Lesson 1
Yo y mi identidad.
Who you are — name, age, birthday, nationality and where you're from. This is the language that opens every speaking exam and the first bullet of almost every writing task. Work through the eight steps below: learn the words, read, listen, translate, then practise the photo card, role-play and writing exactly as they appear in the AQA exam.
Refresh your KS3 identity words.
You met all of these in Years 7–9. Tap any word to hear it, and check the model sentence to see it in action. These are the building blocks — make sure they're solid before the new GCSE words.
Twenty new GCSE words.
Straight from the AQA prescribed vocabulary list. Each card shows the word, its meaning, a model sentence and its tier — F Foundation & Higher, H Higher only. Tap to listen.
Read, then answer.
Two texts on the same topic — a Foundation text and a tougher Higher text. Read each one, then answer the questions in English underneath. They mark themselves: tap your answer and you'll see straight away if you're right.
Me presento — Sofía
Una familia, dos países — Mateo
Listen, then answer.
Press play to hear the passage read aloud, as many times as you need, then answer the English questions. You can reveal the transcript afterwards to check what you heard.
🎧 Native-quality audio. Play it as many times as you need — just like the real exam, where each recording is played twice.
¡Hola! Soy Carlos
Entrevista — Valentina
Translate both ways.
First Spanish → English (reading translation), then English → Spanish (the harder direction, tested in Paper 4). Have a go on paper, then tap to reveal the model answer and compare.
Translate into English
Translate into Spanish
Describe the photo card.
In the speaking exam you get a card with two photos from one theme. You must say at least one thing about each photo, then have a conversation on the topic. Here are two identity-themed photos and the kind of questions you'll be asked.
- 1.¿Qué hay en las fotos? Describe las dos fotos. Compulsory
- 2.¿Cómo te describes a ti mismo/a? (nombre, edad, nacionalidad)
- 3.¿De dónde eres y dónde vives exactamente?
- 4.¿Por qué es importante tu identidad cultural? (opinión + razón)
Describing the two photos — model answer
The first question is compulsory: say at least one thing about each photo. Here is a model description of each one — tap the speaker to hear it.
Foto A. En la primera foto hay una chica joven que tiene el pelo pelirrojo y corto. Parece tranquila y un poco seria. Está al lado de un lago, lleva una camiseta gris y está sola.
In the first photo there is a young girl who has short red hair. She looks calm and a little serious. She is next to a lake, she's wearing a grey t-shirt and she is alone.
Foto B. En la segunda foto se ve un grupo de amigos de orígenes diferentes. Están al aire libre, en el campo. Todos están sonriendo y se llevan muy bien. Llevan ropa de verano y se están divirtiendo juntos.
In the second photo you can see a group of friends of different backgrounds. They are outdoors, in the countryside. They are all smiling and get on really well. They're wearing summer clothes and having fun together.
Useful vocabulary & phrases
Para empezar: en la primera / segunda foto hay… (in the first/second photo there is) · se ve(n)… (you can see) · a la izquierda / derecha (on the left/right) · en el centro · al fondo (in the background) · en primer plano (in the foreground)
Describir a una persona (Foto A): una chica / un chico joven · tiene el pelo pelirrojo / rubio / castaño / rizado / corto · tiene los ojos azules · parece tranquila / seria / pensativa · lleva una camiseta gris · está sola
Describir un grupo (Foto B): un grupo de amigos / de jóvenes · de orígenes diferentes / un grupo diverso · están sonriendo / felices · se llevan muy bien · están abrazados · se divierten · al aire libre / en el campo
Verbos clave: hay (there is/are) · se ve(n) (one can see) · está(n) + adjetivo / gerundio (is/are…) · lleva(n) (is/are wearing) · parece(n) (seems/look)
Then the conversation
- Q2 — yourself: Me llamo…, tengo… años y soy de nacionalidad británica. Add a born/where detail: Nací en… y vivo en…
- Q3 — be specific: name the town and the region: Vivo en Bootle, una ciudad en el noroeste de Inglaterra.
- Q4 — opinion + reason (this is where Higher students score): Para mí, mi identidad es muy importante porque me conecta con mi familia y mi cultura.
- Higher tier: add a tense beyond the present — De pequeño vivía en… (imperfect) or En el futuro me gustaría vivir en el extranjero (conditional + infinitive).
The role-play.
The instructions are in English. You must answer the prompts and ask one question (the ! bullet). Try it out loud first, then reveal the model answers.
You are talking to your new Spanish exchange partner for the first time. Your teacher will play the part of the exchange partner.
Model answers & tips
Write your answer.
Two tasks in the real exam style — a Foundation ~50-word task (five bullets) and a Higher ~90-word task (three bullets). Use the sentence starters (tap to drop them into the pad) and the useful vocab, then compare with a model answer.
Mi identidad
≈ 50 words · 5 bullets · 10 marksEscribe sobre tu identidad. Menciona los cinco puntos. Escribe aproximadamente 50 palabras en español.
¿Quién eres?
≈ 90 words · 3 bullets · 15 marksEscribe sobre ti mismo/a y tu identidad. Menciona los tres puntos. Escribe aproximadamente 90 palabras en español.
Foundation answers cover all the bullets with clear, accurate present-tense sentences joined by y, pero and porque, plus at least one opinion. Higher answers do all that and then reach further: more than one tense (e.g. imperfect vivía, near future voy a, conditional me gustaría), opinions with developed reasons, a wider range of connectives (aunque, sin embargo, además) and more ambitious vocabulary. The biggest single lift from Foundation to Higher is justifying opinions and using a second and third tense accurately.