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V O C A B
R E C O R D Y O U R S E L F & L I S T E N
P R A C T I C E M A K E S P E R F E C T
E X A M T E C H N I Q U E
One of the best tips for languages is to think like an examiner; with the introduction of the new specifications, they're not going to purposely make the exam easy and will make the extra effort to try and catch you out. As long as you know this, you will make sure to take care and not write down your answer instantly- in the listening exams, for example, you may jot down initial ideas and vocab at the side and write your final answer the second time around.
Secondly, for the reading exams, I've found skimming the questions and (sometimes) highlighting facts I think are important in the text afterwards- that way, you won't waste time looking for answers as you would have initially had an idea of what to look for.
Furthermore, for writing tasks, make sure to spend a reasonable amount of time thinking about and planning your answer. This way, you can ensure it is structured well and contains enough tenses and complex structures to bump up your marks! I've recently started to quickly jot down the formation of all key tenses at the beginning of the exam, so I can refer back to this and make sure I have a good level of accuracy. As well as this, I've found the following tip to be incredibly effective for my writing exams: make sure every sentence has something that can earn you marks- whether it be a complex structure, or an impressive piece of vocab. Just as you'd craft your sentences carefully in an English exam, do the same for your languages- I remember once I had 3 complex structures in 1 sentence, don't give the examiner anything to mark you down on!
S T A Y E N G A G E D
1. Read articles in the chosen language-
I've heard many people recommend reading the news in the chosen language, but I've also found various articles on Pinterest that were not only enjoyable reads but gave me some incredible vocab to add to my Quizlet.
2. Listen to music (in the language)-
Again, another amazing resource for adding to your list of vocab- if it hadn't been for Stromae, I don't think 'formidable' would make its way into (nearly) every writing task!
3. Find an online pen-pal-
It's easier than ever to find a virtual pen pal, with the likes of apps such as Tandem and Duolingo growing. I personally really enjoy using Tandem as it allows you, or your pen-pal (is that what they're called?) to correct you as you have a conversation and is very helpful for learning colloquialisms, or perhaps sayings that have gone out of fashion- as I've learnt!
4. Set your gadgets to the language-
To end on a slightly dramatic note, dare I say, I set my phone, watch and iPod to French towards the end of last year- and would highly recommend it for learning some extra vocab, specifically your dates!
L I N K S
My Quizlet- vocab galore, I can assure you!
AQA Set Vocab List- you just can't go wrong with vocab, can you?
My Pinterest Board- if you want to read some weird and wonderful articles
Languages Online- has some rather handy summary exercises
Tes- great for finding grammar and tense exercises, as well as some other weird and wonderful resources (for any language, may I add!)
Duolingo- again, has some fun and handy exercises and is perfect if you're a beginner and want to learn another language!
France Top 50 on Spotify- rather self explanatory, but incredibly handy if you want an introduction to French music
France Top 100 Popular Songs, Shazam- an alternative if Spotify isn't up your street
Funradio- arguably the best French radio station
CGP Revision Guide- some of the jokes are dreadful, but the actual language technicalities are great
CGP Workbook- quite possibly the best £5 I've ever spent