1. Revising for Languages exams
Bonjour!
Guten Abend!
Revising for Languages exams
你好！

2. 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

3. Parent Power: Take the phone away!

4. Parent Power: List on the fridge!
Key Dates
French PPE Speaking 31st October to 2nd November
German Speaking practice Monday 29th October
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!

5. 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
Easter Revision classes
French / German and Chinese
Half-term revision class
Chinese

6. 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!

7. 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

8. 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

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

10. 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!

11. 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
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
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

12. 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

13. 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!

14. 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!