Spanish ab initio Handbook 

Language ab initio is a language acquisition course designed for students with no prior experience of the

target language, or for those students with very limited previous exposure and it is offered at SL only.

At the language ab initio level, a student develops receptive, productive and interactive communicative

skills. Students learn to communicate in the target language in familiar and unfamiliar contexts.

The aims of Spanish ab initio course are to:

1. Develop international-mindedness through the study of languages, cultures, and ideas and issues of

global significance.

2. Enable students to communicate in the language they have studied in a range of contexts and for a

variety of purposes.

3. Encourage, through the study of texts and through social interaction, an awareness and appreciation

of a variety of perspectives of people from diverse cultures.

4. Develop students’ understanding of the relationship between the languages and cultures with which

they are familiar.

5. Develop students’ awareness of the importance of language in relation to other areas of knowledge.

6. Provide students, through language learning and the process of inquiry, with opportunities for

intellectual engagement and the development of critical- and creative-thinking skills.

7. Provide students with a basis for further study, work and leisure through the use of an additional

language.

8. Foster curiosity, creativity and a lifelong enjoyment of language learning.

The intention of the Spanish ab initio course is that the students should achieve the following objectives because the objectives reflect those parts of the aims that will be assessed.

1. Communicate clearly and effectively in a range of contexts and for a variety of purposes.

2. Understand and use language appropriate to a range of interpersonal and/or intercultural contexts

and audiences.

3. Understand and use language to express and respond to a range of ideas with fluency and accuracy.

4. Identify, organize and present ideas on a range of topics.

5. Understand, analyse and reflect upon a range of written, audio, visual and audio-visual texts.

In the language ab initio course, students develop the ability to communicate in the target language through

the study of language, themes and texts and,also develop conceptual understandings of how language works.

Communication is evidenced through receptive, productive and interactive skills across a range of contexts and purposes that are appropriate to the level of the course.

A key aim of the language ab initio course is to develop international-mindedness through the study of

language, culture, and ideas and issues of global significance.

There are five prescribed themes that are common to the syllabuses of language ab initio and they provide relevant contexts for study and opportunities for students to communicate about matters of personal, local or national, and global interest.

The five prescribed themes are:

• identities

• experiences

• human ingenuity

• social organization

• sharing the planet.

The themes allow students to compare the target language and culture(s) to other languages and cultures

with which they are familiar. The themes also provide opportunities for students to make connections to

other disciplinary areas in the DP.

For the purposes of teaching and learning in a language acquisition course, the language ab initio syllabus organizes written, visual, audio and audio-visual texts into three broad categories:  personal, professional and mass media texts. The guiding principle for using texts is to develop students’ receptive, productive and interactive skills in the target language  by focusing their attention on the ways in which good communicators consider the audience, context and  purpose of what they want to say or write in the process of choosing and developing an appropriate text  type to convey a message.

The categories are described below, and the table that follows provides examples of text types for each category. The examples shown are neither prescriptive nor exhaustive.

Personal texts

Personal texts are shared by the person creating the message and an audience who may be family members, friends or groups with a common interest; a personal text may also be directed to oneself. Personal texts tend to be characterized by attention to the everyday interests or the affective needs of individuals rather than the analysis of information. Personal texts have a variety of functions including, but not limited to, describing, narrating, entertaining, recommending and persuading. The level of formality in the register of these texts will vary according to the linguistic and sociocultural norms of the target language.

Professional texts

Professional texts are created for an intended audience in contexts where no personal relationship is assumed between the producer of the text and the recipient(s); however, the producer of the text can assume that the recipient(s) will have an interest in receiving and understanding the message. Professional texts tend to be characterized by attention to the cognitive needs of individuals, the transfer of knowledge and the logical presentation of information; these texts employ clear, factual language and a formal register. Professional texts have a variety of functions including, but not limited to, informing, instructing, explaining, analysing, convincing, interpreting and evaluating.

Mass media texts

Mass media texts are created for distribution to a large audience that is targeted because of an interest that, at least initially, lies primarily with the producer of the text, since the person or entity responsible for a mass media text has no way of knowing exactly who will take the time and interest to understand the message or who will ignore it. Mass media texts tend to be characterized by the need of the producer of the text to project authority, desirability or exclusivity, and the conscious choice of a particular medium or technology that is appropriate to reach the targeted audience. The level of formality in the register of these texts will vary according to the linguistic and sociocultural norms of the target language.

Paper 1: Productive skills—writing

Duration: 1 hour

Weighting: 25%

Paper 1 is based on the five themes: identities, experiences, human ingenuity, social organization, sharing the planet.

This examination is externally set and externally assessed. Paper 1 consists of two required tasks (task A and task B) of equal weighting. Each task addresses a variety of audiences, contexts, and purposes. For each task, students will be presented with a choice from three options, each based on a different theme from the syllabus. 

Paper 2: Receptive skills—listening and reading

Duration: 1 hour 45 minutes

Weighting: 50% (25% listening comprehension, 25% reading comprehension)

Paper 2 is based on the five themes: identities, experiences, human ingenuity, social organization, sharing the planet.

This examination is externally set and externally assessed. It is divided into two separate sections: listening (three audio passages) and reading (three written passages) covering different topics drawn from the five themes. The student’s understanding of the six passages is assessed in this examination; it does not test the students’ knowledge of any factual content of a specific topic. All audio and written passages are in the target language and all answers must be provided in the target language.

Paper 1 - Productive Skills - Writing 

Criterion A: Language

How successfully does the candidate command written language?

•                          To what extent is the vocabulary appropriate and varied?

•                          To what extent are the grammatical structures varied?

•                          To what extent does the accuracy of the language contribute to effective communication?

Criterion B: Message

To what extent does the candidate fulfill the task?

•  How relevant are the ideas to the task?

•  To what extent are ideas developed?

•   To what extent do the clarity and organization of ideas contribute to the successful delivery of the message?

Criterion C: Conceptual understanding

To what extent does the candidate demonstrate conceptual understanding?

•                          To what extent is the choice of text type appropriate to the task?

•                          To what extent are register and tone appropriate to the context, purpose and audience of the task?

•                          To what extent does the response incorporate the conventions of the chosen text type?

Duration: 7–10 minutes

Weighting: 25%

The individual oral assessment is based on the course themes: identities, experiences, human ingenuity, social organization, sharing the planet.

The aim of this assessment is to measure the student’s ability to understand and produce communication in the target language, and to use it for successful interaction.

Criterion A: Language

How successfully does the candidate command spoken language?

•                          To what extent is the vocabulary appropriate and varied?

•                          To what extent are the grammatical structures varied?

•                          To what extent does the accuracy of the language contribute to effective communication?

•                          To what extent do pronunciation and intonation affect communication?

Criterion B1: Message—visual stimulus

How relevant are the ideas to the selected stimulus?

•                          How well does the candidate engage with the stimulus in the presentation?

•                          How well are the ideas linked to the target culture(s)?

Criterion B2: Message—conversation

How relevant are the ideas in the conversation?

•                          How appropriately and thoroughly does the candidate respond to the questions in the conversation?

•                          To what depth are the questions answered?

Criterion C: Interactive skills—communication

To what extent does the candidate understand and interact?

•                          How well can the candidate express ideas?

•                          How well can the candidate maintain a conversation?

Sample: Paper 1 

Sample: Paper 2 Reading comprehension 

Question and Answer Booklet: 

Sample: Paper 2 Listening comprehension 

Sample: Paper 2 Listening comprehension: audio clip