Exam dates 2012

Tuesday 1st May S Grade Spanish

Thursday 10th May S Grade French

Thursday 24th May Higher and Inter 2 French

Friday 1st June Higher and Inter 2 Spanish

Standard Grade Revision - French

The worst thing you can do is not revise or leave everything until the last minute. Give yourself a chance to build up and consolidate your knowledge. There are lots of things you can do at home to prepare for exams.

1.Learn and revise vocabulary thoroughly.
Unavoidable, but think of it as a part of your routine and not a chore. Spend around 10 minutes a day on a manageable topic/chunk of vocabulary. It is a straightforward task and can help you ‘change gear’ between two longer pieces of homework.

2.Vocab revision need not be boring
There are lots of resources where you can learn French in an interactive way and these sites are not just for younger pupils. Your teacher has a list of useful sites and some are linked to in previous posts.

You can also team up with a friend and test each other out – memory games, compete with each other. Share what works for you with others in your class.

You could use techniques such as Mind Mapping, or anything else that has worked for you in other subjects.

The key is finding the correct balance for you.

3.Don’t forget your S3 work.
Vocabulary from S3 can come up too. Locate your materials and review your work. Copies of your booklets are available online. There are TEN topic areas in all and you come across other frequently occurring vocabulary when you do past papers.

4.Listening
These papers usually contain less complicated language but words sound different to what you would expect. Try to listen to French while reading what you hear in French. This helps you get used to how the language sounds. You could use
- past papers on the SQA site (once you have done them in class). Start with the Foundation papers, read the transcripts (text versions of what you hear) while listening to the MP3 file.
- sites for French learners like BBC sites like The French Experience AND Ma France
- sites aimed at school pupils e.g. The Ashcombe School

5.Reading
Although you have a dictionary for this exam, you should ensure that you don’t waste time looking for vocabulary you should be familiar with. Revise your vocabulary!

You can also review essential grammar at home as this will help you with how to word your answers (e.g. knowing the difference between the past, the present and the future.) There are online resources to help you e.g. Languages Online (also good for vocab).

Spanish

Some resources to be getting on with, particularly for S3 Spanish.

You can access on online copy of your vocab sheet here. You can also access other useful vocab lists.

Atantot has some really useful exercises.

Learn Spanish

I'll update this list as and when I come across sites.

Revision S4 (and S1)

S4 are only two weeks away from prelims. Remember that some of them, French Listening included, will take place before official exam leave. Click on the label SG Revision for tips and links to revision sites. However, I do expect that you should already be revising a little each evening - don't forget all your previous hard work! Your vocab booklets should help and, should you have lost yours, try

Green book.

Red book.

In each case you will need to supplement this with work you have done in class and vocab that you have encountered in past papers.

Don't forget to click on the label SG revision for many more hints, tips and places to revise.

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S1: if you have lost your copy of the vocab the Blue book is what you are looking for.

A few reminders

S3 Spanish: You have a written folio piece to learn by heart and complete on Monday 24th October. This was prepared and, if not corrected in class, you were asked to leave it to be corrected and collected by the end of Thursday 13th October.

S2 French You have Reading and Listening to prepare for. This is on module 5 and covers everything we have gone over so far. 2X1 should be ready for Tuesday 25th October and 2Y4 will do theirs on Thursday 27th October.

H and Intermediate 2 French Language NABs in Reading and Listening from Wednesday 26th October.

Exam dates 2011

Good luck to all candidates for all of your exams. Continued revision and practice will help you approach the exams with confidence. You might also find guides like BBC Scotland Revision Tips useful.

Exam Dates

Standard Grade French - Wednesday 11th May

Standard Grade Spanish - Wednesday 25th May

Higher and Intermediate 2 French - Tuesday 17th May

Higher and Intermediate 2 Spanish - Thursday 2nd June

Standard Grade Revision

This should be well underway. You have worked hard for Speaking assessments and to complete Writing folios, so make sure that it doesn't all go to waste. The exams for French will take place on the 11th May 2011. It might seem like a long way off but, in fact, exam leave will be here before you know it!

You will need time to identify what you need to do most urgently and plan accordingly. This is best done as soon as possible.

Look over your work from S3 and S4 and use the vocabulary sheets we provided. Some of your revision time should be chunked up for vocabulary learning - the 'little and often' approach usually works best but you should know what works best for you by now. You also need to practise Reading tasks and ensure that your dictionary skills are up to scratch.

I have already made a list of recommended sites but feel free to tell me about any more you come across.


A few pointers for Listening

Pupils are often unsure as to how to prepare for this element and find these tasks hardest to do well in. The vocabulary isn't necessarily more difficult, but it can sound a lot different to what you might expect.

There are things you can do.

Adverse Weather etc: what to do at home.

If you are unable to come to school because of adverse weather or any other unexpected circumstances there are still things you can do, once any homework is completed. For instance:

* Revise vocabulary recently done in class
* Review recent work and check you still understand.
* Prepare for any tests that may be coming up.
* Practise at any of the sites I have recommended on the blog or in class.
* Check the school website for any updated information that may have been given.

Some of the things you should be doing may depend on the time of year or your stage of study.

S1 and S2
Useful websites for now include
A tantot - you have been given a copy of the username and password. If you are in the middle of a Spanish block, there are also exercises here you can do.

Wild French - There are exercises to help you with the vocabulary topics you have looked at in class.

S3 and S4
You should revise using your vocabulary sheet in the first instance.

You may have Writing or Speaking assessments to prepare for and/or learn.

Click on the labels SG or SG revision for a list of sites.

France Live sheets provide useful reading/cultural awareness exercises which you can also mine for vocabulary.

S5 and S6
Again, look over current and previous work in class.

If you have a copy of the H or Int 2 pack, look over any exercises the teacher has not done in class.

Take some time to revisit any Listening exercises already done in class - this time listen to the clip while reading the transcript in order to familiarise yourself with pronunciation.

SCHOLAR - it is important that you use this as you work your way through topic areas - your teachers can and do check how often you use this.

Check for any previous instructions, advice and website recommendations on this blog.

Reminder: S4 pupils

Last-minute cramming does not work for Modern Languages. Revision for exams should be well underway. Look at small chunks of your topic areas and extra vocabulary looked at in class for a short time every day.

Click on the labels SG and SG revision for advice on revising for the exam.

S4 Reminder

Supported Study is available to my classes on Monday lunchtimes starting at 1:15.

SG Revision

Revision for prelims should be well underway.

Mr Cunningham has recommended sites for S4 pupils to use.

Green book.

Red book.

In each case, info is for six out of the ten chapters so you will need to supplement this revision.

Don't forget to click on the label SG revision for many more hints, tips and places to revise.

H/ Int 2 Class

Don't forget the homework you have been set this week. For help with irregular verbs in the present tense, look at http://french.about.com/od/grammar/a/topverbs.htm or any of the other sites I have suggested.

Do remember when preparing the homework I have given that all pupils who have been through French from S1 to S4 are expected to know a basic level of vocabulary by now!

Also, those who were absent before the holidays are expected to go over regular -er, -ir and -re verbs in their own time but can ask for help if needed.

Higher/Int 2 French 2010-2011

It is strongly recommended that you look over the work you did in class in June. So far we have looked at:

Grammar

We have spent time going over the present tense. We have covered:

• regular -er verbs


• regular -ir verbs


• regular -re verbs


• some common irregular verbs: aller, avoir, être and faire


• adjectives

Topics

• descrptions of people


• relationships with family and friends

Coming Up

• more about family, friends


• school and future plans


• we will be watching and writing in French about the film Amélie (as a NAB)

Reminder: Study day

The Modern Languages department is having a morning of extra revision for its Higher French pupils tomorrow, Friday 14th May in the Library.

Also a reminder that you all have a stock of preparation for the Listening/Writing paper, perhaps filed differently or forgotten about once March was over!

Other useful sites I've come across:

Podcasts with exam tips - well worth the time.

Reading practice

Listening practice - scroll to the bottom of the page

Holiday Homework

As warned promised:

Have a look here (2008): Faut-il rétablir l'uniforme à l'école?

1. How do those against the school uniform describe it? (2)

2. What does the author say in defence of the uniform? (2)

3. Is it becoming more or less popular? (1)

4. (lines 17 on). What potential advantages does it have? (5)

5. What causes this 'violence'? (2)

6. (lines 36 on) How does the author conclude the article? (3)

7. Find in French: opponents; abroad; save the life of; bullying; brand-name trainers

8. Write the English for: ancienne; terrain; auquel; tenter; lutter

Revision

I'm sure you're sick of hearing it but it is true: you cannot expect to rely on last-minute cramming to get you through. This applies to any subject, of course, but it really is particularly true for Modern Languages. You should already have started revising at home.

Things to remember:

• Work from both years of Standard Grade can and will be important.
• Vocabulary is best learned in small chunks.
• Find exercises appropriate to the level you are sitting.
• 'Easy' topics like numbers, time, subjects etc are the things that can trip you up.
• Sites aimed at GSCE students are at the correct level of language for you but their exams are different to yours. Vocabulary lists will be suitable.

Previous posts sharing the same labels have lists of websites pupils have found helpful in the past. Other sites I've recommended recently vary from the basic to the more challenging.

A tantôt (login required) and A tantôt Extra (interactive exercises include Fling the Teacher)

La France Bis - exercises in Listening, or you can listen and read at once to familiarise yourself with the sounds of French.

Français Extra

Le Point du FLE - especially Interactive vocab games

Word Prof - aimed at GCSE and A-level.

Let me know if you come across any I should add.

Not sure how to prounounce words?

This site Miss Mula told me about might help.

• Type in what you want to say - correctly! If you make a mistake, it won't pronounce it properly.
• I'd type in a document, with correct accents and paste it in to the box.
• Select language as French (or Spanish or which you want) or the lanaguage you have typed in.
• Adjust the speed.
• You are give the option of embedding this in an email or web page.

Remember, though, results can only be as good as the work you put in to it.

Au supermarché

Higher Speaking

Speaking is worth 25% of your overall Higher result. You will have to carry out a speaking assessment around the start of March (date still to be confirmed): this assessment will consist of a presentation by you, with a follow-up discussion with your teacher. The assessment has to be recorded and may be sent off to SQA for assessment/moderation. This Speaking assessment will also count as the Speaking assessment for the Language Unit (NAB). You can choose any topic area in the course.

Presentation

The presentation must last for up to two minutes and is worth 10 marks. You will be allowed to use notes consisting of 5 headings of up to 8 words each.

You will be able to prepare this topic well in advance and learn it so that you can be absolutely sure of what you want to say. Your French should be accurate and you should use a variety of tenses and structures. You must be sure to go beyond the ideas, structures and vocabulary expected at Standard Grade, as discussed in class. There should be a clear beginning, middle and end. Expressing your opinions is essential, and you should also include reasons for some of these opinions.

Your talk: Dos and Don'ts

Choose a topic you feel comfortable with but one that allows you to show off what you know. Make sure that it allows you to express a range of opinions and language. You may want to base your talk on a small area of a topic, allowing you to expand on this and talk about this topic in a wider context in the discussion. For example, if you chose education, you could talk about the the importance of learning a foreign language and how you could promote this in school. This could naturally lead on to topics like careers, future plans and travel in the conversation.

As you can have up to five headings, (5 cue cards?), one way might be to structure your talk in to three to five parts. If you get mixed up in one part, your cue cards could help you get back on track. Once your talk is planned and structured, focus on your language. You should be sure that you:

• understand everything you intend to say.
• use previous classwork to help you. This is all at the appropriate level for you.
• include a variety of structures and ideas. Useful phrases have been brought to your attention throughout the course and you should have collected these in your vocab section.
• vary tenses and include complex phrases (again, using your vocab section) but make sure you are comfortable with this language.
• record the corrected version/final redraft well in advance.

There are also things you need to avoid, most of which you should know about already. For example:

• don't leave everything until the last minute. If you do, you make life more difficult for yourself and also for others.
• don't stick to 'safe' language. Simple may be easier but it will not get a good grade. Pick out phrases from your vocabulary.
• don't make lists or repeat language excessively.

Follow-up discussion

This is worth 15 marks and usually lasts around 5 minutes. While this is NOT prepared in advance, you will have some element of control over how the conversation proceeds. It should be like any other spontaneous conversation (except in French!). Questions could begin by picking up a point raised in your presentation but the remainder will go far beyond this.

You can and should remain in control throughout e.g. by giving detailed answers to your questions, that naturally to a further question or even by asking a question of your own. Short answers will prompt even more questions, and also give you less of a chance to 'show off' and get a good grade.

Again, try to vary your language and not simply stick to familiar structures and vocabulary.

Please note that this is a discussion, e.g. a conversation! It should flow and not be entirely one-sided. If you do get stuck, you can ask for help in French (asking your teacher to repeat, for instance) without it counting against you. Have a few useful phrases in mind just in case!

Higher: Something to think about over the break

Don't forget the impending deadlines noted in your diaries!

As we have been working our way through the Lifestyles unit, we have looked at the following topic areas:

* Family, Friends and Society
* The role of the individual in Society

I would ask that you treat page 11 of booklet A as a checklist; if you missed anything through late entry in to the class or for any other reason, it is worth completing the exercises and looking over each language point you're not sure of. The relevant SCHOLAR pages will also help and provide instant feedback.

At this point, I have to stress again that there is absolutely no substitute for learning the vocabulary!

If you're finding your workload challenging, use the break to think about how you manage your time given that you do get an appropriate amount of homework in all of your subjects. If you found recent class tests challenging, you need to look at the way you go about learning new words and phrases. Small chunks and often usually works best; I've also recommended finding ways of incorporating them in to your writing and speaking activities. There are more suggestions on a poster on my classroom door.