Working to help others (Edexcel GCSE Spanish): Revision Notes
Working to help others
Key vocabulary for community service
Understanding how to talk about helping others and community work is essential for discussing your future plans and current activities.
Mastering this vocabulary will help you express your experiences with community service and discuss your plans for helping others in both speaking and writing tasks.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ayudar | to help |
| trabajar | to work |
| la gente | people |
| pobre | poor |
| enfermo/a | ill, unwell |
| mayor | elderly |
| pasear | to walk |
| los/las ancianos/as | the elderly |
| los/las niños/as | children |
| la calle | street |
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el/la vecino/a | neighbour |
| descansar | to rest |
| el hospital | hospital |
| necesitar | to need |
| el banco de alimentos | food bank |
| cuidar | to look after |
| el cuidado | care |
| el hogar | home |
| recuperar(se) | to recover |
Example sentences in context
- Ayudo a los ancianos en el centro comunitario = I help elderly people at the community centre
- Trabajo como voluntario en el hospital = I work as a volunteer at the hospital
- Cuido a los niños de mi vecina = I look after my neighbour's children
- La gente pobre necesita nuestra ayuda = Poor people need our help
Grammar focus: expressing duration with "llevar"
When you want to say how long you have been doing something, Spanish uses a special structure with the verb llevar.
Structure: llevar (present tense) + time period + present participle (-ando/-iendo)
This structure is completely different from English - you cannot translate it word for word!
How it works
The verb llevar combines with time expressions to show ongoing actions that started in the past and continue now. This is similar to the English "have been doing" structure.
Worked Examples: Using llevar for duration
- Llevo dos semanas trabajando aquí = I have been working here for two weeks
- Lleva tres días ayudando en la cocina = He/She has been helping in the kitchen for three days
- Lleva seis meses cuidando a su abuela = He/She has been looking after her grandmother for six months
Time expressions to use
Remember these key time expressions:
- dos semanas = two weeks
- tres días = three days
- seis meses = six months
- un año = one year
Reading comprehension: voluntary work
When reading about people's voluntary work experiences, look for key information about:
Strategic Reading Approach:
- Where they work (hospital, food bank, care home)
- What they do (help, care for people, prepare food)
- How long they have been doing it (using llevar + time)
- Why they do it (to gain experience, help others)
Example text analysis: A person wanting to become a doctor might volunteer at a care home to gain experience. They serve meals to residents and make hot drinks. This shows their commitment to helping others and gives them valuable experience for their future career.
Translation practice
Worked Examples: Spanish to English
- Llevo tres meses trabajando en el banco de alimentos = I have been working at the food bank for three months
- Ayuda a los ancianos en el hogar = He/She helps elderly people in the care home
Worked Examples: English to Spanish
- I have been helping in the kitchen for two weeks = Llevo dos semanas ayudando en la cocina
- We work with poor people in the street = Trabajamos con gente pobre en la calle
Study strategies for vocabulary learning
Building your vocabulary systematically will improve your exam performance and help you express complex ideas about helping others.
Effective techniques:
- Learn 20 words at a time regularly rather than cramming large lists
- Read, memorise, then cover the English translations and write the Spanish
- Test yourself frequently or ask someone to quiz you
- Record English words and play them back while saying the Spanish equivalents
- Practice both directions: record Spanish words and shout out the English translations
Active practice methods:
- Create sentences using new vocabulary in different contexts
- Link words to personal experiences of helping others
- Group related vocabulary together (hospital words, care home words, etc.)
Exam tips
Critical Exam Strategies:
- When completing reading comprehension tasks, look for key words in the questions first
- Time expressions with llevar often appear in listening and reading exercises
- Practice translating both ways - Spanish to English and English to Spanish
- Remember that context clues can help you understand unfamiliar vocabulary
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- Helping vocabulary covers people (ancianos, niños), places (hospital, hogar) and actions (ayudar, cuidar)
- Llevar + time + present participle expresses ongoing duration: "have been doing"
- Study systematically with small vocabulary groups and regular testing
- Context matters - link new words to real situations involving community service
- Practice translation in both directions to build confidence for exam tasks