Spanish Language Bowl

General Instructions

A. A team must consist of five members; teams will not be allowed to compete with fewer than five members. Once the competition has begun, there can be no substitutions.

B. All questions will be asked in Spanish and will be appropriate to each level.  All questions will be selected at random from a pool of questions consisting of the following types of questions in the proportions indicated:

40% grammar (including morphology and syntax).

EX: Ponga esta frase en el pretérito: "Ando hasta la plaza."
ANS: Anduve hasta la plaza
EX: Ponga el verbo "saber" en el presente del indicativo en la forma "yo,".
ANS: Sé

2nd Year: Present indicative, presente progressive and preterite verb tenses

3rd Year: Present indicative, present progressive, preterite, imperfect, future, and present perfect verb tenses

4th Year: All tenses

20% geography, history, culture and current events.

EX: ¿Cuál es la capital del Perú?
ANS: Lima
EX: ¿Cuál fue la fecha del descubrimiento de América?
ANS: 12 de octubre de 1492
EX: ¿Quien pintó "Vista de Toledo"?
ANS: El Greco
EX: ¿En qué país hay mariachis?
ANS: México
EX: ¿Dónde mandan los sandinistas?
ANS: Nicaragua

40% vocabulary, modismos

EX: ¿Cómo se dice en español "the umbrella"?
ANS: El paraguas
EX: ¿Cómo se dice en inglés "echar de menos"?
ANS: To miss

C. Before starting the competition, the team will give the Language Bowl Entry Form to the moderator.

D. Due to the number of participating teams, it is important that you check the schedule upon arrival.  It will be posted at several locations throughout the building.  You must have your team in the proper room by the time the competition is scheduled to begin.  Those teams not in place at the proper, exact hour, will forfeit.

E. The actual game will proceed as follows.  All questions will be answered by individuals.  Each team will have a “Jeopardy” style, handheld buzzer that will be passed from teammate to teammate, always to the right (except of course, when the player on the far right passes it to the teammate on the far left).

1.) LEAD-IN QUESTIONS:   “Lead-in” questions are worth two points and involve a player from each team.  The first player to buzz in will get the first chance to answer.

a)     If the answer is correct, both teams pass the buzzer to the right and the buzzer-holder on the team which answered correctly will have the first chance at a bonus question.

b)     If the answer is incorrect, the buzzer-holder from the other team gets a chance to answer.  If correct, both teams pass the buzzer to the right and the buzzer-holder on the team which answered correctly will have the first chance at a bonus question.

c)     If both players give an incorrect answer, both teams pass the buzzer to the right, and the next question will be another "lead-in" question.

2.) BONUS QUESTIONS:  “Bonus” questions are worth one point. 

a)     The buzzer holder on the team which answered the lead-in question gets the first chance to answer.  After answering the question, whether correctly or incorrectly, the player’s buzzer is passed to the right.  (If the answer was correct, the opposing team does NOT pass its buzzer, and the next question will be a “Lead-in” question.)

b)    If the first player’s response is incorrect, the buzzer-holder from the other team gets a chance at the question.   After answering the question, whether correctly or incorrectly, the player’s buzzer is passed to the right.  (Followed by a “Lead-in” question.)

F. TIME LIMIT..  On “lead-in” questions, the first player to buzz in must give an answer immediately.  If the answer is incorrect, the second player will have only 7 seconds to begin an answer after hearing the question repeated.  A player has 7 seconds to answer a “bonus” question.  If a player does not meet these guidelines, the answer will be judged as incorrect.

G. If the game time expires while a question or answer is being given, the moderator will allow play to proceed until the end of the question.

H. At the end of the playing time (10 minutes), the team with the most points will be declared the victor and will advance to the next round of competition.

I. In case of a tie at the end of the allotted time period, the first team to answer a lead-in question correctly will win.  THERE WILL BE NO BONUS QUESTIONS in the overtime period!

J. The decision of the moderator is final.  Teachers or students who perceive there has been an error should report it to Amy Orf, who is overseeing this year's competition.