrics

We all have the IB language guides and we all have the same thought: It would be way easier to have this in a table or at least in a different format. 
Yeah! I had that same thought until I got bored of it and started just putting everything in a easier format to work with.
Then I couldn't stop myself there and I kept creating resources to complement the rubrics. Along with the rubrics I have been working on more documents that come in handy for multiple purposes.

Scope and Sequence: sometimes it is good to see how other colleagues plan their year out. 

Objectives & Assessment criteria: Just a list of them. 

Clarifications: these documents come directly from the IB, just to make easier to have a big picture of the paper. 

Connection home-school: this documents have a brief explanation of the paper (or exam), key information that families and students must know about it and more useful information like the word count or if they can or can not use dictionaries. Their purpose is to inform families and students at the beginning of Year 1, making sure they know the structure of the program and what our students are going to be required to learn and be able to do at the end of the program.

Descriptors for final scores: On this document you will find the descriptors from the IB to get to know better how a 7 looks like. 

IB Profile: Simple, here you'll find the IB Profile in Spanish with links to visual resources and activities ready to take to class. 

Syllabus: graphic organizers, schemes with the prescribed themes.

• Paper 1 Writing Connection homeschool  Rubric Tips on Paper 1 Rubric with suggestions by Álvaro Grana	Paper 2 Reading Comprehension 20 potential questions Connection home-school
  Paper 2 Listening Comprehension How to start out with listening comprehension tasks Important information for students and parents	Internal Assessment Individual Oral Rubric Rubric with suggestions by Álvaro Grana

If you have any documents that could contribute to this post, please, send them through! Spanish B? Check this post out!

Example isn't another way to teach, it is the only way to teach.

Albert Einstein

Lunaprofe 9/16/2015  6 comments

20 potential questions you can get in a Reading Comprehension task

Practice makes perfect!

You need to have solid language skills (of course!) but at the same time you need to make sure you understand and practice the type of questions you will have to answer in a Reading Comprehension test if you want to score highly.
This is a summary of some of the more typical questions you can find in a Reading Comprehension test.
When taking this type of assessment you also need to know what it is expected from you: in this case we are testing your ability to comprehend/understand what you are reading and not your writing skills. This justify that some teachers don't pay much attention to your grammar, sentence structures... when grading this type of papers. But remember: don't relax and try your best!

	Español	Inglés
1	Basándose en el sentido general del texto, elija la opción correcta	Basing your answers on the general meaning of the text, choose the most appropriate option
2	Busque  la palabra del texto que significa (sinónimos, antónimos y/o definiciones)	Find the Word which means (synonyms, antonyms and/or definitions)
3	Clasifique las respuestas según se refieran a X o Y	Classify the answers according to whether they refer to X or Y
4	Complete el cuadro	Complete the table
5	CUIDADO: Hay más frases de las necesarias	WATCH OUT: you won’t need all the sentences
6	Debe dar  tres palabras/razones para obtener un punto	You need to provide three words/reasons to gain one mark
7	Conteste a las preguntas siguientes, indicando si son Verdaderas o Falsas, incluyendo la justificación	Answer the following questions indicating whether they are True or False, with justification
8	Escriba las palabras que justifican su respuesta	Write the words which justify your answer
9	Faltan algunas palabras	There are some words missing
10	Resuma uno o varios párrafos en oraciones	Summary sentences with different paragraphs of the text
11	Relacione las dos mitades de una oración	Match up two halves of a sentence
12	Indique en cada grupo cuál es la palabra con un significado distinto al de las otras	Indicate which word from each group has a different meaning
13	Indique las frases que mejor corresponden a lo que ocurre al final de la historia	Indicate the sentences which best describe what happens at the end of the story
14	Ser consciente de los elementos cohesivos/conectores que dan coherencia a un texto	Be aware of the cohesive devices that give a coherence to a text
15	Escriba la letra correspondiente en las Casillas	Enter the appropriate letter into the boxes
16	Relacione los espacios numerados con una de las palabras de la siguiente lista	Match up the numbered spaces with one of the words from the following list
17	Relacione a una persona con una afirmación	Match up a person with a  statement
18	Seleccione las frases apropiadas de entre las que vienen a continuación	Select the appropriate sentences from the ones below
19	Preguntas de respuesta corta	Short-answer questions
20	Relacione ideas o secuencias con imágenes	Match up ideas or sequences with pictures

Champions keep playing until they get it right.

Billie Jean King

Lunaprofe 8/29/2014  6 comments