TEST YOUR SPANISH LEVEL

https://app.oncoursesystems.com/school/webpage/11182624/2599125

Tips for Preparing for the ALTA Test:

• Practice Speaking: Regularly practice speaking in English, focusing on fluency and clarity. 
• Review Grammar and Vocabulary: Ensure you have a solid understanding of basic grammar and vocabulary. 
• Listen to English: Listen to English podcasts, music, or news to improve your listening comprehension. 
• Read English Materials: Read books, articles, or newspapers in English to expand your vocabulary and improve your understanding of different writing styles. 
• Take Practice Tests: Familiarize yourself with the test format and types of questions by taking practice tests. 
• Focus on Communication: The ALTA test assesses your ability to communicate effectively, so focus on expressing yourself clearly and concisely. 
• Be Prepared to Discuss a Variety of Topics: The test will cover a range of topics, so be prepared to discuss a variety of subjects. 
• Practice Translation: If your test includes a translation section, practice translating sentences and paragraphs. 
• Practice Interpretation: If your test includes an interpretation section, practice interpreting from English to the target language and vice versa. 
• Review ALTA's Website: Check ALTA's website for specific information about the test format and content. 

Practice Tests

https://altalang.com/language-testing/preparing-for-your-test/

To help you prepare for the ALTA test, here are some practice questions covering various topics, including routine actions, describing situations, and expressing opinions, as well as some tips for preparation. 

Here are some practice questions:

• Routine Actions:

• "What do you usually do on a typical weekend?" 

• "Describe your morning routine." 

• "What do you do to relax after work?" 

• Describing:

• "Tell me about a place you recently visited." 

• "Describe a person you admire and why." 

• "What are some of your favorite hobbies and why?" 

• Stating a Preference:

• "What is your favorite season and why?" 

• "Do you prefer reading or watching movies, and why?" 

• "What is your favorite type of music and why?" 

• Explaining an Opinion:

• "Do you think social media is a positive or negative influence on society?" 

• "What are your thoughts on the importance of education?" 

• "Do you believe that everyone should learn a second language?" 

• Role-Playing/Courtesy:

• "What would you say if you needed to ask someone for directions?" 

• "How would you introduce yourself to a new colleague?" 

• "What would you say if you needed to ask for a glass of water in a restaurant?" 

• Narrating in the Past:

• "Tell me about a memorable event from your childhood." 

• "What was your favorite vacation, and what did you do there?" 

• "Describe a time when you had to overcome a challenge." 

• Describing Near Future Activities:

• "What are your plans for next weekend?" 

• "What are you looking forward to in the next few weeks?" 

• "What are some things you will do this summer?" 

• Describing Far Future Plans:

• "What are your long-term career goals?" 

• "Where do you see yourself in five years?" 

• "What are some things you hope to achieve in the future?" 

• Asking Questions:

• "What questions would you ask a tour guide before going on a tour?" 

• "What questions would you ask a doctor during a check-up?" 

• "What questions would you ask a restaurant host when making a reservation?" 

YOUR SPEAKING

 Make sure to be complicated in how you speak. While every language exam (and rating system) is slightly different, things you should try to do:

• Show you can manage the past tense equally as well as the present
• Show you can use counterfactual/hypothetical statements
• Show you can use paragraph-level discourse
• Show you can switch between registers of the language

IME, many native speakers will often score low because even though they certainly can do the first two, they most naturally will use the present tense for most things. Just force those things into whatever you say: the exams are rarely looking at the content of what you say, but how you say them. (exception: extremely high level exams, e.g., aiming for superior in ACTFL, a 4-5 in ILR or C-level in CEFR, but most jobs don't require you to test that high).

If you're not used to the third, practice it ahead of time. An easy way is "X is an interesting topic. I will approach from it two angles, A and B. Beginning with A … and now in reference to B … and given A and B, conclusion". That's not the only way, but it's good practice for holding on to multiple ideas in your head at once.

For showing multiple registers, that's really not going to be anything you can practice a lot before time if you don't already know how to do it.

Helpful Hints to Correct Common Mistakes

•  Gender of some nouns usually of Greek origin are masculine:

• “Pedir” versus “Preguntar”

“Jorge me pidió mi número de teléfono y me preguntó si yo quería ir a la fiesta”

Jorge asked for my phone number, and asked me if I wanted to go to the party.

•  “Pero” versus “Sino” (use "sino" with negative sentences)  

• “Porque” versus “a causa de (que)” Never begin a sentence with "porque" 

• Preposition + infinitive:  Any verb after a preposition is always written in the infinitive  

• Proper use of verb “Haber”: Hay, había, hubo, habrá, habría, va a haber, pudo haber, etc. 

• "Shortened" words (algún, ningún, primer, tercer, mal, etc.) before a masculine singular noun.

•     Commands - especially affirmative and negative "tú" with reflexive verbs;

           i.e., acuéstate, no te acuestes; péinate, no te peines

•     Passive voice, especially with adjectives as past participles.

           "The letter was written by Mary." La carta fue escrita por María.

•  “Sentarse” versus “Sentirse”  

•  “Vez” versus “tiempo” when both mean "time"

            "How many times did I tell you?" ¿Cuántas veces te lo dije?

            "How much time do I have left?" ¿Cuánto tiempo me queda?  

• “Llevar” when it means to take a person somewhere.

•  “Para” versus “Por”  

•   Special words that take a preposition; i.e, soñar con, enamorarse de, 

        entrar en, casarse con, salir de, tratar de, etc.

•  “Mirar” versus “Buscar”   

•  Verbs like Gustar with object pronouns:

•  Uses of “soler” plus an infinitive. (Only used in present or imperfect.)       

      "I am used to getting up at 5:00 am” Yo suelo levantarme a las 5:00 am. 

        "I was used to running on Sundays." Yo solía correr los domingos.

•  Use of the words “gente” and “familia” they are feminine singular nouns.                                                                                                                                                                
•   “Seguir, Salir, Ir, Andar & venir” with -ndo forms and structures like:

• Irregular spellings car, gar, zar. Pay attention to preterit and commands:

            “Yo busqué a Rosa anoche”, “Busque a Jorge”, “No lo busque”

            “Yo pagué el alquiler”, “Pague la cuenta”, “No la pague

            “Yo empecé el proyecto”, “Empiece a escribir”, “No empiece todavía”

•  “Como si” plus past subjunctive.

“Mi profesor me habló como si yo fuera idiota”  My teacher talked to me as If I were  an idiot.

•  Uses of subjunctive

       impersonal expressions, doubting, forbidding, hoping)

•  Subjunctive with persons of doubtful existence.

 “Necesito una persona que sepa hablar alemán”

 “No hay nadie que sepa hablar Chino”.

•  Sequence of conditional tenses:

       "I would go to the game if I had the time"    Iría al partido si tuviera tiempo.

       "I will do it if you come with me"                 Lo haré si tú vienes conmigo. 

        “I would have told you if I could have”       Te lo habría dicho si hubiera podido

•       Subjunctive with para que, hasta que, a menos que, etc.

      “Toma esta carta para que se la des a tu madre” Take this letter to give to your mother.

       “No podrás salir hasta que no termines el examen” You will not be aloud to leave

       until you finish the test.

• Addressing a person directly

¿Cómo está usted, señor Gómez? 

• Addressing a person  indirectly(el señor, la señora, etc.) Use the article  THE. Like when talking about someone:

   María. ¿Cómo está el señor Gómez? 

•  Irregular past participles (abierto, visto, puesto, dicho, escrito, hecho, muerto, etc.)

•  “Solo”, “Sólo” versus “Único”

      "Ella solo (solamente) tiene $2,00”                She only has $2,00.

            “Él va sólo a la fiesta”                                    He goes alone to the party

"Tú eres la única persona que me”                 You are the only who can 

     puede ayudar                                                 help me.

            “Él  es hijo único”                                          He is an only child

            “Él es el único niño que me conoce”              He is the only child who knows me.

• Review all verb tenses, especially subjunctive, and all irregular verbs.