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DECEMBER 2014
Revising for Modern Languages
Advanced Higher
Revising for Modern Languages
Much of what we need are skillsWe don’t have formulae, dates and equationsWe do have verbs!We also have casesWe have to revise for:ListeningReadingTranslationWriting
Listening
This is very much a skill, which you get better at with practice. So:
Watch films and listen to music as much as you can, preferably with sub-titles or text in the language: look at the suggestions
Listen to every past paper you can, then listen again with the transcript, to train your ear to hear
Use all the Scholar listening material, then listen again with the transcript revealed
Look at the level of difficulty of the Scholar material: start at level 1, then move on
Listening
Try taking notes in the target language sometimes as practice
Use the language in the transcripts as a source of preparation for your writing
Remember that at AH, one of the listenings will be two people expressing different points of view, so get used to listening to dialogues, where both points of view matter
Once you have done a listening past paper, save it and revisit it
Listening
http://french.about.com/od/radio/http://www.scoop.it/t/enseignement-et-apprenti
ssage-en-fslhttp://www.pimsleurapproach.com/resources/
german/useful-links/german-radio-stations/http://german.about.com/od/radio/http://spanish.about.com/od/radio/http://www.pimsleurapproach.com/resources/
spanish/useful-links/spanish-radio-stations/http://learningspanishlanguage.weebly.com/
spanish-tv-and-radio-stations.html
Reading
Reading is another skill: practice again is really important.
At Higher, you are only looking for nuggets of information: Advanced Higher needs longer answers, although they still come in order
Think of it as a guided translationDevelop your dictionary skills!Try the Scholar texts as sources of language
which are at the right level for you
Reading
Find newspaper articles on subjects you are covering in school or are interested in to practice reading on
Take chunks of the foreign language, and try to put together a resume of what it says in your own words. Use Google translate afterwards to give you a rough translation so you can see how you have got on.
Take a past paper text, and without using a dictionary, but using the questions, highlight what you think the key points are: then use an AH marking scheme to see if you are right
The inferential question at Advanced Higher
the question is always a 'do you think' or 'what is the author's opinion' question. The answer you find by reading the whole text (Now take the article as a whole. How does the author view…?)
start with an opinion: it is necessary for the first mark, and if you do not give one you will get no marks!
look for arguments for and against your opinion: you need both
The inferential question at Advanced Higher
use the language of argument: this implies: we gain the impression: the author wants us to see: although, however, on the other hand, etc
refer to particular lines: in line 52-53 we can see (do not quote in the language: paraphrase in English) and then explain what this means or why it has been written
give as many examples as you have time for! (3 for and 3 against, if you can)
Dictionary skills
It will take you around 45 seconds on average to look up a word in the dictionary: try the test posted on the discussion pages to see how long you take!
That means looking up 20 words in a passage will take you 15 minutes. You only have 45 minutes to answer all the questions!
Get faster at using the dictionary, practise using the one you will take into an exam
Use a dictionary which is right for the taskMuch of the meaning in a sentence is conveyed by
the verb: get used to identifying where the verbs are, by highlighting them
Translation
Look at the PowerPoint on translationTake small chunks out of past papers and try
putting them into English: these texts are set at the right level for you. Ask your teacher to look at your versions, or get the marking schemes from the SQA website if you use the actual translation: the last five years are available at:
http://www.sqa.org.uk/pastpapers/findpastpaper.htm
Put in subject and level
Translation
Use the Scholar material as a way of practicising and being able to check your versions
When in Scholar, on the left you will see ‘Resources’, and within that ‘Activities’. Click on there and scroll down till you see translation exercises.
You will be led to texts which you can study, then try the translation.
Compare your answer with the exemplar given.
Writing
Advanced Higher directed writing is all about structure and argument
Think of your writing as a discursive essaySit and write plans for topics you have
covered in classYou cannot simply learn by heart some essays
and hope to find one of them fitsWhat you can do is have a lot of language
ready for certain topics and be prepared to adapt them to fit the topic in question
Writing
It is unpredictable! There will be a choice of topics, and you will have covered some of the areas
Choose some areas you find more interesting, and have plans ready for these
Some topics are almost always thereHave a lot of opinion phrases ready, and be
prepared to adapt them to fit the topic in questionMost important is to put a structure in place:
good practice is to look at a past paper, then write a plan for your essay
Discursive Writing StructurePara 1 An introduction to the topic: rephrasing the
question, saying what you are going to look at
40 words
Para 2 Argument 1 Counterargument 1 70 words
Para 3 Argument 2 Counterargument 2 70 words
Para 4 Argument 3 Counterargument 3 70 words
Para 5 Conclusion 40 words
Total 250 -300 words
ReadingPara 1 An introduction to the topic: rephrasing the
question, saying what you are going to look at40 words
Para 2 Argument 1 Counterargument 1 70 words
Para 3 Argument 2 Counterargument 2 70 words
Para 4 Argument 3 Counterargument 3 70 words
Para 5 Conclusion 40 words
Total 250 -300 words