2. How to revise for English Language
Home Learning Books
WHY?
Look back at all the work and targets you have been given in these books.
These are full of your revision.
Each task has contributed to your independent understanding of how to approach the exam.
This is your work and you should be proud of it.
Task to do at home:
Check if you have any outstanding targets that you still need to meet. Put in place strategies that will mean you are meeting these targets.

3. How to revise for English Language
Be Strategic with your revision
WHY?
If you know you have an area that is weaker – target that area.
For example, writing viewpoint pieces may be your weaker area – so practice that skill till you are confident, then move onto the next weak area.
Do little and often revision
Don’t cram the night before
Do go over the question types
Practice selecting the correct information and annotating extracts rather than always writing the full answer

4. How to revise for English Language
Read: Fiction and Non-Fiction.
WHY?
Reading increases your word knowledge, expands your vocabulary and helps with your understanding of how different words transfer across contexts.
Reading increases your knowledge of what is happening in the world around you allowing you to form opinions and ideas that you may not have been exposed to previously, therefore allowing you to form a strong viewpoint.
Reading exposes you to spelling, punctuation and sentence structuring that you can mimic.
Reading allows you to understand what authors do to structure a text.
Reading familiarises you with non-fiction texts and their structure.
Reading is a brain workout – every time.

5. How to revise for English Language
Practise: full papers and specific questions
WHY?
It means you have put in lots of purposeful practise and will be completely confident going into the exam about the expectations of how to revise.
HOW?
Go onto Google sites for past papers or mini-mocks
See question stems slide for paper 1 and paper 2 to remind you of how the questions will be structured and use this to help you write about any article
Read an article and analyse the language used in any fiction or non-fiction article
Analyse the structure of any fiction extract or piece of writing
Compare any two non-fiction articles for similarities and differences
Summarise & infer the meaning in any two non-fiction articles
Use the writing structure for viewpoint writing and write an article/letter/speech on any topic that you are interested in
Re-do your learned story until you are 100% confident that you know it

6. How to revise for English Language
Do metacognition activities
WHY?
Metacognition shows that you understand not just what to do but how to do it as well and helps you to embed in your long term memory what you have to focus on for the specific question or section of the exam paper
HOW?
Write the rules for each question or paper
Write the strategies for approaching difficult questions
Write a list of reminders for the paper or question
Create your own paper using articles (guide in your pack)
Transform the answers into a mark scheme of what to do in that paper or question

7. How to revise for English Language
Chunk it down
WHY?
It can make larger tasks feel more manageable and reduce cognitive overload
HOW?
Do a paper over a series of nights
Then self assess against the mark scheme
Check and self edit writing after you have left it for a day to see if ‘fresh eyes’ helps
Create an acronym to help you remember what to do in each question (if it helps you)

8. How to revise for English Language
Use the Revision Grids
WHY?
It gives you little tasks that you can achieve daily to help you prepare for your exams.
HOW?
Go onto Google Sites
Click on the Revision Grids page (an example is in your pack) and download these to work on.
Or, ask your teacher for a print out.

9. How to revise for English Language
Use the school Google Site
WHY?
It has all the revision material you might want on it
Practice papers
Revision reminders
Writing tasks
Revision grids

10. Identifying your strengths and weaknesses
You have an A4 two page chart to work on
Decide what your strengths and weaknesses are and RAG rate them:
Red – really struggle
Amber – Feel slightly confident
Green – Completely happy with this question
Now: create a revision pledge for the RED areas: what will you do to ensure all your areas of under-confidence are green by June 4th?

11. Revision Planning
This is a chart with a breakdown of every day till your exam.
If you follow the ‘little and often’ advice this will help you
plan forward for example:
DAILY ENGLISH LANGUAGE REVISION PLANNER: Decide which question or what task you will do in advance to cover everything before the exam. Check it off as you do it.
27th March
 Paper 1 – Q1 how to do this.  
28th March
P2 – Viewpoint plan 2 articles
29th March
P1 – Q3 structure – practice question
30th March
P1 – Q4 break down of how to do it
31st March
P2 – Q2 – summarise & infer practice
1st April
P1 – Q5 Read – write – look – cover – check my story
2nd April
 P1 – Q5 adapt my story for another title

12. On a post it note Any questions you have about the paper 1 or paper 2?
Any questions about revising for English Language?
Any other help or support you might need?

13. Over to you!
Choose one task from the revision grid and have a go at it.
Or, choose your own task to help your revision.

14. Benefits of revising Increased confidence
Ability to commit to your long term memory the approaches to the text
Purposeful practice
Improved understanding
Improved stamina (needed for writing for 1 hour 45 minutes)
Reduce the likelihood of having to re-do the Language exam at college
Self-satisfaction that you have done everything you can
Pride at your own resilience

15. How to overcome self doubt?
Visualise what it would be like to open your envelope and have a pass
Change your internal dialogue (the self doubts)
Repeat (internally) I can do this, I will do this or whatever motivational words will help you
Imagine you are a success – what does this look like to you?
Breathe carefully
Listen daily to headspace or another app like this that helps you relax
Don’t put extra pressure on yourself. If you are working hard and preparing for the exams you will be fine
Remember to take breaks
Do some exercise
Do something that you enjoy that is not related to revision
Relax the night before an exam and get sleep
Don’t cram – little and often will win the race