LEAVING CERT SPANISH:STUDENTS WELCOMED "balanced and straightforward" papers in yesterday's exams. Máire Ní Chiarba, ASTI representative and Spanish teacher in Coláiste an Phiarsaigh, Cork, said that students and teachers were pleased with both higher and ordinary level papers.

"Overall it was a very relevant, interesting paper, and from what I heard from students after the exam, there was nothing negative to say about it," she said.

The reading comprehensions were interesting for students, with topics like the prohibition of mobile phones in a school in Valencia, and making career decisions.

Mercedes Arevalo, Spanish teacher in Yeats College, Galway, said that some students found the first comprehension on the prohibition of the use of mobile phones the most challenging part of the higher level paper.

"Students would have required a good level of vocabulary to answer the questions on this text and some might have struggled with it," said Ms Arevalo.

Ms Ní Chiarba said that Section B in the higher level paper on climate change was challenging, but interesting.

In Section C there was a choice between a dialogue and a letter for students. Ms Ní Chiarba said that a lot of students would have plumped for the dialogue option as they would have had lots of preparation in it from the oral exam.

Ms Arevolo said the ordinary level paper was quite accessible and that students were happy.

Ms Ní Chiarba said that the ordinary level paper got a good reaction from students, but that there were some complaints.

The third reading comprehension in Section A may have caused some problems. "I found the third reading comprehension about a bridge collapsing after torrential rain was quite challenging and quite a difficult text for ordinary level students," said Ms Ní Chiarba.

Students were pleased with the listening comprehension at both higher and ordinary level, particularly with the pace of the speakers.