That most controversial aspect of Spanish life, la corrida de toros, was up for debate on the Leaving Cert higher-level Spanish paper. Students were asked to write their opinions in the form of a letter to a newspaper.

Ms Chantal Villa Mulcahy, who teaches in Mount Mercy Convent, Cork, said the higher-level written paper was challenging but well received. At ordinary level, there was a good choice of topic in a well laid out paper, she said.

The ASTI's national Spanish, convenor, Ms Maire Ni Chiarba praised the extract from the prescribed text, Bibiana y su mundo. Also at higher level, she said the journalistic text about young love was very engaging. The text in section B, violence in school was topical - and she liked the text being on a loose leaf so students could refer to it easily.

The president of the Spanish Teachers Association, Ms Ann Harrow, said she was pleased with both higher- and ordinary-level papers. However, at ordinary level, there were some difficult parts in the comprehensions, she said.

The ordinary-level paper was fine, Ms Ni Chiarba said, but students who didn't understand the word ciego (blind) would have had difficulties with answering questions (a) and (c) on page 4.

There was mixed reaction to the listening-comprehension tape. Ms Mulcahy said higher-level students found the pace of the tape fine except for the questions on the Titanic and the weather forecast. "There wasn't enough time between sections - however the introduction of a pause in the second reading is very good," Ms Mulcahy said. Ordinary-level students, listening to the same tape, found it too fast, but the questions were fair.