Revising for Languages exams Getting the best from the brain! - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Revising for Languages exams

Bonjour!

你好！

Guten Abend!

Getting the best from the brain!

• The brain needs a huge amount of energy to

work well, so good nutrition and hydration is vital

• The brain has to recover each night, so a good

night’s sleep is essential

• The brain needs a good blood supply, so

regular exercise is important

• Stress causes chemicals to be released into the

brain which stop it working efficiently, so a revision plan is important

• The brain needs repetition to form new neural

connections so it can remember things

• The number 7 is a magic brain number, so

cluster information in groups of 7

• The brain remembers best the first and last

thing learnt, so short bursts of revision are best

• The optimum concentration span is age + 1

minute, so about 16 minutes for most exam candidates

Parent Power: Take the phone away!

Key Dates

• Chinese Controlled Assessment w/c 19th March
• French and German GCSE speaking w/c 23rd April
• French Listening and Reading: 15th May
• French Writing: 18th May
• Chinese Listening: 21st May
• Chinese Reading: 4th June
• German Listening and Reading: Mon 18th June
• German Writing: Thursday 21st June

Parent Power: List

• n the

fridge!

Parent Power: check attendance!

Revision Sessions offered

• Lunchtimes:

– D1 for computer based revision, open to all every day – Masterclasses:

• Chinese: Monday/ Tuesday
• German: Monday/ Tuesday/ Wednesday (different skills, ask

teacher which session is best)

• French: Monday (speaking) / Tuesday to Friday (writing)

– Easter Revision classes

• German 11th April 9am-1.30pm
• French 12th April 9am-1.30pm (Speaking and Listening)

– Chinese Half-Term revision session: Thursday 31st May (Reading)

On the school website

• French/ GCSE Revision
• German/ GCSE Revision/GCSE Revision
• Chinese/ GCSE Revision

– Speaking exam practice (French/ German) – Writing exam practice (French/ German) – Past papers and mark schemes – Tips and techniques – Taskmagic games – Vocabulary lists – Revision timetables

Parent Power: display revision timetable!

Controlled Assessment - Chinese

• 15% of final grade
• A good opportunity to improve grades before the

final exam

• Students have work prepared in class and for

homework

• For the CA they need to revise the material so they

can produce it under exam conditions

• Expected to spend 6 hours learning it

–Revision should: »Start early »Be done in regular small chunks »Be active

Parent Power: ask about progress

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

• Students have done well on mocks in Dec/ Jan
• Speaking practice materials on L drive in GCSE

revision folders

• Students 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

Parent Power:

• ffer 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

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 checklist!

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!