Aural - Una Noticia (News) Notes | Leaving Cert Spanish

Listening comprehension is worth 20% of your Higher Level grade (80 of the 400 marks). It is a separate component from the oral examination, which is worth 25%. The recording lasts roughly 40 minutes and is played immediately after the written paper. News and current-affairs items usually appear among the later, longer questions on the aural paper, but they are not tied to one fixed number — a short news flash can appear early on and an extended report later. Work from the printed English title of each item rather than its number. A radio news bulletin presents rapid, formal speech detailing events, accidents, weather emergencies, local disputes, or human-interest discoveries. All answers must be written in English or Irish. Success at Higher Level demands extracting specific factual data, recognising passive and indirect reporting structures, interpreting European numerical conventions, and answering higher-order questions on tone, speaker attitude, and implicit inferences.

The News Broadcast: Format, Short Flashes, and Listening Strategy

A radio news report is structured to deliver the most essential information immediately in the headline, followed by background causes, official reactions, and upcoming steps.

Narrative Structure of a Report

The Headline (el titular): The opening sentence states the core event (what happened, where, and to whom), usually using the preterite or present perfect (ha ocurrido, se ha producido).
The Background (los antecedentes): The report explains conditions and causes (a causa de, debido a), often using the imperfect tense for ongoing context (hacía mal tiempo, había mucho tráfico).
Official Statements (declaraciones): Journalists quote authorities, emergency services, or eyewitnesses using indirect speech (según la policía, el portavoz aseguró que).
Current Status and Next Steps (la situación actual): The closing remarks describe hospitalisations, repairs, or planned measures (se espera restablecer el servicio).

Short Announcements and News Flashes

Not all broadcast items are full four-part stories. Earlier questions on the paper often present 20-to-30-second announcements, such as cultural events, sports notices, or service alerts. These short items usually contain one main fact paired with an instruction, condition, or prohibition. Listen specifically for:

Instructions and prohibitions: se ruega a los asistentes que... (spectators are asked to...), no se permite... (it is not permitted to...), está prohibido distraer a los participantes (it is forbidden to distract the participants), or se recomienda llegar con antelación (you are advised to arrive early).
Practical conditions: la entrada es gratuita (admission is free), hay que reservar con antelación (you must book in advance), or más información en la página web (more information on the website).

Because these announcements are brief, keep your English answer concise and retain every qualifying condition (for example, write 'distract the participants while they are playing', not merely 'distract people').

Reading Window + Playbacks Strategy

The rubric printed at the start of each section tells you how many times that item will be played. It is not the same for every section, so check it before the audio starts.

The Reading Window: Read the questions thoroughly. Write the question focus and count right beside the text in pencil (for example: 'why – 1 reason', 'mention two things', 'Give full details – 3 items'). This concrete habit stops you settling for a half-answer.
First Playback (Gist and Sequence): Follow the narrative arc. Identify the people involved, the setting, and the primary incident. Jot down rough facts, names, or figures in the margin without rushing to formulate polished sentences.
Second Playback (Answering): Write your answers in clear English or Irish. Match each question directly to its moment in the recording. Ensure every 'why' question receives a genuine cause rather than just an outcome.
Final Playback or Pause (Checking): If the section has three playings, use the third to verify figures, qualifiers, and spelling. If a section is played only twice, use the first playback for gist and rough notes, the second to write and complete your answers, and the timed pause afterwards to polish your wording.

Answering Rules and Proper Nouns

Write one short, specific sentence per mark in English or Irish, using the concrete words heard on the tape. If an exam question asks 'Mention two things', supply exactly two and make them your two strongest points. Never hedge by writing 'it was either the roof or the party' — an examiner cannot award a guess, and an alternative incorrect answer can cancel a correct one. If you have only a partial detail, write it down anyway, as partial credit can still be awarded.

For proper nouns, write the name as you hear it. Examiners accept a recognisable phonetic spelling of a Spanish name or town, but if the speaker spells out a word (se escribe con hache), write down the exact letters immediately.

Journalistic Grammar: Passives, Impersonal 'Se', and Indirect Speech

News language highlights events and outcomes rather than the person performing the action. Recognising these patterns prevents you from confusing the victim with the perpetrator or cause.

True Passive Voice (la voz pasiva)

The true passive uses ser + past participle + por. It reverses normal word order: the person or object receiving the action comes first, while the entity performing it follows por.

Un ciclista fue atropellado por un camión. (A cyclist was knocked down by a lorry.)
Dos senderistas han sido rescatados por los bomberos. (Two hikers have been rescued by firefighters.)

In your English answer, name the agent only if the question asks who did it. If the question asks 'What happened to the cyclist?', write 'He was knocked down by a lorry'. Never reverse the two: the cyclist was hit, not the lorry driver.

Note that past participles in passive constructions agree in gender and number with the grammatical subject (rescatados, evacuadas). By contrast, past participles after haber in compound perfect tenses never change (han rescatado).

Impersonal and Passive 'Se' (el se impersonal)

Broadcasters regularly state facts without naming any specific agent:

Se han encontrado cajas con dinero antiguo. (Boxes with old money have been found.)
Se investigan las causas del accidente. (The causes of the accident are being investigated.)
Se espera que las obras terminen en verano. (Work is expected to finish in the summer.)

Indirect Reporting Verbs (Estilo Indirecto)

Official updates and witness accounts are introduced through reporting verbs followed by que:

El portavoz afirmó que... (The spokesperson stated that...)
La policía confirmó que no hubo heridos. (The police confirmed that nobody was injured.)
El alcalde anunció que el concierto se aplazaría. (The mayor announced that the concert would be postponed.)

The conditional tense (se aplazaría) functions here as a future-in-the-past, describing an action that was upcoming at the moment the announcement was made.

Numbers, Dates, Percentages, and Accents

Leaving Certificate marking is positive: marks are awarded for correct factual details. If you write the wrong figure, you simply do not earn that mark, so numerical accuracy is critical.

European Numerical Punctuation

In Spanish writing, the functions of the full stop and the comma are inverted compared to standard English usage:

Full stops mark thousands: 40.000 euros means 40,000 euros (forty thousand euros, not forty).
Commas mark decimals: 3,5 millones means 3.5 million.
Spanish mil millones translates into English as one billion (1,000,000,000).

Percentages and Statistical Change

News reports regularly detail demographic, financial, or climate statistics:

El veinte por ciento (20 %): 20 per cent.
Ha aumentado / ha subido un 15 %: Has risen / increased by 15%.
Ha descendido / ha bajado: Has fallen / decreased.
Se ha duplicado: Has doubled.
La mitad / un tercio: Half / a third.

Collective Quantities, Dates, and Years

Translate collective quantities exactly as they stand:

Una decena de coches: About ten cars.
Un centenar de personas: About a hundred people.
Un millar de firmas: About a thousand signatures.
Media docena: Half a dozen.

For dates and historical years, listen for the full century breakdown:

El 12 de octubre: 12 October.
En mil novecientos noventa y ocho: In 1998.
En dos mil veinticuatro: In 2024.
Un hombre de 34 años: A 34-year-old man.
A principios / mediados / finales de mayo: At the beginning / middle / end of May.

Always preserve qualifying words in your English answer: más de (more than), menos de (less than), al menos (at least), and unos / unas (about / approximately).

Latin American Spanish in Broadcasts

News stories are frequently set in Latin America or feature Latin American speakers. In most Latin American accents, c before e or i, along with the letter z, is pronounced like an English 's' (el seseo). This means cincuenta (50) and sesenta (60) sound closer together; listen for the middle consonant and use the context of the sentence (a price, an age, or a speed) to sanity-check the figure.

In addition, vosotros is not used; you will hear ustedes with a third-person plural verb even in informal settings. Common regional lexical variants include el carro (car, alongside el coche), manejar (to drive, alongside conducir), la plata (money, alongside el dinero), el boleto (ticket, alongside el billete), and la cuadra (street block). The factual story content is what is being examined, so do not let an unfamiliar regional accent distract you.

Thematic Vocabulary for News and Current Affairs

Broadcast bulletins draw on specialised vocabulary grouped around recurring themes. Master these high-frequency terms in four core clusters:

1. Emergencies, Weather, and Public Safety

El suceso: An incident (accident, emergency, or crime). It is a false friend; it does not mean 'success' (which is el éxito).
Los heridos / los fallecidos: The injured / the deceased. Keep these strictly separated; never translate los heridos as deaths.
Dar el alta médica: To discharge from hospital. Contrast with ingresar en el hospital (to admit to hospital).
El rescate / rescatar: Rescue / to rescue.
La ola de calor / la sequía: Heat wave / drought.
El temporal / las inundaciones: Severe storm / flooding.
El incendio forestal: Forest fire / wildfire.
Desalojar / evacuar a los vecinos: To evacuate residents.
Los daños materiales: Property damage.
Cortar la carretera / quedarse sin luz: To close the road / to be left without electricity.

When weather causes disruption, keep cause and consequence separate in your answer: Debido al fuerte viento, el ayuntamiento ha cerrado los parques means 'Because of the strong wind (cause), the council has closed the parks (action)'.

2. Council, Residents, and Civic Disputes

El ayuntamiento / el consistorio: The town hall / city council.
El alcalde / la alcaldesa: The mayor.
El portavoz / la portavoz: Spokesperson.
Los vecinos: Local residents / neighbours.
La queja / la denuncia: A complaint / a formal complaint made to the authorities (to the council, or a report made to the police in crime stories).
Aplazar / posponer: To postpone / to delay. This means putting back to a later date, distinct from cancelar (to cancel outright).
Limitar el horario / el aforo: To limit operating hours / venue capacity.

3. Crime and Courts

Detener / el arresto: To arrest / the arrest.
Darse a la fuga: To flee the scene / hit-and-run.
El ladrón / el robo: Thief / robbery, theft.
La multa / multar: Fine / to fine.
El testigo: Witness.
El juzgado / el juez: The court / the judge.

4. Money, Heritage, and Culture

El billete / la moneda: Banknote / coin.
Los ahorros / la herencia: Savings / inheritance.
El premio / el sorteo: Prize / lottery draw.
El hallazgo: The discovery / find (e.g. uncovering hidden banknotes or relics).
Arreglar el tejado / cumplir un sueño: To fix the roof / to fulfil a dream.
Los antepasados / los descendientes: Ancestors / descendants.
Emigrar / instalarse en: To emigrate / to settle in.
El acontecimiento: A major or notable event (a festival, historic anniversary, or sports fixture).
Celebrarse / inaugurar: To take place / to officially open.
Las entradas agotadas: Sold-out tickets.

Implicit Inferences, Tone, and Speaker Attitude

Leaving Certificate Higher Level questions regularly evaluate Behavioural Objectives II.2 (abstracting implicit inferences) and II.3 (relating language to attitude). These questions ask 'How do we know...?' or require you to identify an individual's emotional reaction.

The Two-Part Attitude Formula

When an exam question asks how someone feels or what their attitude is, write a two-part response:

State the specific emotion or stance in English (e.g. angry, relieved, proud, critical, supportive, frustrated).
Quote or describe the concrete audio evidence: cite the exact action, phrase, or factual behaviour heard on the tape that proves that emotion.

For example, if an audio report states: «Estamos hartos. Llevamos tres años pidiendo un paso de peatones y nadie nos escucha», declaró una vecina, your answer should state: 'They are fed up / angry and frustrated (estamos hartos), because they have been asking for a pedestrian crossing for three years and nobody is listening.' Writing only 'they are angry' without the supporting fact risks losing the evidence mark.

Key Lexical Signals for Tone and Attitude

Relief and satisfaction: afortunadamente, por suerte, por fin tenemos una solución (relief after prolonged difficulty).
Anger and indignation: indignados, hartos, ya no pueden más, es una vergüenza, injusto (strong disapproval of civic neglect or unfair rules).
Pride and cultural loyalty: el orgullo, orgulloso de, mantener las tradiciones, celebrar sus raíces.
Concern and worry: preocupados, temen que, una situación alarmante.
Support and approval: celebran la propuesta, apoyan la iniciativa, aplauden la decisión.
Opposition and rejection: se oponen a, rechazan la medida, han presentado una queja.

Deducing Implicit Inferences

Inference questions demand concrete proof of behaviour rather than vague summaries. If asked 'How do we know the family feels proud of their Spanish heritage?', and the audio mentions that they celebrate Spain's national day on the 12th of October and display Spanish flags during international football matches, your written answer must specify those exact actions. Writing 'because they love Spain' earns no credit.

Key terms

Una noticia: A broadcast news report testing listening comprehension on current affairs, events, causes, outcomes, and speaker attitudes.
El titular: The headline or opening sentence of a broadcast that summarises the core event.
El suceso: An incident, event, accident, or crime. It is a false friend and does not mean success (which is 'el éxito').
El acontecimiento: A significant, notable, or celebratory event, such as a festival, royal visit, or historic milestone.
La voz pasiva: The passive voice formed with 'ser' + past participle + 'por', placing the recipient of the action before the agent who performed it.
El se impersonal: A grammatical construction using the pronoun 'se' with a third-person verb to state actions without identifying an agent (e.g. 'se investigan las causas').
El portavoz: A spokesperson who issues official statements on behalf of public bodies, emergency services, or organisations.
El ayuntamiento: The local city council or town hall, responsible for local bylaws, public services, and permits.
Aplazar: To postpone or put back an event to a later date. It is distinct from 'cancelar' (to cancel outright).
Dar el alta médica: To medically discharge a patient from hospital, confirming recovery. It is the opposite of 'ingresar' (to admit).
Darse a la fuga: To flee the scene of an incident, crime, or road traffic accident.
El hallazgo: A discovery or find, frequently used in human-interest reports regarding hidden money, relics, or historical items.
Los heridos / los fallecidos: The wounded or injured versus the deceased. In news reports, these casualty categories must never be confused.
Give full details: An SEC examination rubric requiring the candidate to state every coordinating factor, reason, or condition mentioned in the audio.
In English or Irish: The mandatory answering regulation for the Leaving Certificate Listening Comprehension paper; answers written in Spanish receive zero marks.

Check yourself

What percentage of the overall Leaving Certificate Spanish Higher Level examination is allocated to Listening Comprehension, and what is its mark weighting?
Listening comprehension is worth 20% of the total marks (80 marks out of 400), separate from the oral examination which is worth 25% (100 marks).
How do you know how many times an audio item will be played during the examination?
The rubric printed at the start of each section on the examination paper specifies whether that item is played two or three times.
Translate the sentence into English: 'Las quejas han aumentado un 30 % desde finales de mil novecientos noventa y nueve'.
Complaints have risen / increased by 30% since the end of 1999.
A news clip states: «Estamos hartos. Llevamos tres años pidiendo un paso de peatones y nadie nos escucha», declaró una vecina. What is the residents' attitude, and what is their reason?
They are fed up / angry and frustrated ('estamos hartos') because they have been asking for a pedestrian crossing for three years and nobody is listening to them.
In a broadcast reporting that 'el senderista ha sido localizado por la Guardia Civil', who was found and who found them?
The hiker (el senderista) was found (the victim/recipient of the action), and the Civil Guard (la Guardia Civil) found them (the agent following por).
Explain the difference in meaning between 'el suceso' and 'el acontecimiento' in broadcast Spanish.
'El suceso' refers to an incident, emergency, accident, or crime report (a false friend, not 'success'); 'el acontecimiento' refers to a major, notable, or celebratory public event.
What is the difference between 'ingresar en el hospital' and 'dar el alta médica'?
'Ingresar en el hospital' means to be admitted to hospital as an inpatient; 'dar el alta médica' means to be officially discharged or given the medical all-clear.
In a news report from Latin America, why might 'cincuenta' and 'sesenta' sound very similar, and how should you distinguish them?
Due to seseo, both 'c' and 's' are pronounced as an English 's'. Distinguish them by listening for the middle consonant ('nc' in cincuenta vs 's' in sesenta) and using the surrounding context.

Aural - Una Noticia (News)