Revising for Languages exams 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!

Parent Power: List on the fridge! Key Dates French PPE Speaking 31st October to 2nd November German Speaking practice Monday 29th October 9-12.30 German and Chinese PPE speaking w/c 26th November All Languages second PPE speaking end March All languages: revision day over Easter holiday All languages: final speaking exam last week of April French Listening and Reading: 14th May French Writing: 17th May Chinese Listening and Reading: 22nd May Chinese Writing : 3rd June (first day after half-term) German Listening and Reading: 12th June German Writing: Thursday 17th June Parent Power: List on the fridge!

Revision Sessions offered Parent Power: check attendance! Lunchtimes: Masterclasses: Will start after mocks Different sessions focus on specific skills You may receive invitation letters October half-term German speaking 29th October 9-12.30 Easter Revision classes French / German and Chinese Half-term revision class Chinese

Parent Power: display revision timetable! 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!

Parent Power: Listen to them practise! 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 have ‘green book’ with speaking exam preparation for French and German and a blue one for Chinese Students have a list of key phrases that will help them with the photo and role play cards

Parent Power: show interest! 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 answers against the structures grid in exercise book Check for mistakes using the proof reading skills taught in class

Listening and Reading Exams Listening exam 25% Reading exam 25% Two key aspects Vocabulary Exam techniques

Parent Power: offer to test them! 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: 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

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

Parent Power: check the checklist! 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!