Revising for Languages exams

Bonjour!

你好！

Guten

Abend!

Parent Power: Take the phone

away!

Key Dates

• French and Chinese Speaking PPE just before Christmas. German Speaking PPE early January

• Actual GCSE Speaking w/c 27th April. Intensive revision day in the week before

• French Listening and Reading: 12th May

• French Writing: 15th May

• German Listening and Reading: 18th May

• German Writing: 5th June

• Chinese Listening and Reading : 20th May

• Chinese Reading: 5th June

Parent Power: List

on the fridge!

Parent Power: check

attendance!

Revision Sessions offered

• Revision classes– Masterclasses:

• Chinese: Friday lunchtime masterclass after half-term

• German: Fridays after half-term 3-4pm. Two sessions – ask staff which is best for you

• French: Lunchtimes, ask your teacher which session

– Easter Revision classes: focus on speaking

– Chinese Half-Term revision session. (Writing)

On the school website

• French/ GCSE Revision

• German/ GCSE Revision/GCSE Revision

• Chinese/ GCSE Revision– Speaking exam practice

– Writing exam practice

– Past papers and mark schemes

– Tips and techniques

– Taskmagic games

– Vocabulary lists

– Revision timetables

Parent Power: display revision

timetable!

Speaking Exam – 25%

• 25% of the final grade.

• Unlike CA in recent years, no rote learning and no second chances.

• Students must attend on the examination day at the listed time

• Speaking practice materials on L drive in GCSE revision folders

• Students in French and German have ‘green book’ with speaking exam preparation

• Students have a list of key phrases that will help them with the photo and role play cards

Parent Power:

Listen to them

practise!

Writing exam – 25%

• Check what is required on the paper (L Drive, make notes)

• All the materials for the speaking exam are also relevant here

• Revise verb conjugations• Check common mistakes from marking and target

sheets and eliminate them• Practise writing timed answers regularly • Mark your answers against the structures grid in

exercise book• Check them for mistakes using the proof reading

skills taught in class

Parent Power: show

interest!

Listening and Reading Exams

• Listening exam 25% (Chinese 20%)

• Reading exam 25% (Chinese 20%)

• Two key aspects

• Vocabulary

• Exam techniques

Vocabulary Learning

• Little and often

• Active techniques

• Aim for 14 new words a week, linked to the exam

• Sources:– Text book

– Vocab books

– Games on revision areas of school website

– Revision websites

– Leitner box

Parent Power: offer to

test them!

Useful websites• Linguascope www.linguascope.com

– Login: billericay– Password: students should know this, ask teacher if not– Use ‘intermediate’ section– Has comprehension exercises as well as vocab

• Memrise www.memrise.com– Free– Students create own password so progress can be tracked– Builds up vocab learning systematically– Use AQA GCSE French/ German or BC L5th 2014 GCSE Chinese

• Conjuguemos www.conjuguemos.com– Verb practice for the writing exam

• Doddle – Wide variety of materials for all skills plus some from our staff– Students already have their own login

• Mrs Scholan’s German vocabulary revision. Follow the link, subscribe and ask to join the group https://quizlet.com/join/aKhKTCTM8

Learning should be active

• Use a website

• Make Flashcards

• Look/ cover/ write/ check

• Test yourself

• Get someone else to test you

• Make a song/ story with the words

• Associate the words to a picture or idea

• Do a past paper and check it

Parent Power: Look

at what they’ve

done

Exam techniques

• Covered extensively in class

• Handouts available (copies in revision folder)

• Revision sessions over Easter and just before the Chinese exams

• Best way to practise is past papers

– Past papers in revision folders on L: drive

– Listening files also there

– Mark schemes also available

Parent Power:

check the revision

timetable!

Past paper techniques

• Remind yourself of best way to approach them• Do the paper exactly as if in an exam ie timed and

without interruptions• Answer all the questions!• Write a list of words you didn’t know and look

them up• Check the mark scheme• Where you got a question wrong, check that you now understand why. If you don’t, ask your teacher• Learn the words you didn’t know

Parent Power: praise!