The new AQA GCSE Spanish specification (8692) is now being taught, with the first exams taking place in May/June 2026. The course remains linear, but the assessment now places greater emphasis on pronunciation, spelling, dictation and spontaneous communication.
Teachers should introduce exam-style practice early rather than waiting until the final revision term.
Exam structure
The four skills are equally weighted:
- Listening: 25%.
- Speaking: 25%.
- Reading: 25%.
- Writing: 25%.
Students must take the same tier—Foundation or Higher—for all four papers.
Main changes
Listening: dictation
The listening paper now includes dictation. Students hear a short passage and write down exactly what they hear. This tests:
- Listening comprehension.
- Spelling.
- Grammar.
- Sound-to-spelling links.
- Accurate transcription.
The Foundation dictation contains at least 20 words, while the Higher dictation contains at least 30 words. Regular short dictation activities can help students build confidence.
Speaking: read aloud and spontaneous answers
The speaking exam includes a read-aloud task and an unprepared conversation. Students need regular practice with pronunciation, rhythm and intonation.
The role-play instructions are provided in English, and students must ask a question. They also need to develop answers during the photo-card and conversation tasks, rather than relying only on memorised scripts.
Useful classroom activities include:
- Short read-aloud tasks.
- Pronunciation practice using weekly vocabulary.
- Spontaneous follow-up questions.
- Sentence-building activities.
- Regular question practice.
The three themes
The AQA GCSE Spanish specification is organised into three main themes. People and lifestyle covers identity and relationships, healthy living and lifestyle, and education and work. Popular culture includes free-time activities, customs and celebrations, and celebrity culture. Communication and the world around us focuses on travel and tourism, media and technology, and the environment and where people live.
These themes are assessed across all four papers, so students should regularly revisit vocabulary and grammar in different contexts.
Planning effective lessons
A strong scheme of work should include:
- High-frequency vocabulary.
- Pronunciation and phonics.
- Dictation and transcription.
- Translation practice.
- Authentic texts such as emails, messages and notices.
- Structured writing.
- Spontaneous speaking.
- Regular retrieval practice.
- Foundation and Higher tier activities.
For example, a lesson on la vida sana could include vocabulary retrieval, a short dictation, a reading text, a spontaneous speaking question and a structured writing task.
Practical advice
To prepare students for the new exams:
- Start dictation practice early.
- Include read-aloud activities regularly.
- Teach sound-spelling links explicitly.
- Use short, everyday texts.
- Ask follow-up questions during speaking tasks.
- Encourage students to give opinions with reasons and examples.
- Recycle vocabulary across different themes and skills.
- Use AQA’s vocabulary lists, sound bank and sample assessment materials.
- Give students regular practice at the appropriate tier.
- Focus on flexible communication, not only memorised answers.
The new AQA GCSE Spanish specification requires students to do more than recall prepared answers. They need to listen carefully, decode unfamiliar language, pronounce Spanish clearly, transcribe accurately and respond meaningfully in real time.
For teachers, the most effective preparation is likely to be consistent and cumulative. Small amounts of dictation, pronunciation, translation and spontaneous speaking practice throughout the course can help students develop the confidence and flexibility needed for the new assessment.
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Always check the latest AQA specification and assessment materials when planning your course.
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