IB Language ab initio first assessment 2020; Spanish focus
Spanish ab initio is the explicit beginner focus, not Chinese or a universal language course. Themes: identities, experiences, human ingenuity, social organization, sharing the planet. No HL course.
SL only: writing Paper 1 60 min 25%, listening/reading Paper 2 50%, visual-stimulus individual oral 25%. Two writing tasks of 70–150 words each in the current course. Future 2029 course stays separate.
Identities; social organization · Spanish introductions and agreement
Me llamo gives your name; soy describes identity or role. ¿Cómo te llamas? asks a familiar person's name.
Spanish adjectives often agree in gender and number: un libro nuevo, dos casas nuevas.
Checked example
Soy estudiante works without adding a gender ending to estudiante in this phrase. La casa es nueva uses a feminine singular adjective.
Change to las casas son nuevas when both noun and description become plural.
Limits and practice
Not every noun ending predicts gender, and not every adjective changes for gender.
Learn articles and useful phrases with words; do not translate each English word mechanically.
Which phrase correctly describes two new houses?
Answer: Dos casas nuevas.
Experiences; daily life · Spanish routine, time and purposeful messages
Present-tense verbs describe routines: estudio, vivo, tengo. A las ocho gives a clock time.
A simple message should state why you write, the arrangement and any action needed from the reader.
Checked example
Hola, Ana. Nos vemos el jueves a las cuatro en la biblioteca. ¿Puedes traer el libro? gives day, time, place and a request.
For the current exam, expand the relevant task content within the 70–150-word range instead of repeating the greeting.
Limits and practice
The short model is a teaching sentence, not a complete exam-length response.
No listening recording is provided here; teacher-supplied Spanish audio and live interaction remain necessary.
Where will the meeting take place in the model?
Answer: En la biblioteca: in the library.
Sharing the planet; oral · Spanish visual description and cultural comparison
Hay means there is or there are. Location phrases such as al lado de and delante de place objects.
Build from description to a supported interpretation, then a specific cultural comparison studied in class.
Checked example
En la foto hay tres personas en un mercado. Están al lado de una mesa can describe an original classroom visual.
A follow-up about food can use me gusta or prefiero with a reason, while avoiding claims about every Spanish-speaking country.
Limits and practice
A cultural connection needs a specific place or practice and reliable learning material.
Spanish differs from English B; this beginner course does not meet another language's vocabulary, grammar or listening requirements.
Which sentence states a visible detail rather than an unsupported assumption?
Answer: En la foto hay tres personas.