Decades ago, Lontxo was forced to write "In school I must not speak Basque" 1,000 times in his exercise book. Fast forward to 2025, and Spanish politicians in the national parliament can now submit documents to the Congress of Deputies in regional languages such as Basque, Catalan, or Galician.

👋Welcome to Boletín, an English-language newsletter covering historical, cultural and topical stories related to the A Level Spanish course. These newsletters accompany a student worksheet which can be downloaded freely here. This week:

1. Edition 133 of Boletín.

2. Topical takeaways per A Level theme.

3. PDF downloads.

📌Issue 133

I must admit that I’m flying through this edition. It’s the last day of my half-term and I’ve been working quite a lot (planning and 2nd edition of my book). I was honestly going to leave it a few days but this morning (25th April) I saw a photo (below) shared onto my X feed. It was a photo of a child’s exercise book, dating back (I guess) to the dictatorship years of Spain, in which a child had written "In school I must not speak Basque" 1,000 times. Here it is:

Prior to seeing that image I came across an article about a protest in Barcelona in which a few thousand people got together to voice their anger that the authorities aren’t doing enough in regard to the use of Catalan language in Catalonia.

For my non-UK based readers (and having checked the stats Boletín is now read in 37 states in the US!) I’m an A Level Spanish teacher and this whole newsletter started back in 2019 so that I could share relevant (curriculum-related) stories with the students in my class.

Next week we have an A Level speaking exam, and the topic of Regional Identity and culture is a prominent theme of said exam.

The exam board tend to go for very visible elements of culture and identity when putting together their questions for the speaking tasks and these usually fall into the categories of:

1. Regional languages

2. Gastronomy

3. Festivals

Don’t task this as gospel though. As we’ve explored in the past there are many elements to culture which we don’t see that could also come up. See edition 126 below for a refresher.

An introduction to Spanish grammar (CEFR A1 - B2)

The 2nd edition of my book is 99% complete and should be live next week!

If you like what I’ve been doing with Boletín for the last four five years or like me, you like buying language books then consider checking out the book I released last week. It’s called Spanish grammar workbook: An ambitious, jam-packed introduction to Spanish grammar for complete beginners, intermediate learners and GCSE students. The reviews are currently coming in and I’m delighted with them!

The reviews are in!

Topical takeaways

Here are some topical takeaways for any A Level students about to do a speaking exam. It’s important that you demonstrate an understanding of culture as appropriate to any points you’re making. Here’s a few snippets linked to the WJEC board. I’ve also posted, for the more diligent of you, some follow up links for you to read through.

Set B card topics (the discussion card):

Family structures, traditional and modern values, friendships/relationships

1. Since Francoism (1939 - 1975) society has changed a lot. Women, who used to serve a domestic role in a conservative country, now have more rights (117) and according to Giles Tremlett (edition 111) are spearheading a new social revolution.

2. Other things that women couldn't previously do include: anything related to finances, have a job, open a bank account, possess property, travel without permission. Read more with edition 107.

3. The average age which a young Spanish person leaves home is 30.3 years old! This is due to several factors such as access to housing, job security/salary, rent prices. This is from edition 131.

4. Is screen time affecting family relationships? According to edition 65 the family environment and relationships are affected by excessive social media use.

5. The role of grandparents is fundamental in Spain. They keep families together, transmit family histories, give emotional support, spend time with grandchildren, give advice and look after family members (including financially). This is from edition 63 but in edition 132 James Blick says this is overplayed and aunts/uncles also play an important role.

Educational and employment opportunities

1. Everything happens in Madrid, or so it seems, according to edition 131. Young people are leaving their pueblos to find opportunities in the bigger Spanish cities. Youth unemployment is at 26.9% which is great compared to 2014 when it was at 56% but still there's improvements to be had.

2. In edition 100 we learn that one school has decided to teach "domestic chores" to its students such as: ironing, cooking, sewing and cleaning. This is aimed at boys and girls. Also on offer is carpentry, electrician courses, brick-laying courses. The objective is to enlighten students about gender equality.

3. Los ninis are those who don't work or study and this group has been an issue in Spain for a fairly long time. Some people blame the government for not offering ninis any alternatives. “En España ha habido Gobiernos ‘nini’: no han ofrecido ni alternativas, ni soluciones a los jóvenes” says Yolanda Díaz (Minister of Work).

4. At the age of 18 in Spain you get what is called the "bono cultural". This is 400 euros, for free, from the government, to spend on cultural activities. Controversially it can be spent on bullfighting events which are protected under Spanish law as being part of Spain's national heritage. This from edition 90.

5. Spanish youths are some of the most over-qualified in Europe. 35% of youths in Barcelona has jobs which don't have any need for the university education they have. In the same edition, 105, we learn that coding is making its way onto the Spanish curriculum at all levels as the government consider it "the language of the future".

Set A topics (the argument card):

Regional culture and heritage in Spain

1. What is culture when viewed from the Spanish angle? In edition 126 (you really need to read this one!) we learn that visible culture (the culture we see overtly) is food, language, festivals, flags, music, clothing, fashion, literature and invisible culture (la cultura invisible) is the culture we don't see such as: personal space, display of emotion, touching, approaches to religion, marriage, family roles, attitudes to elders, history, education, death, politics).

2. A survey has revealed that Spain has the least interest in a return to traditional ways of life/traditional values. These values typically include: the importance of the family, respect for authority, religiousness, good manners.

3. Important at a local level are bares de barrio, these are places where community life happens. A nice quote is "sin bar, no hay barrio". For lots of people going to the bar de barrio is not only a part of their daily routine but rather a link to their past where they can maintain traditions and family memories.

4. Social connection is everything, life expectancy is high, there's a strong sense of community in Spain. People are generally more relaxed and open and willing to not work on a Sunday although yes, there are some who do live to work and not the other way round. This is from the James Blick edition (132).

5. The youth are not as interested in religion as previous generations were. Potentially this is due to the new globalised world we live in or the role of new technologies (edition 68).

The student worksheets can be downloaded here.

Boletín 133 Newsletter

3.19MB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

Have a great week,

Ollie

❤️

Download

Part 4 of the mini-series based on Spanish regional identity is here! In this week’s issue discover more about the region of Aragón from María (one half of the fantastic Sonríe in Spanish) including cultural traditions, food and what it was like to grow up there.

👋Welcome to Boletín, an English-language newsletter covering historical, cultural and topical stories related to the A Level Spanish course. These newsletters accompany a student worksheet which can be downloaded freely here. This week:

1. Edition 124 of Boletín.

2. An interview María (one half of @sonrieinspanish).

3. Download links.

📌Issue 124.

Before we get to this week’s interview it’s worth introducing our guest, María.

María works alongside Ana to create incredible Spanish resources for their joint account Sonríe in Spanish. Their distinctive and imaginative resources are loved by thousands of teachers and students in the UK and beyond. Personally, I love the escape rooms they create!

Follow Sonríe in Spanish on Instagram!

This week the regional identity mini-series continues as we get to read about life growing up in Aragón!

🎤A Q&A with María from Aragón.

What is your favourite idiomatic expression? Either one particular to Aragón or just in general?

“Ser muy majico/a” is something that only people from Aragón would say. We use it when someone or something is very nice. You could also say ‘majo/a’, but the diminutive ‘-ico/-ica’ is very typical from my region and we use it all the time! 

What is your favourite Spanish tradition or custom?

Without a doubt, las fiestas de pueblo! The summer festivals in the villages around my region don’t have a competitor. The smaller the village, the better the festival will be. They usually last for a few days and honour the patron of each village or town. The programme of activities is jam-packed and I love the fact that there are activities for absolutely everyone: a parque infantil (inflatables) for the children, a jota exhibition that my grandmas look forward to every year, orquestas (cover bands) every night followed by a ‘disco móvil’, or even a chocolatada popular for everyone! We all have ‘peñas’ with our friends, which are places where we meet to have food and a drink before going out. It is definitely the best week of the year! 

What is the most typical Aragonese tradition?

It is hard to choose, we have so many! But I’d say that something that we celebrate all around the region is el Día de San Jorge on the 23rd of April, which is also a very important day in England. San Jorge (Saint George) is the patron of Aragón. On that day. we gift each other a rose and a book. Also, there are many book fairs and theatrical representations of the legend of Saint George and the dragon across the region. Being Aragonese is something we feel very proud of and especially on that day, you can see Aragonese flags everywhere! 

Another one of my favourite traditions is the legend of ‘Los amantes de Teruel’, or the lovers of Teruel. A sad but beautiful romance story between two 13th-century young lovers known as Diego and Isabel. Their story is celebrated during a festival called ‘Las Bodas de Isabel de Segura’ (popularly know as ‘Amantes’), Every February, the entire city of Teruel converts to a medieval village with reenactments that celebrate Los Amantes de Teruel. I can’t recommend it enough! 

What is Aragonese food like and whats your favorite typical dish?

You can never go wrong with pan con tomate and jamón, de Teruel, of course. Something a bit more elaborate, the renowned ternasco de Aragón is extremely tender and tasty. It has Protected Geographical Indication and the quality is unbeatable. My mum roasts it in the oven with potatoes, wild mushrooms, rosemary and a dash of red wine and it is to die for! And if you’re looking for something a bit healthier, I’d definitely recommend checking up our local ‘borrajas’ or ‘borraines’. 

What was growing up in Aragon like and was your experience typical of others’?

I am from a tiny village in a rural area. It is very safe and we all know each other, so from a young age we all were allowed to go out and play with friends. After school, we used to freely run around the streets, play ‘polis y cacos’ (an improved version of ‘hide and seek’) and lots of other games. We also enjoyed building our own little huts with wood and everything we found, planned excursions around the countryside and swam in the river during the warmest months. The bell in the church in the square dictated the time we had to be back at home for dinner. For my first communion, my nan and grandad bought me my first ‘big’ bike, and I have the happiest memories learning to cycle up and down the street with my grandad Aurelio. Children in cities have access to lots of opportunities, but I wouldn’t change the freedom of growing up in my village for anything in the world! 

Looking back, what distinguished your region from the rest?

Every region in Spain is special and Aragón is unique in so many different ways. Aragon is home to some of the most beautiful villages in Spain, such as Valderrobres, Albarracín, Aínsa or Sos del Rey Católico, full of history and traditions. We also have the most breathtaking and varied landscapes, ideal for nature and adventure lovers. I love Teruel’s world heritage Mudejar art and… what can I say about Zaragoza? It’s just the best city in the world! 

Has anything been lost with the passing of time?

Some traditions have evolved and changed, and others have disappeared. Rural areas struggle with underpopulation, young people tend to move to bigger cities such as Zaragoza, and as a consequence, some jobs in the villages have disappeared. A clear example is farming. Few people decide to go into agriculture, so there are more and more barren fields left uncultivated.  

In addition, three different languages are spoken in Aragón: Spanish, of course, but also Catalan (in the eastern part, also known as la Franja) and Aragonese (in the north, mainly in the province of Huesca). The repression during the dictatorship heavily affected them, as only Spanish was allowed. In more recent times, certain language policies have not always favoured the use or teaching of these languages ​​in schools, which is why a lot of vocabulary is gradually disappearing. I notice it when I hear my grandmas speak, they say words that I have never used. This is especially serious in the case of Aragonese due to its small number of speakers. 

Has anything changed for the better?

100%. After the pandemic many people, including families, decided to move to smaller villages and towns and start a new life there. They get a better quality of life and support the development of rural areas. Also, tourism is really growing in Aragón and many people decide to visit my region every year: from skying in the Pyrenees to discovering the ‘Aragonese tuscany’ in the Matarraña/Matarranya region, there are lots of possibilities! 

How do other regions of Spain perceive Aragón?

It is said that Aragonese people are loyal, courteous and stubborn (tozudos/as or cabezones/as), although we take that as a compliment and synonym of resilience and determination. Unfortunately, the rural areas of Aragón are underpopulated. After the war, many Aragonese people had to emigrate to Zaragoza, the capital, or to bigger cities such as Barcelona. Most of them have kept the family houses and return every weekend and in the summer.

Why should somebody whose never been visit Aragón?

In Aragón, you can enjoy a varied offer of cultural attractions, scenic villages, Mudejar architecture, Romanesque churches, fairytale castles, natural sights, adventure activities surrounded by nature, the most fun festivals and the best food! In summary, because it is the best place in the world!

Share

🔍Grammar to look out for in the three texts.

1. The present perfect.

2. Connectives.

3. Avoiding the passive with an se structure.

4. Direct object pronouns.

5. Adjectival agreement.

6. Imperfect tense.

7. The use of gerunds.

🧠A Level structures.

I’ve previously banged on quite a lot about my GCSE grammar workbook and it’s to that which I turn today as we look at obligation subjunctive triggers. I am currently working on a 2nd edition of the workbook which should be out in August!

That’s all for this week, a massive thanks to María for taking the time to share her experiences growing up in Aragón. Coming up in the near future will be part 2 of the Sonríe in Spanish duo and an interview with the Daniel Martinez Flamenco Company, exciting!

Have a great week,

Ollie

❤️

Downloads

📁Download the student Boletín worksheet here and a student-friendly printout of this newsletter below.

Boletín 124 By Olliemfl

977KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

Download

Part 3 of the mini-series based on Spanish regional identity is here! Paella or arroz con cosas? People reenacting the Christian reconquest of Spain and enormous sculptures people spend a year building to then burn. This week Paula from Valencia describes growing up in Valencia.

👋Welcome to Boletín, an English-language newsletter covering historical, cultural and topical stories related to the A Level Spanish course. These newsletters accompany a student worksheet which can be downloaded freely here. This week:

1. Edition 118 of Boletín.

2. An interview with Paula from Valencia.

3. Tier 2 & 3 vocabulary and grammar search for students.

4. Download links.

📌Edition 118.

Apologies for taking a while to post, things are very busy at the moment. I was planning to post today about the women’s World Cup win and the Rubiales case but I think it’s been covered extensively enough so I’m going to sit that one out, at least for now.

I know Spanish but how well do I know Spain? This question catalysed the regional identity mini-series which began in May with an issue on Galicia and continued last month with Castilla-La Mancha (link below in case you missed it!). Ahora toca aprender un poco más sobre Valencia.

🎤A Q&A with Paula from Valencia.

¿Cuál es tu expresión idiomática favorita? Ya sea algo que se dice en tu zona o por todo el país…

Donde fueres, haz lo que vieres. (When in Rome do what the Romans do) Y otra en valenciano, “Amb diners torrons” (Con dinero, turrones).

¿Cuál es la tradición española o costumbre que te gusta más?

La tradición que más me gusta de España es posiblemente la sobremesa, es excelente que todo el mundo sepa que las comidas son un lugar de reunión donde, además de comer, se habla y se disfruta de la compañía de los otros comensales.

¿Hay una tradición valenciana muy típica?

Diría que son Las Fallas de Valencia. Es posible que si preguntas a alguien de Castellón diga ‘La Magdalena’ o en Alicante dirán ‘Las Hogueras de San Juan’, pero las tres celebraciones giran en torno a festejar la cultura popular con el fuego y, en el caso de ‘Las Fallas’ se construyen unos momentos enormes que se queman al cuarto día.

Otra fiesta muy importante en la Comunidad Valenciana son los Moros y cristianos, en la que muchas personas se disfrazan con trajes muy impresionantes de uno de los dos bandos (Los moros o los cristianos), y además de unos pasacalles donde enseñan sus trajes, también se representa una batalla para representar la reconquista cristiana. Sin embargo, en esta batalla, cada año gana uno de los bandos.

¿Cuál es tu plato típico valenciano favorito?

La comida típica en Valencia normalmente está representada en la dieta mediterránea que se centra en comer alimentos como el pescado, la gran variedad de frutas y verduras de la huerta valenciana, legumbres, granos integrales y aceite de oliva. La región de Valencia tiene una tradición culinaria única que combina ingredientes frescos y de los mercados locales. Muchos de los platos han alcanzado popularidad en toda España:

1. Paella: Valencia es famosa por ser el lugar de nacimiento de la paella, uno de los platos más icónicos de la cocina española. La paella valenciana auténtica se prepara con arroz, conejo, pollo, garrofón (una variedad de haba), tomate, aceite de oliva y azafrán. También hay muchas otras variaciones de paella, como la de mariscos o la mixta (mariscos y carne).

2. Mariscos: Dada su ubicación en la costa, Valencia es conocida por su excelente marisco fresco. Puedes disfrutar de gambas, langostinos, calamares, mejillones y otros mariscos preparados de diversas formas, como a la plancha, a la parrilla o en guisos.

3. Horchata: La horchata es una bebida refrescante hecha a base de chufa (tigernut) que es muy popular en Valencia, especialmente durante los meses de verano. Se suele tomar acompañada de fartons, unos dulces alargados.

4. Tapas: Al igual que en muchas otras regiones de España, en Valencia es común disfrutar de tapas. Puedes encontrar una gran variedad de pequeños platos que van desde jamón serrano y queso hasta albóndigas y patatas bravas.

5. Arroces: Además de la paella, en Valencia se preparan otros platos de arroz deliciosos como el arroz a banda (arroz a la marinera), el arroz negro (hecho con tinta de calamar) y el arroz al horno.

6. Dulces: Valencia también es conocida por sus dulces, como el turrón de Alicante (un dulce navideño hecho a base de almendras), los pasteles de boniato (boniatos rellenos de azúcar y almendras), los buñuelos de calabaza y los rollos de anís.

Mi plato típico favorito es sin duda, la paella, especialmente me encanta la paella de marisco, o incluso las nuevas versiones de la paella valenciana que son hoy en día bastante populares… aunque tened cuidado, porque, los valencianos odiamos cuando las recetas no se siguen al pie de la letra y tu paella es fácil que se convierta en algo que no tiene nada que ver con lo que es nuestra idea de paella, aquí lo llaman ‘arroz con cosas’.

¿Cómo fue crecer en Valencia?

Aunque crecí en un pueblo cerca de Valencia, creo que tuve una experiencia bastante típica. Fui a una escuela pública bilingüe en la que aprendíamos valenciano además de castellano, en mi grupo de amigos había algunos que eran falleros y cuando eran Las Fallas se vestían con el traje tradicional de ‘fallera’.

Mirando atrás, ¿qué distinguía a tu región del resto?

Sin ninguna duda el rico patrimonio gastronómico y cultural de la Comunidad Valenciana. La naturaleza con tantas playas grandes y también terreno de montaña para disfrutar durante las vacaciones. Y sobre todo, la gente tan abierta y amigable.

¿Se ha perdido algo con el paso del tiempo?

Las ciudades se han vuelto más turísticas y posiblemente haya una pérdida de cultura valenciana en las partes más cosmopolitas, por ejemplo, en ciudades como Benidorm, que está todo destinado a los turistas. Respecto a la lengua local, aunque se ha promocionado mucho el valenciano, no hay mucha gente joven que lo hable en las grandes ciudades, aunque sí se sigue hablando bastante en los pueblos de alrededor.

¿Algo ha cambiado para mejor?

¡Por supuesto! Creo que ahora se hablan más idiomas que antes, los jóvenes hemos aprendido valenciano e inglés durante la secundaria y además todo se ha modernizado, hay más servicios públicos como el transporte público y se ha mejorado mucho la infraestructura para viajar y visitar sitios.

¿Cómo perciben las otras regiones de España a Valencia?

Supongo que ven las oportunidades vacacionales que ofrece, uno de los grandes incentivos son las playas, la calidad de la comida y el buen tiempo. Pero creo que cada vez hay más turismo cultural que sabe apreciar las tradiciones de nuestra cultura tan diversa.

¿Por qué debería alguien que nunca ha estado visitar Valencia?

Valencia tiene una historia rica que se remonta a la época romana, y su arquitectura refleja su pasado diverso. La ciudad cuenta con una impresionante mezcla de edificios históricos, como la Catedral de Valencia y la Lonja de la Seda, junto con estructuras modernas como la Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias. El clima de Valencia es un clima mediterráneo con inviernos suaves y veranos cálidos y soleados, lo que la convierte en un destino atractivo durante todo el año. La ubicación de Valencia permite realizar fácilmente excursiones de un día a atracciones cercanas, como el Parque Natural de la Albufera, donde puedes dar paseos en barca y disfrutar de la belleza natural de la región.

Geográficamente Valencia está ubicada en la costa mediterránea, lo que la convierte en un destino perfecto para los amantes de la playa. La ciudad cuenta con varias playas de arena, como Malvarrosa y Patacona, donde puedes relajarte, nadar o disfrutar de deportes acuáticos. La ciudad tiene numerosos parques y espacios verdes, como los Jardines del Turia, que en su día fue el lecho de un río y ahora es un parque largo y paisajístico ideal para pasear, andar en bicicleta y hacer picnics.

Además, Valencia es famosa por su gastronomía y su deliciosa cocina, especialmente por el plato conocido mundialmente como la paella valenciana. Probar una auténtica paella es imprescindible, pero también puedes disfrutar de una amplia variedad de otros platos mediterráneos, mariscos frescos y delicias locales como la horchata y los fartons. Todo esto se puede adquirir en los mercados de Valencia, como el Mercado Central, llenos de producto local y que son un regalo para los amantes de la comida. Puedes encontrar productos frescos, mariscos, carnes y una amplia variedad de productos locales.

En lo que respecta a la cultura local, la cultura local, Valencia es famosa por sus festivales animados y coloridos, incluyendo Las Fallas. Esta celebración anual presenta esculturas elaboradas, fuegos artificiales, desfiles y una experiencia cultural única. Semana Santa es otro evento religioso importante que se celebra con procesiones y tradiciones.

Bonus: Hidden gems and places Paula recommends visiting if you ever travel to Valencia.

1. Iglesia de San Nicolás.

2. Central Market.

3. The old Silk Market: (La Lonja de la seda)

4. The Cathedral and its surrounding squares: Plaza de la Virgen and Plaza de la Reina.

5. The modernist Train Station (Gaudí Style): Estació del Nord.

6. El Palacio de Marqués de Dos Aguas.

7. Museum of ‘La Almoina’.

8. The ‘CCCC’ (Centre del Carme de Cultura Contemporánea).

9. Prehistorical museum.

10. Modern art museum (MUVIM).

11. Museo de bellas artes (fine arts museum).

12. Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias.

13. The riverbed (turned into a walkable massive green area).

14. Monforte Gardens.

15. The University’s Botanic Garden.

Share

🗝️Tier 2 & 3 vocabulary.

• Los comensales (nmp) - Dinner guests.

• Girar en torno a (vb) - To revolve around.

• Disfrazarse (vb) - To dress up.

• Alcanzar (vb) - To reach/achieve.

• La haba (nfs) - Broad bean.

• La azafrán (nfs) - Saffron.

• La ubicación (nfs) - Location.

• Un guiso (nms) - Stew.

• La tinta (nfs) - Ink.

• La huerta (nfs) - Orchard, allotment, vegetable patch or area of cultivated land.

• A la plancha/parrilla - Grilled.

• Al horno - Baked/from the oven.

• Navideño (adj) - Christmas.

• Tener cuidado (verb phrase) - To take care/watch out.

• Seguir al pie de la letra (verb phrase) - To follow something to the letter.

• Tener que ver con (verb phrase) - To have to do with.

• Amigable (adj) - friendly.

• Respecto a - Regarding/in regard to.

• En lo que respecta a - With respect to/regarding

• Remontarse (vb) - To go back to.

• Dar paseos - To go for a walk/stroll.

• Paisajístico (adj) - Scenic.

🔍Grammar to look out for.

1. Uses of por and para.

2. Infinitive verbs used when in English we would use a gerund.

3. Adjectival agreement.

4. Passive se structures.

5. Relative pronouns (el que and its various forms).

6. Reflexive verbs.

7. Present subjunctive with possibility triggers.

8. Gerunds.

9. Direct object pronouns.

10. The present perfect.

🧠A Level structures.

I’m not going to rave on about it because I’ve done it enough already but I have made a GCSE grammar workbook.

In said workbook I cover subjunctive possibility triggers and to save me a job explaining I’m going to copy in a page below (it’s late and I’m tired).

Clicking here will take you to a page where you can buy the grammar workbook for only £5 (£10 off) but there are only five slots!

That’s all for this week, a massive thanks to Paula for taking the time to share her experiences growing up in Valencia. Paula is an experienced A Level and GCSE Spanish tutor so if you’re considering some tuition then feel free to get in touch with her with the following email: paulastandby@hotmail.com.

Have a great week,

Ollie

❤️

Downloads

📁Download the student Boletín worksheet here and a student-friendly printout of this newsletter below.

Boletín 118 By Olliemfl

689KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

Download

Part 2 of the mini-series based on Spanish regional identity is here! From vineyards and typical dress to folklore and gastronomy. This week we get to hear about life growing up in Valdepeñas, Castilla-La Mancha.

👋Welcome to Boletín, an English-language newsletter covering historical, cultural and topical stories related to the A Level Spanish course. These newsletters accompany a student worksheet which can be downloaded for free here. This week:

1. I created a 100-page GCSE Spanish grammar workbook (with answers!).

2. Edition 116 of Boletín.

3. An interview with José from Valdepeñas in Castilla-La Mancha.

4. Tier 2 & 3 vocabulary and grammar search for students.

5. Download links.

✏️The GCSE Spanish grammar workbook.

Welcome back, it’s been a while!

80 days to be precise which is the longest I’ve gone without publishing a Boletín issue. The time off was put to good use though.

Last June I set myself the challenge of creating a grammar workbook for my new year 10s which would cover every single grammar point from the AQA, Edexcel & WJEC specification.

The result is a new 100-page GCSE Spanish grammar workbook with a lovely cover designed by the brilliant @languageswithmaddy. I’m very excited to give a copy to each of my new GCSE students upon starting the course. Feedback from teachers already using it has been super positive; most (like me) are using it as a supplement to the GCSE course, some are using it with adult learners and some are even using it as an A Level grammar induction.

I plan to make this grammar workbook an integral part of the GCSE course which, given that it assumes zero prior knowledge, could be introduced as early as year 9 (nouns, adjectives, verbs and simple tenses) and last into year 12 (thorough practice of the subjunctive and compound tenses). I’ve used The Frequency Dictionary of Spanish to help decide which nouns, verbs and adjectives to include on their respective pages.

I’ve endeavoured to make my explanations accessible with examples in English and Spanish (occasionally annotated). Personally, I’ll be using the workbook for classwork, homework, interventions and potentially cover. There are 85 exercises in total and more than 100 pages with all answers included! You can view a selection of sample pages here.

For Boletín subscribers there’s £5 off the first 10 sales with the link directly below.

👉🏻 £5 off the first 10 sales!

If you missed the boat on the first ten then the link below will take you to the main listing on TES with a full breakdown of every grammar point covered as well as reviews. If you have any questions or you’d like to see a particular page then feel free to drop me a message!

🤩 The grammar workbook on TES!

📌Edition 116.

I know Spanish but how well do I know Spain? This was the question which kicked off the first issue of the regional identity mini-series on Galicia (below).

Having only been to Barcelona, Seville and Madrid the rest of my knowledge of Spain is mainly from the news and (dated but wonderful) books by authors like Gerald Brenan and Laurie Lee. So, the plan this year is to make some real progress with this regional identity mini-series and we’re going to kick off the year with Castilla-La Mancha.

I envision this issue complementing the Volver inspired interview (most popular issue ever!) with Dr Ana Maria Sanchez-Arce well given the manchegan links.

When Laurie Lee, on his famous 1934-35 traverse of Spain equipped with a violin and not much else, reached Valdepeñas, he wrote:

Valdepeñas was a surprise: a small graceful town surrounded by rich vineyards and prosperous villas - a pocket of good fortune which seemed to produce without effort some of the most genial wines in Spain. The town had an air of privileged well-being, like an oil-well in a desert of hardship; the old men and children had extra flesh on their bones, and even the dogs seemed to shine with fat.

It was also a friendly town, where people welcomed my violin and encouraged me to play as though I’d come to a wedding, drawing back their shutters, leaning over their balconies, and rewarding me with food and money. I remember playing in the evenings to houses of blue and white, while women approached me with cups of wine, and the pork-fattened shopkeepers broke off from kissing their children to bring me parcels of ham and olives.

Speaking of Laurie Lee, let’s go off on a little tangent and admire the beautiful map below depicting his journey from Vigo to Almuñécar. You can see that Valdepeñas is directly between Madrid and Andalusia. If you haven’t already then you should definitely go and buy a copy of As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning which charts his journey.

So, this week we’re very fortunate to get some insight on Castilla-La Mancha by the king of displays himself and somebody who I’ve admired from afar for a long time. I asked José, during the Summer holidays, if he’d be willing to contribute to a regional identity themed issue at 11am and by 5pm he had already sent me his answers!

🎤A Q&A with José from Valdepeñas (Castilla-La Mancha).

¿Cuál es tu expresión idiomática favorita? Ya sea algo que se dice en tu zona o por todo el país…

Me gustan muchas frases y palabras manchegas, pero me encanta 'estar al trascacho' El trascacho es una zona fresca, a la sombra y resguardada del viento.

¿Cuál es la tradición española o costumbre que te gusta más?

En general, me fascinan Las Fallas de Valencia. Cada año se superan, no doy crédito del nivel de detalle en las esculturas o 'ninots' y de cómo se pasan todo el año haciéndolas con el fin de quemarlas.

¿Hay una tradición manchega muy típica?

Diría que bailar la Jota manchega. En mi pueblo, Valdepeñas, hay un grupo profesional de jotas que se llama 'fermento' y bailan jotas en la plaza en la semana de las Fiestas del Vino. La jota es un baile regional muy extendido en varias regiones de España, como Aragón y las dos Castillas. Sus elementos más distintivos son las castañuelas, tan difíciles de tocar bien, y su baile, con pasos ágiles que parecen saltos con los brazos en alto. Hay una jota manchega con una letra popular que todos en la Mancha sabemos de memoria de tanto escucharla en las fiestas populares, dice así: 'A la Mancha manchega, que hay mucho vino, mucho pan, mucho aceite y mucho tocino. Y si vas a la Mancha no te alborotes, Porque estás en la tierra de Don Quijote'

Todos los niños manchegos seguro que han tenido que vestirse con el traje típico de manchego alguna vez, para algún evento. El traje típicamente manchego incluye la famosa falda larga con el estampado de rayas tan típico que puede verse también en cortinas o manteles, lo que llamamos aquí 'tela manchega', con el mantón, medias blancas y pantalones negros y fajín rojo para los hombres. Como suele pasar con los trajes regionales, el femenino es mucho más complejo que el masculino. El color negro es predominante y las rayas y flores rompen con esa sobriedad.

¿Cuál es tu plato típico manchego favorito?

¡Qué difícil! Creo que diría que las Migas manchegas, un plato sencillo y típico de la Mancha más rural, con carne, pan y uvas. Hoy en día las sirven en los mejores restaurantes con orgullo y tradición. No me olvido de nuestro producto estrella, el queso manchego, y el vino blanco (uva airén) y tinto (uva cencibel).

¿Cómo fue crecer en Castilla-La Mancha?

Valdepeñas es un pueblo grande en la Mancha y la sociedad no es tan rural como en otras aldeas. Creo que la idiosincrasia manchega me hace recordar el olor a uva y mosto por la calle al final de agosto y principio de septiembre, en época de vendimia, cuando veía los tractores pasar cargados de uvas por mitad del pueblo, y a su vez, asociarlo con el comienzo del curso escolar. Recuerdo a mi abuelo, preocupado por su huerta y sus viñas, y de 'hacer cuadrilla' para vendimiarlas a tiempo, o comer las típicas torrijas españolas hechas con vino dulce en lugar de leche.

Mirando atrás, ¿qué distinguía a tu región del resto?

Cabe mencionar que la Mancha, es la región histórica que hoy en día ocupan las provincias de Ciudad Real y parte de Albacete. Castilla-La Mancha es muy extensa y el norte, Guadalajara, Cuenca y Toledo, quizá sean más similares culturalmente a Segovia, Ávila o Zamora que a la Mancha. La Mancha es una zona de tierra roja, de viñedos y olivares, marcada por el folklore popular, las Jotas, y sus pueblos monumentales como Almagro o Villa Nueva de Los infantes, que se identifica con Don Quijote, de Cervantes o Quevedo y que bien refleja en sus escenas más costumbristas el director Pedro Almodóvar, especialmente en Volver y La Flor de Mi Secreto.

¿Podrías explicar en mayor detalle el folklore manchego?

Para mí, el folklore manchego lo relaciono siempre con la sencillez de una región eminentemente agrícola con núcleos urbanos pequeños y medianos, donde, especialmente en mi zona, Valdepeñas, la cultura del vino y la recogida de la uva juegan un papel esencial. Una tierra de gente humilde y trabajadora que se beneficia de su posición geográfica en la meseta entre Andalucia y Madrid, lo que también hace que tenga veranos muy secos y calurosos e inviernos muy fríos y severos. La típica casa manchega, como la de mis abuelos, suele tener un patio central o corral, en el caso de las más grandes, para refrescar todas las estancias en verano.

¿Se ha perdido algo con el paso del tiempo?

Las antiguas bodegas familiares casi han desaparecido o han sido compradas por otras más grandes que industrializan la vendimia.

¿Algo ha cambiado para mejor?

Sí, la otra cara de la moneda es que el turismo rural de calidad convierte a la zona en un atractivo auténtico para conocer el centro del país, hay turismo enológico, rutas del vino o parques naturales como el de Las Lagunas De Ruidera con aguas turquesa que son una delicia de visitar.

¿Cómo perciben las otras regiones de España a Castilla-La Mancha?

Tradicionalmente puede existir la idea estereotipada de zona rural, poco urbana y anticuada, de 'gente del campo' aunque también es bien apreciada su gastronomía, el queso manchego de fama internacional y si ya hablamos de toda Castilla-La Mancha, las ciudades patrimonio de la humanidad, Toledo y Cuenca, no necesitan presentación, al igual que la región de La Alcarria en Guadalajara, conocida por su miel. Creo que los molinos de viento son un gran símbolo de la zona.

¿Por qué debería alguien que nunca ha estado visitar Castilla-La Mancha?

Como estudiante de español, el acento claro y bastante neutro seguro será bien recibido. En esta zona central del país, lejos del ruido de las costas famosas en el verano, conocerás algunas de las raíces más importantes de la cultura española, bien por medio de la arquitectura -las casas colgadas de Cuenca o la 'ciudad de las tres culturas, anterior capital del país, Toledo- , la gastronomía o la historia.

Share

🗝️Tier 2 & 3 vocabulary.

• Manchego (adj) - Manchegan/of La Mancha.

• Resguardar (vb) - To shelter, shield or protect.

• Quemar (vb) - To burn.

• Tocar (vb) - To play (an instrument).

• La letra (nfs) - Lyrics.

• Alborotarse (vb) - To get anxious, frightened, nervous.

• El fajín (nms) - Sash.

• El orgullo (nms) - Pride.

• La vendimia (nfs) - The grape harvest.

• La huerta (nfs) - Orchard, allotment, vegetable patch or area of cultivated land.

• A tiempo (advb) - On time.

• Un viñedo (nms) - A vineyard.

• Costumbrista (adj) - Costumbrist (depicting local or regional customs).

• La recogida (nfs) - The collection.

• Jugar un papel (vb) - To play a role.

• Refrescar (vb) - To cool off.

• Una bodega (nfs) - winery, wine shop, off-license.

• La otra cara de la moneda (expression) - The other side of the coin.

• El turismo enológico (nms) - Holidays involving wine-tasting.

• Los molinos de viento (nmp) - Windmills.

• Las raíces (nfp) - Roots.

🔍Grammar to look out for.

1. The present tense.

2. The present perfect.

3. The imperfect tense.

4. The present subjunctive with the hace que obligation structure.

5. Direct object pronoun attached to an infinitive.

6. Direct object pronoun placed before a conjugated verb.

7. Adverbs.

8. Comparative structure.

9. Definite and indefinite articles.

10. Adjectives.

That’s all for this week!

I’m currently creating Boletín 117 which is all about the World Cup winning Spanish women’s team but obviously other events have somewhat overshadowed it and the whole story is still developing so stay tuned!

Before I forget I have updated the index of topics which now covers up to edition 115 (previously it only went to 100).

Index of topics

Ollie

❤️

Downloads

📁Download the student Boletín worksheet here and a student-friendly printout of this newsletter below.

Boletín 116 By Olliemfl

740KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

Download

Introducing a new mini-series based on Spanish regional identity. From the terrifying nightly wanderings of lost souls in purgatory to post-Franco prosperity. This week we are lucky to read about Carmen’s experience growing up in Galicia in the 1970s.

👋Welcome to Boletín, an English-language newsletter covering historical, cultural and topical stories related to the A Level Spanish course. These newsletters accompany a student worksheet which can be downloaded here. This week:

1. Edition 112 of Boletín (announcing a new mini-series on regional identity).

2. An interview with Carmen from Galicia.

3. Tier 2 & 3 vocabulary, grammar search for students and A Level structures.

4. Boletín is changing.

5. Download links.

🫶If you haven’t already then subscribe to make sure future editions arrive straight to your inbox. If you enjoy this week’s edition then please give it a like or a share!

📌Edition 112.

I know Spanish but how well do I know Spain? I am familiar with the geography of Spain, the customs and on a superficial level I can point out various regions and talk about regional identity but how well do I really know Spain? Not that well I’d offer.

I recently prepared a lesson on regional stereotypes and found a table showing that most Spaniards believe Galicians are superstitious. Curious to know more I asked a Galician friend of mine to explain why this is so. She told a story about beliefs in witches, Galicia in the 1970s and a man who went from village to village selling aguardiente. I knew I had to find out more. I asked her if she’d be interested in featuring in a Boletín issue about Galicia and thankfully she said yes. This edition is born of that!

This marks the start of a mini-series on Spanish regional identity. I want to speak to people who feel connected to the regions they come from. I’m doing this to better understand Spain. So, reader, if you are Spanish and fancy answering some questions do get in touch! Likewise, if you’d like to suggest somebody then please pass this on to them!

We are going to start with Galicia and hear from Carmen. Her writing is unedited, uncut and offered entirely in Spanish. Happy reading!

Share

🎤An interview with Carmen from Galicia.

Yo me crié en un pueblo muy pequeño de Galicia, en el norte de España. Nací en 1972 cuando Franco todavía estaba vivo.  A partir de su muerte en 1975, la vida en las zonas rurales de Galicia cambió de manera drástica en un corto periodo de tiempo.  El estilo de vida era casi  medieval:   la gente comía lo que se cultivaba en la tierra y criaban animales para poder comer su carne.  Mis padres, cuando yo era pequeña por ejemplo, tenían un cerdo, conejos, gallinas. Y muchos de los vecinos tenían también bueyes o vacas. La matanza del cerdo era algo que ocurría de manera anual, normalmente por San Martín.  El pueblo se llenaba de los gritos de los cerdos que protestaban por su inevitable destino.  

La iglesia constituía el centro social del pueblo.  Las mujeres, sobre todo, y también los niños iban a misa cada domingo. Y a veces asistían a misa durante la semana también.  Siempre ha sido tradición que las familias paguen al cura para hacer misas para  rezar por los familiares que han muerto:  el calendario de misas estaba siempre muy concurrido.  La cultura gallega en aquel momento era una mezcla curiosa, muy religiosa por una parte ya que la religión era la base social y cultural del pueblo, pero al mismo tiempo, un poco por su aislamiento, era también muy supersticiosa y pagana.  

Existía (y existe) una creencia ancestral en los fantasmas y en los espíritus en Galicia.  La Santa Compaña era una de esas creencias:  las ánimas en pena que vagaban por las noches.  Si tenías la mala suerte de ver la Santa Compaña en su procesión nocturna, entonces, te podían llevar con ellos.  Cuando era una niña pequeña estaba absolutamente aterrorizada a salir de noche sola por miedo a ver a la Santa Compaña.  No todas las supersticiones eran tan oscuras, que conste.  Por ejemplo, la noche anterior al primero de Mayo se consideraba que todos los espíritus andaban sueltos durante la noche.  Entonces para evitar que estos espíritus entrasen en las casas de las gentes y que hiciesen daño, se ponían las ramas de una planta que se llama retama (xesta en gallego), que tiene unas flores amarillas, en todas las puertas de la casa, incluyendo la del coche.  Yo tengo ese recuerdo de ir al monte a cortar estas ramas y ponerlas por la casa, era casi un momento de celebración que unía a los vecinos en una tarea conjunta. 

Otro aspecto importante para comentar es la lengua.  Galicia habla otra lengua que se llama gallego.  Es una mezcla entre el castellano y el portugués. Aunque Franco prohibió todas las lenguas regionales durante su dictadura (curiosamente Franco era gallego), el gallego se continuó hablando en las zonas rurales.  La mayoría de los niños no podían ir al colegio porque tenían que trabajar en el campo; el nivel de analfabetismo era muy alto. Esa fue mi primera lengua.  Hablé gallego hasta que tuve los 5 años cuando empecé a ir al colegio. Y allí, por primera vez, me encontré con esta lengua que no había escuchado nunca antes, el castellano. Cabe decir que no teníamos televisión ni teléfono en casa.  

La vida en Galicia ha cambiado mucho desde la década de los 70. A partir de la muerte de Franco, tiene lugar la transición y el país empieza a abrirse a Europa y a cambiar a un ritmo vertiginoso.  Mi padre pasó de tener su primer par de zapatos a los 15 años a vivir en una casa con portón eléctrico.  De pequeña todo el mundo tenía un carro de bueyes: el carro se utilizaba para transportar o para arar los campos. Ahora todo se cultiva con tractores y con maquinaria más moderna. Pero ya no solamente se trata de lo material, sino también de la calidad de vida de la gente del pueblo:  las oportunidades para estudiar por ejemplo.  Ir a la Universidad era algo muy inusual. Yo fui una de las primeras personas en ir a la Universidad de mi pueblo.  Mientras que ahora todos los jóvenes tienen oportunidad de estudiar y de viajar.  El mundo está abierto a ellos. 

La región era tan pobre que entre 1885 y 1930, más de 900.000 gallegos emigraron a Sudamérica suponiendo más del 50% del total de la emigración española en esa época.  Es interesante comentar que la palabra “gallego” era sinónimo de emigrante de España en la mayor parte de Sudamérica aunque no viniesen de Galicia.    

Galicia ha cambiado drásticamente en las últimas décadas.  Es una región muy abierta al turismo y al comercio.  Durante mucho tiempo, las industrias principales de la región eran la pesca y la agricultura.  Ahora, aunque la pesca y la agricultura siguen siendo industrias importantes, la moda y el turismo se han convertido en industrias fuertes. Por ejemplo, Amancio Ortega, el fundador de Zara es gallego.  

Se suele comparar Galicia con Cornualles, por su costa, su tradición pesquera y el turismo.  Los aspectos que atraen a los turistas a Galicia son la costa, las playas, el clima (el hecho de que es una región con temperaturas más bajas que el resto del país en verano) y también la gastronomía.  Uno de los platos más tradicionales de la región es la empanada:  masa de pan fina con relleno de algún producto del mar.  Se puede rellenar de carne, pero la empanada tradicional está rellena de moluscos (por ejemplo, berberechos) o de pescado, (por ejemplo, el bacalao salado).  Es un plato que se come por todo el país pero ¡estoy segura de que nadie hace la empanada mejor que mi madre!   

Share

🗝️Tier 2 & 3 vocabulary.

• El fantasma (nms) - ghost.

• Un desfile (nms) - a parade or procession.

• Ánimas (nfp) - Souls in purgatory, lost souls.

• Que conste - for the record, of for what it’s worth.

• Suelto (past participle of soltar) - free.

• La misa (nfs) - mass.

• El cura (nms) - priest.

• Rezar (vb) - to pray.

• Prohibir (vb) - to ban or prohibit.

• El analfabetismo (nms) - illiteracy.

• Encontrarse algo (vb) - to find something (by chance) or to come across something.

🔍Grammar to look out for.

1. The present tense.

2. The present perfect.

3. The pluperfect (also known as the past perfect).

4. The present subjunctive.

5. The imperfect tense.

6. The preterite tense (irregulars and regulars).

7. Avoiding the passive with a se structure.

8. The use of por where due to/out of would be used in English.

9. The imperfect subjunctive with an obligation verb.

10. Intensifiers.

11. Adjectives.

🧠A Level structures.

The A Level structure this week is an important one and when used correctly will wow readers and examiners. You have already seen the present subjunctive and you’re familiar with how the verbs change (the gos go ga and the er/ir/ar endings almost flip around). This is great if you’re using a present tense but what if you are talking about the past? You need the imperfect subjunctive. Click here to learn how verbs change in this tense.

The WIERDO acronym is widespread for remembering the uses of the subjunctive but I use WOOP which stands for: wishes, opinions, obligations and possibility. This can be used for both the present and imperfect subjunctive.

In text one this week you will see a great example of the imperfect subjunctive. Para evitar que is the subjunctive trigger (an obligation structure) and the two following conjugated verbs entrasen and hiciesen are in the imperfect subjunctive. The imperfect subjunctive has been used here because the speaker is talking about the past.

La noche anterior al primero de Mayo se consideraba que todos los espíritus andaban sueltos durante la noche y para evitar que estos espíritus entrasen en las casas y que hiciesen daño, se ponían las ramas de una planta en las puertas de la casa.

Student feedback

Students, I need your help. Please, if you have some time, can you provide me some feedback on Boletín so that I can make it better. Teachers, if you could pass this link on to your students I’d be eternally grateful! It should take about 4 minutes to complete.

👉Student voice Microsoft form.

Boletín is changing.

Substack have made some functional improvements to the site which are very welcome. On the Boletín homepage you’ll now notice various sections where I am beginning to catalogue past editions according to whether they are interviews, regional identity based etc. This will make the (even) site easier to navigate.

Boletín is changing. I will always create editions bringing together news based on the A Level topics but recently I am enjoying the professional challenge of interviewing various people with insight on Spain. If you’d like to support Boletín then please consider visiting the support page.

The next interview will be with Ousman Umar. To find out more about him you must watch the video below! I watch it every year with my year 13s to contextualise the topic of immigration and integration. I made a worksheet with a transcript of the video which we work through as well. Every year I look forward to seeing students’ reactions to his amazing story.

That’s all this week! Good luck with all your exams and thanks as ever for reading.

Ollie

❤️

Downloads

📁Download the student Boletín worksheet here and a student-friendly printout of this newsletter below.

Boletín 112 By Olliemfl

329KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

Download

Last week ChatGPT made a movie script for me set in the oldest restaurant in Madrid. The cast were my year 12s. The scene revolved around asking a friendly waiter about some typical dishes and after paying the cast discussed whether Spanish traditional cuisine is under threat.

Hola de nuevo/kaixo berriro/hola de nou/ola de novo.

In this week’s newsletter:

1. An update.

2. Edition 108 of Boletín (the three texts).

3. Tier 2/3 vocabulary and grammar search for students.

4. I share the ChatGPT script with generic names!

5. Edition 83 throwback/regional stereotypes.

6. Download link and student friendly newsletter printout.

   ---

An update.

🤩Boletín now has a shiny new domain name! (www.boletin.co.uk).

👨🏻‍💻 No more hiding behind an avatar. I’ve updated the about page which now includes an actual photo of me and bit of a bio.

Edition 108.

I really struggled putting together this edition of Boletín. I was set on two of the texts a week ago and settled on the third today (18/03). The most difficult thing was the accompanying graphic. This is the bit I usually love the most but I just couldn’t think of anything great so have settled for some (I hope) impactful text.

For my subscribers who do not download the student worksheet the texts this week are below:

Los valores tradicionales1

Una encuesta ha revelado que España es uno de los cuatro países que menos interés tienen por un retorno a los valores tradicionales y que también considera que no estaríamos mejor si volviéramos a vivir según ideas, normas o costumbres del pasado. Los valores tradicionales varian dependiendo de la región pero algunos valores comunes incluyen: la importancia de la familia, el respeto por la autoridad, la religiosidad, las buenas maneras, la etiqueta y el valor del ocio. En la mayoría de los países, a diferencia de España, la región capitalina muestra un menor interés por los valores tradicionales.

Los comunidades autónomas2

Conocer nuestras comunidades autónomas es descubrir la gran riqueza cultural y natural que tiene España. Existen un total de 17 comunidades autónomas y dos ciudades autónomas: Ceuta y Melilla. Cada una de ellas cuenta con rasgos propios y característicos que podrás apreciar, por ejemplo, en sus monumentos y ciudades, durante sus fiestas y tradiciones, o su gastronomía típica. Los contrastes en sus paisajes también llamarán tu atención. Podrás pasear por un bosque o perderte por un desierto. Disfrutar de playas admirables en sus fascinantes costas o conocer pequeñas calas en cualquiera de sus islas.

La identidad cultural3

La identidad cultural es el conjunto de valores, tradiciones, símbolos, creencias y modos de comportamiento que funcionan como elementos dentro de un grupo social. En un mundo cada vez más globalizado donde internet y la forma de interactuar a través de las redes sociales han permitido conocer nuevas culturas, es de vital importancia no dejar de lado nuestra verdadera esencia, nuestro sentido de ser, nuestro origen, nuestra historia, nuestro sentido de pertenencia y con ello nuestros valores y trabajar para mantener la esencia de fiestas y actividades culturales como identidad local del municipio.

Tier 2/3 vocabulary.

• Una encuesta - a survey

• El ocio - leisure

• La riqueza - richness

• Un rasgo - a trait

• Una cala - cove/small bay

• Una creencia - a belief

Grammar to look out for.

1. The present perfect tense.

2. Simple connectives.

3. The imperfect subjunctive.

4. The present tense.

5. Definite articles.

6. The future tense (regulars and irregulars).

7. Cada vez más/menos + adjective - more and more/less and less

ChatGPT created a script for me and it’s awesome!

Okay, so I know everybody is fed up with ChatGPT (spoiler: it’s about to get worse with GPT4). I am too. Especially when it comes to viral marketers selling webinars, hastily put together books and posting Twitter threads along the lines of “ChatGPT is the fastest website to gain 1 billion users but 99% don’t know how to use it properly”.

But indulge me for 2 minutes. I had been harbouring an idea…

1. What if, with the help of ChatGPT, I created a movie script based in a Spanish city in which the main cast was made up of my year 12 class?

2. What if the script was completely tailored to my class with all their idiosyncrasies and developed as we worked our way through the course. A new scene every half-term.

3. What if I asked ChatGPT to write it at any CEFR level I wished depending on the desired level of difficulty?

4. What if I asked ChatGPT to include very specific words from a vocabulary list based on the topics we study in year 12?

5. What if I asked it to also include a specific grammatical structure?

6. What if I asked ChatGPT to include minor characters like waiters and the like with whom my main cast could interact with?

The result.

Before you read a couple of example scenes from the script as well as the ChatGPT prompt, the deal may have been sweetened by a Spanish Lidl week haul but an AS speaking lesson went really well last week. In between mouthfuls of tortilla and lots of laughter we read the script together first playing ourselves and then switching roles so the class had the chance to read other people’s lines. We then transitioned into a set a/b speaking task on regional gastronomy.

Spoiler alert for my year 12s: I’ll be doing a similar thing next week for sure!

👇Now before you get to the script, a strategically placed button! 👇

Okay the prompt…

We are currently studying regional identity and the sub-topic of food. I’ve changed the characters names to generic ones so you can use the script in your class.

My prompt to ChatGPT (which you, yes you, should copy, changing the names of the characters and adding a few humorous interactions you want to take place and idiosyncrasies) was:

Write, in Spanish CEFR level B1, a scene from a film script set in Madrid in the style of Pedro Almodóvar. Four young people (Student 1, Student 2, Student 3, and Student 4) arrive at the restaurant Casa Botín. They discuss Spanish food and what to order asking the waiter for information about the dishes on the menu. The dishes are: la tortilla de patatas, la paella, los huevos rotos, las patatas bravas, las croquetas y los callos a lo madrileña. The script must include the following vocabulary: me gustaría probar, la región, los mariscos, rico, típico, la calidad, la merienda, el sabor. Student 3 tries to talk about football but is ignored by the group.

Write, in Spanish CEFR level B1, a scene from a film script set in Madrid in the style of Pedro Almodóvar. Four young people (Student 1, Student 2, Student 3, and Student 4) have just paid the bill at Casa Botín and are walking home. They discuss the rich variety of Spanish food and whether it is under threat from the increasing influence of fast food and ready meals. Student 3 tries to start a conversation about Arsenal football club but Student 1 shuts him down.

After putting the resulting text into a film script formatter the result is the PDF below. If you use it in class I’d love to know how it goes and how you think it could develop! Imagine a script which followed the whole curriculum featuring your students and the vocabulary/grammar you teach!

Casa Botín

62.2KB ∙ PDF file

Download

A script created by ChatGPT based on the prompts above. Character names are generic so you can hopefully try and use it in class.

Download

Edition 83 throwback.

Just a little reminder that if you, like me, are currently teaching/learning about regional identity then go and read edition 83! Other similar themed editions are:

• Boletín 37 - Regional languages

• Boletín 43 - Gastronomíá

• Boletín 50 - Festivales

Regional stereotypes

Ocho Apellidos Vascos is on the AQA specification so I feel less bad about sharing below the stereotype map of Spain (made by Buzzfeed I hasten to add). Although a lot of the references on the map go straight over my head I use it in conjunction with a really interesting adjective table (below) from the book Estereotipos de las nacionalidades y regiones de España to introduce Spain in a more light-hearted way.

Download the student friendly newsletter printout.

Boletin 108 Newsletter

667KB ∙ PDF file

Download

A student-friendly print out for your A Level class.

Download

Download edition 108 here.

Ollie

❤️

Dreamlike cathedrals, beautifully fortified palaces, caves full of 35,000 year-old paleolithic art, Roman ruins, natural parks, mountain-top monasteries, important museums and galleries. Spain is home to some of the most visisted attractions worldwide and the list is endless.

Hello Spanish teachers and learners!

I’ll begin with everybody’s new favourite online plaything ChatGPT describing the diversity of things to do in Spain in the style of a pirate because por qué no?

Arrrrr mateys! Spain be a land full of treasures beyond yer wildest dreams. The grub be top-notch, with delectable delicacies at every turn. And the history be rich and varied, from ancient ruins to grand castles. The art be world-renowned, with masterpieces by the likes of Gaudí and Picasso. And the sports be intense, with events like the running of the bulls. But that's not all, mateys - the natural beauty of Spain be breathtaking, with stunning beaches, mountains and islands just waiting to be explored. So come on down to Spain and see it all for yerself! Arrr!

You read that in a pirate voice didn’t you?

Boletín 102 is an issue I promised before Christmas and features three texts on three culturally important and veyr popular attractions in Spain:

1. The Alhambra.

2. The Sagrada Familia.

3. The Guggenheim Museum.

The exam style question this week is a gap-fill.

If you would like a recently updated index of topics and exam style questions (the latter has come in with interventions) then head on over here.

For my new subscribers on Substack (👋) who may be wondering what they’ve subscribed to:

1. Thank you for subscribing! I hope you stick around. I’ve recently moved here from Revue and much prefer it over here. If only I had discovered it sooner!

2. These newsletters complement a resource which can be freely downloaded here. You will need to create an account but in doing so you will gain access to over 100 A Level Spanish newsletters covering topics such as Spanish regional identity, the Spanish Civil War, immigration, politics, education and employment, identity, traditional and modern values and lots more. Ample compensation for signing up.

If you don’t fancy signing up then the texts can be read below 👍

Some of my newsletters will go into some depth and some will be shorter, this is one of the shorter ones because I’ve all just started back at school after a few weeks off and time is precious.

Off on a slight tangent, but whilst I remember, it’s about this time of year that I look forward to teaching year 7 about all the things you can do in Spain besides the obvious.
I’ve narrowed it down to 70 things. We plan a holiday to Spain (with a budget) cramming in as much as we can covering gastronomy, history, sports, relaxation, culture and fun stuff. For TES users that lesson can be found here for free. Although this lesson was made for my year 7s it could easily be adapted for use with KS4 and KS5 learners. I’m currently working on an interactive genial.ly with background information for each icon so watch this space for an update.

The texts this week are below. Source text one on La Alhambra can be found here. The text on La Sagrada Familia is here and the Guggenheim text is here.

Grammar in context to find:

• The imperfect tense.

• A superlative structure.

• The present tense.

• The passive voice (ser + past participle).

• Adjectival agreement.

• Past participles acting as adjectives.

• Relative pronoun quien.

• The present perfect tense.

• Direct object pronouns.

• Estar where location is referenced.

A Level structures and vocabulary:

Be aware of the very common false friend éxito which in Spanish means success. This has appeared on many a WJEC A Level exam paper as well as AQA.

As explored in the last edition the verb convertirse appears again not once but twice! Once in the preterite tense and once in the present perfect. Click here to view a conjugation grid for this very high-frequency A Level verb.

Download edition 102.

That’s all for this week!

Ollie 💃

P.S Next edition will feature an interview with Dr Ana Maria Sanchez-Arce (author of The Cinema of Pedro Almodóvar) about all things Volver.

Download link, as ever, at the bottom.

Good afternoon all,

Edition 90 is ready to download and this week Boletín hit a massive milestone. Over 500,000 downloads!

Edition 90 is based on la tauromaquía which is what I am currently studying with my year 12s. This will go well with the sub-topic La tauromaquía bajo la lupa from the Hodder A Level book.

Text one is about el bono cultural. I had no idea this was a thing but what a great iniative by el gobierno español. It seems all young people turning 18 this year will recieve 400 euros to spend on culturally enriching activities. However, there are some restrictions. read more in edition 90! The remaining articles are on young people’s attitudes towards los toros and el Patrimonio Cultural of which la tauromaquía forms a part of.

The exam style question this week is another set B speaking task. I am lookign forward to seeing what my year 12s come up with for the questions below:

¿En qué gastarías el bono si vivieras en España?

¿Te gustaría ir a un espectaculo taurino?

¿A los jóvenes les interesan los toros?

Grammar to be look out for in edition 90:

• Relative pronouns

• The imperfect tense

• The future tense (irregulars)

• Adjectival agreement

• U for or when the following word starts with an o

• Subjunctive non-triggers with affirmative, non-doubtful adjectives

Download here.

Ollie