IB Spanish B HL flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Register in reading texts

The level of formality a text adopts, signalled by address form (tú/usted), vocabulary, contractions and sentence complexity; identifying it helps answer purpose and audience questions.

False friends: actual

Spanish actual means current or present-day, not English actual. Similarly largo means long, éxito means success, and embarazada means pregnant; these are common comprehension traps.

Scanning versus skimming

Skimming reads quickly for gist and text type; scanning searches for one specific item such as a date or name. Reading questions usually require scanning after an initial skim.

Inference question strategy

Choose the option supported by implication, not by literal wording. Eliminate answers containing absolutes (siempre, nunca, todos) or information true in the text but unrelated to the question stem.

Text-type recognition cues

Headline plus byline signals an article; first-person voice plus reader address signals a blog; subheadings plus impersonal se signals a report; salutation plus closing formula signals a letter.

Tone vocabulary in Spanish

Useful adjectives for tone items: irónico, sarcástico, crítico, nostálgico, humorístico, objetivo, persuasivo, informativo, reivindicativo. Match them to evaluative adjectives and irony markers in the text.

Two-listening approach

First listening establishes topic, speakers, setting and register. Second listening confirms details, numbers and final opinions, since speakers often mention then reject an option.

Distractor correction markers

Phrases such as bueno, en realidad..., no, eso fue el año pasado, or mejor dicho signal that an earlier statement is being corrected; the later version is usually the answer.

Discourse signposts in listening

Markers like por un lado, sin embargo, en cambio, además, por lo tanto and en resumen reveal how ideas connect and where a speaker's final position lies.

Regional vocabulary variation

Carro, coche and auto all mean car; ordenador and computadora mean computer; jugo and zumo mean juice. Regional differences appear in audio but do not change the underlying answer.

Seseo and voseo

Seseo pronounces c/z as s, common in Latin America and parts of Spain. Voseo uses vos with forms like tenés instead of tienes. Neither alters comprehension of content.

Numbers in spoken Spanish

Spanish uses a comma for decimals and a point for thousands. Forms change with gender and number: veintiuno/veintiún, cien/ciento, doscientos/doscientas. Listen for the final figure.

Gap-fill grammar check

Before writing a listening answer, check that the word agrees in gender and number with the surrounding phrase and fits the required part of speech, such as noun, verb or adjective.

Formal letter opening

Open with estimado/a señor/a or estimados señores, state the purpose in the first sentence, develop points in paragraphs, and close with atentamente or cordialmente plus a signature.

Article structure conventions

An article needs a title, an engaging opening, body paragraphs each developing one idea, and a closing reflection or call to action, written in third person or inclusive nosotros.

Report impersonal style

Reports use headings, an objective tone, and impersonal or passive constructions such as se observa, se detecta, cabe señalar, followed by findings and recommendations.

Blog voice conventions

A blog uses a catchy title, first-person voice, direct address to the reader, informal connectives, rhetorical questions and often an invitation to comment.

Cohesion connectives

Vary linkers rather than repeating one: además, asimismo, sin embargo, no obstante, por consiguiente, en primer lugar, por último, en definitiva. Repetition weakens the organization mark.

Consistent address form

Choose tú or usted at the start and keep it throughout, matching verb forms, pronouns and possessives. Mixing forms breaks register and costs language marks.

Task 1 word count

HL task 1 typically prescribes 250 to 400 words. Falling well short limits development of points; exceeding it wastes time and can weaken organization and accuracy.

Argumentative thesis

A thesis is the single position the text defends, stated in the introduction and restated in the conclusion. Without it the response becomes description rather than argument.

Counter-argument move

Concede with es cierto que or si bien, restrict with sin embargo or ahora bien, then refute with evidence. This three-step move demonstrates range in argumentative writing.

Hypothetical structures

Use si plus imperfect subjunctive plus conditional (si se invirtiera más, disminuiría), es probable que plus subjunctive, and ojalá plus subjunctive to raise grammatical range.

Claim plus support

Every claim needs a reason, example or consequence. Vague intensifiers like muy or totalmente are weaker than precise qualification with data or concrete illustration.

Lexical chains

Repeat key concepts through synonyms, such as jóvenes, adolescentes and la juventud, so paragraphs cohere without mechanical repetition of one noun.

Topic sentence placement

Place the topic sentence first in each body paragraph, then justification and example. One idea per paragraph keeps the argument traceable for the examiner.

Oral presentation structure

Contextualize the extract, describe what happens, analyse language and theme, link to the whole work, and offer a brief personal response, all within about five minutes.

Literary analysis terms

Key terms include el narrador, el punto de vista, el protagonista, el conflicto, el tema, la metáfora, el símbolo, el tono, el clímax and la estructura narrativa.

Analysis versus retelling

Retelling summarizes plot; analysis explains how language creates effect and meaning. Support interpretation with short quotation or paraphrase from the extract rather than plot summary.

Oral interaction strategies

Ask for clarification with ¿podría repetir?, buy time with bueno, déjame pensar, and reformulate in Spanish rather than switching to English when a word is missing.

Subjunctive triggers

Use the subjunctive after doubt or emotion (dudo que, me alegra que), value judgments (es importante que), future time conjunctions (cuando llegue) and ojalá or quizá.

Ser versus estar

Ser marks identity, origin and inherent traits; estar marks location, temporary states and results of change. Compare es cansado (boring person) with está cansado (tired now).