Bonjour! Guten Abend! Revising for Languages exams 你好！
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 19 th March • French and German GCSE speaking w/c 23 rd April • French Listening and Reading: 15 th May • French Writing: 18 th May Parent • Chinese Listening: 21 st May Power: List on the fridge! • Chinese Reading: 4 th June • German Listening and Reading: Mon 18 th June • German Writing: Thursday 21 st June
Revision Sessions offered Parent Power: check • Lunchtimes: attendance! – 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 11 th April 9am-1.30pm • French 12 th April 9am-1.30pm (Speaking and Listening) – Chinese Half-Term revision session: Thursday 31 st 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 Parent – Taskmagic games Power: display – Vocabulary lists revision timetable! – Revision timetables
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 Parent Power: ask – Revision should: about progress » Start early » Be done in regular small chunks » Be active
Parent Speaking Exam – 25% Power: Listen to them practise! • 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 Writing exam – 25% Power: show interest! • 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
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 Parent • Sources: Power: offer to – Text book test them! – Vocab books – Games on revision areas of school website – Revision websites
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 Parent Power: Look • Test yourself at what they’ve • Get someone else to test you done • Make a song/ story with the words • Associate the words to a picture or idea • Do a past paper and check it
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 Parent – Mark schemes also available 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 Parent Power: • Where you got a question wrong, praise! check that you now understand why. If you don’t, ask your teacher • Learn the words you didn’t know
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