Seven ways to learn vocabulary for IB Spanish B

Having a developed vocabulary is an important aspect of studying any language. Whether you are at the beginning of your IB Spanish B studies or approaching your exams this article will help you identify techniques to expand your Spanish B vocab. The seven ways to learn vocabulary for IB Spanish B have been extracted from the previous edition of our Peak IB study guide Spanish B SL & HL written by Helena Matthews. An updated edition of the study guide is now available.

IB Spanish B vocabulary – advice to get you started

Building up your vocabulary is one of the hardest things and, unfortunately, this is where you just need to devote time to old fashioned learning and memorising. When it comes to learning vocabulary for IB Spanish B, take a look at the syllabus information in the introduction and work out whether you will need to produce it (e.g.: in an oral or in writing) or whether you just need to recognise it (eg: in a reading comprehension). This will determine whether you should actively learn it (how to spell it, how to pronounce it) or passively learn it (you would remember it in context or be able to guess at its meaning if you saw it). There will be words you don’t know and so you just need to develop strategies for dealing with unfamiliar words within context, be prepared for the unexpected, and try not to panic. If learning from lists is just not your style, try some of the ideas below.

There is also a lot you can do to increase your range of vocabulary and cultural awareness by reading online, as this is the quickest way to access material from the widest variety of sources. Try the culture oriented sections of online newspapers and magazines. When you do a past paper reading comprehension, look at the end of the text for the source – it’s often a website and this can give you a clue for the types of websites that the examiners browse!

Seven ways to learn vocabulary for IB Spanish B

1. You can learn difficult or impressive words in the context of a sentence:

• “la mujer Española tiene que compaginar el trabajo, la familia y las tareas domésticas”

2. You can use the old-fashioned method of writing out a list, then doing “look, say, cover, write, check”:

3. You can group and learn words according to their root:

• la inmigración – un inmigrante – inmigrar

• el deporte – un deportista – las instalaciones deportivas

4. You can make crosswords and word searches for yourself or revision partner using: this free puzzle maker from Discovery Education.

5. You can go through your essays highlighting common or repeated words (eg tener) and try to find more interesting ways of saying things:

6. You can make flashcards with a topic picture on one side and a spider diagram or list of associated words on the other:

7. You can learn surprisingly long lists of words when practising with a friend by orally testing each other (especially if there is a chocolate prize for the person who remembers the most…)

Continuing with your Spanish B revision

When it comes to revising, being organised is key. Identifying which of the strategies above works best for you and then building vocabulary practice into your study / revision schedule will help you to develop a range of words that will help you demonstrate comprehension and proficiency in your Spanish B exams. Refer back to this article throughout your study and exam preparation to see whether additonal techniques can help you expand your vocabulary further. For additional guidance on mastering IB Spanish B, you can also check out our article Understanding and using accents in IB Spanish B.

Study guides by Helena Matthews