JC Spanish flashcards

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

Main idea question

An interpretive item asking what a source is mainly about or why it was produced. Answer from the source's overall purpose, not from one isolated detail mentioned in the audio or text.

Listening twice strategy

The AP audio is played twice. First pass: identify topic, register, and speaker purpose. Second pass: confirm names, numbers, dates, and the answer to each question.

Self-correction cue

Phrases like digo, mejor dicho, or perdón signal the speaker is revising a statement. The corrected version, not the first one, is the intended answer.

Register markers in audio

Tú and vosotros mark informal address; usted and ustedes mark formal address. Vos is regional, used in Argentina, Uruguay, and parts of Central America, not a formality level.

Inference from tone

Some listening items ask what the speaker implies. Correct answers follow from word choice, hesitation, or intonation and must be supported by what was actually said.

Approximation markers

Words like unos, cerca de, aproximadamente, and más o menos signal an inexact figure. Distinguish these from exact numbers, which are frequent distractors in listening items.

False friends

Words that resemble English but differ in meaning: actual (current), realizar (carry out), asistir (attend), largo (long), éxito (success), sensible (sensitive).

Contrast connectives

Sin embargo, no obstante, and por el contrario signal a shift or opposition in an argument. They often mark where the author's real position appears.

Conclusion connectives

Por lo tanto, por consiguiente, así que, and en definitiva introduce a result or summary. They usually precede the sentence that answers a main-idea question.

Pronoun antecedent check

For lo, la, le, su, este, and que, find the noun they refer to and verify gender and number. Reference items are answered by tracing back, not guessing.

Genre signals purpose

Identifying text type first guides interpretation: an advertisement persuades, a news article reports, a literary excerpt narrates, and an infographic compares data visually.

Reading charts and infographics

Read title, axis labels, units, and legend before the data. Questions usually ask for a comparison or trend rather than a single raw number.

Email reply length

The interpersonal writing task asks for roughly 60 to 75 words in about 10 minutes. Every question in the prompt email must be answered for full task completion.

Formal email opening

Estimado señor or Estimada señora plus a colon for unknown or professional recipients. Use tú openings such as Hola plus name only when the prompt is informal.

Formal email closing

Atentamente, Cordialmente, or Un saludo cordial close a formal reply. Un abrazo and Nos vemos are informal and fit only a friendly prompt.

Answering all prompt questions

Before writing, list each question or request in the prompt email. Each one needs an explicit response; an unanswered point lowers the task-completion score.

Email connectives

Además, sin embargo, por eso, ya que, and aunque link ideas and raise the language score. Short disconnected phrases do not show the syntactic range being scored.

Essay source integration

The argumentative essay must cite both the print and audio sources, using phrases like según el artículo and la fuente auditiva indica, and use them as evidence for a thesis.

Thesis statement

A single clear sentence stating your position on the prompt question. It belongs in the introduction and every body paragraph should support it with source evidence.

Counterargument paragraph

Acknowledging an opposing view with si bien es cierto que and refuting it with no obstante demonstrates synthesis and raises the argumentation score.

Essay length and timing

About 200 words in roughly 55 minutes. Read and annotate sources first, outline the thesis, write, then reserve minutes to check agreement and verb tense.

Formal essay register

Avoid tú, slang, and contractions. Prefer impersonal constructions such as se observa, cabe señalar, and es evidente que to maintain academic tone throughout the essay.

Simulated conversation timing

Each turn gives about 20 seconds to respond aloud, across roughly five or six turns. Responses must address the specific prompt to earn task-completion credit.

Turn-taking fillers

Use Spanish hesitation sounds such as bueno, pues, and este instead of English or silence. Silence loses the turn and lowers the language score.

Closing a speaking turn

End each turn with a clear closing phrase such as Nos vemos, Entonces quedamos así, or Gracias so the examiner knows your response is complete.

Polite refusal formula

Lo siento, pero no puedo porque... plus a reason and an alternative, such as ¿Te parece si lo hacemos otro día? Declining without a reason does not complete the task.

Cultural comparison length

The presentational speaking task lasts about four minutes. Use the full time with a clear introduction, one section per community, and a conclusion comparing them.

Products, practices, perspectives

The three culture categories: products (art, food, laws), practices (rituals, celebrations, routines), and perspectives (values, beliefs, attitudes). Use them to frame the comparison.

Comparison connectives

Mientras que, a diferencia de, al igual que, del mismo modo, and en cambio structure a cultural comparison and make similarities and differences explicit.

Avoiding stereotypes

Describe differences neutrally with se suele and en mi comunidad, naming a specific country or practice. Treating Spanish-speaking cultures as one monolith weakens the response.

Vos vs vosotros

Vosotros is informal plural in Spain. Vos is a regional singular used in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and parts of Central America. Ustedes is plural everywhere in Latin America.

Spanish official status

Spanish is official in 21 countries, including Equatorial Guinea in Africa. It is co-official with Guaraní in Paraguay and is the co-official language of Puerto Rico.