El precio de la fama

Step 1 · Vocabulary you already know

Refresh your KS3 fama / opinión.

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.

Step 2 · New for GCSE

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.

Step 3 · Reading comprehension

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.

Foundation

Mi famosa favorita lo está pasando mal — Sofía

Higher

Lo que perdemos al ser famosos — Mateo

Step 4 · Listening comprehension

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.

Foundation

La cara oculta de la fama — Carlos

Foundation passage · ~45 words · 0:18Carlos speaks.

Higher

Los paparazzi y la privacidad — Valentina

Higher passage · ~70 words · 0:31Valentina speaks.

Step 5 · Translation

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.

Spanish → English

Translate into English

English → Spanish

Translate into Spanish

Step 6 · Photo card (Paper 2 · 25 marks)

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 photos about the cost of fame and the kind of questions you'll be asked.

Foto A

A famous singer covering her face from paparazzi as she leaves a hotel surrounded by photographers

Foto B

A young pop star looking exhausted in a backstage dressing room with team around her

1.¿Qué hay en las fotos? Describe las dos fotos. Compulsory
2.¿Crees que los famosos lo tienen todo o que pagan un precio alto?
3.¿Te preocupa la salud mental de los jóvenes famosos? ¿Por qué?
4.¿Deberíamos respetar más la privacidad de los famosos? (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 se ve a una cantante famosa saliendo de un hotel rodeada de paparazzi. Lleva las manos en la cara para taparse de los flashes. Los fotógrafos están muy cerca de ella, casi tocándola. Su cara muestra estrés y agotamiento. Es una imagen que ilustra perfectamente la falta de privacidad de los famosos y la presión que sufren a diario.
In the first photo you can see a famous singer leaving a hotel surrounded by paparazzi. She has her hands over her face to shield herself from the flashes. The photographers are very close to her, almost touching her. Her face shows stress and exhaustion. It's an image that perfectly illustrates the lack of privacy celebrities have and the daily pressure they suffer.

Foto B. En la segunda foto se ve a una joven cantante en su camerino entre bambalinas, después de un concierto. Se ve agotada, con la mirada perdida. Su equipo de maquilladoras y representantes la rodea, pero ella parece estar sola en medio de todo el ajetreo. Es una imagen del aspecto humano detrás de la fama: el agotamiento real después de horas de actuación.
In the second photo you can see a young singer in her dressing room backstage, after a concert. She looks exhausted, with a lost look in her eyes. Her team of make-up artists and managers surround her, but she seems alone in the middle of all the bustle. It's an image of the human side behind fame: the real exhaustion after hours of performing.

Useful vocabulary & phrases

Para empezar: en la primera / segunda foto hay… (in the first/second photo there is) · se ve(n)… (you can see) · al fondo (in the background) · en primer plano (in the foreground) · parece (it looks like)

Describir los paparazzi (Foto A): una cantante famosa · salir de un hotel · rodeada de paparazzi · los flashes · la falta de privacidad · el estrés y el agotamiento

Describir el camerino (Foto B): una joven cantante · en el camerino entre bambalinas · se ve agotada · la mirada perdida · su equipo la rodea · el agotamiento real

Verbos clave: hay (there is/are) · se ve(n) (one can see) · está(n) + gerundio (is/are -ing) · lleva(n) (is/are wearing) · parece(n) (seems/look)

Then the conversation

Q2 — your typical holiday: Normalmente voy a la playa con mi familia en agosto. Pasamos una semana en un hotel.
Q3 — be specific: name the country and the people: Suelo ir al sur de España con mis padres y mi hermano, en avión.
Q4 — opinion + reason (where Higher students score): Prefiero las vacaciones de aventura porque me parecen más interesantes y conoces lugares nuevos.
Higher tier: add a tense beyond the present — El año pasado fui a Italia y lo pasé genial (preterite) or Me gustaría hacer un crucero por el Caribe (conditional + infinitive).

Step 7 · Role-play (Paper 2 · 10 marks)

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.

The situation

You are debating with a Spanish friend about whether fame is worth it. Your teacher will play the part of the friend.

Step 8 · Writing (Paper 4)

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.

Foundation · Q2

≈ 50 words · 5 bullets · 10 marks

Escribe sobre tus vacaciones. Menciona los cinco puntos. Escribe aproximadamente 50 palabras en español.

0 words · aim ~50

Higher · Q2 overlap

El precio de la fama (Higher)

≈ 90 words · 3 bullets · 15 marks

Escribe sobre tus vacaciones. Menciona los tres puntos. Escribe aproximadamente 90 palabras en español.

0 words · aim ~90

Foundation vs Higher — what's the difference?

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.

Bonus · Cultural read

El precio de la fama — cuando los focos queman

The Spanish-speaking celebrities who have spoken openly about the dark side of fame.

In the last few years, dozens of Spanish-speaking celebrities have done something previous generations rarely did: spoken honestly about how fame has affected them. Selena Gomez, Bad Bunny, Aitana, Camilo — they've all said the same thing: la fama tiene un precio muy alto. Knowing these examples gives any GCSE answer about celebrity culture real depth.

Throughout the article, the useful Spanish words and phrases are highlighted (with their meaning in brackets). Tap the on any phrase to hear it.

El precio de la fama.