1. Marr College Modern Languages Study Skills

2. This workshop aims to: Explain the National 5 languages exam. Give you tools to aid your child’s study at home.

3. The Exam Internally – 4 assessments – reading/speaking/listening/writing Final exam: READING = 30 marks LISTENING = 20 marks TALKING = 30 marks WRITING = 20 marks

4. What should I know? VOCABULARY GRAMMAR EXAM TECHNIQUE DICTIONARY SKILLS

5. How can you help? Ensure your child revises vocabulary every evening. Practice vocabulary with them. Make a desk and computer available if possible for access to websites. Kerboodle Help them create a study timetable. Encourage your child to revise regularly. Time them doing practice papers. Ensure they know the time and place of the exam!

6. How can you help? Be interested in their work. Ensure your child is using the vocabulary pack. Ensure they have the correct equipment – books, pens, dictionaries etc. Ensure they prepare and learn for talking and writing exam.

8. Student Comments: “I taught myself and then I taught my dad which helped me aswell”. “I made a song out of the words in French. My brother helps me too”. “I learn words everyday and then the day before a test my mum tests me on the words. E.G. she said the words in English and I told her the German”. “I just keep going over things in my head”. “Some words you just know and others sound like English”. “I visualise pictures to learn words, that helps me”. “I study vocabulary for 10 minutes every day”. “le matin reminds me of morning because it starts with an ‘m’”.

9. Here are some websites that may be of use: www.linguascope.comwww.linguascope.com username marr123 password 123marr www.atantot.comwww.atantot.com username marrcol password 1929 http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/ http://www.languagesonline.org.uk/ http://www.education.vic.gov.au/languagesonline/french/french.htm http://www.sunderlandschools.org/mfl-sunderland/resources.htm http://www.langweb.co.uk/ http://www.ashcombe.surrey.sch.uk/Curriculum/modlang/french/inde x_fr.htm GLOW http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/french/ http://www.rfi.fr/lfen/statiques/accueil.asp http://www.atantot- extra.co.uk/resources/menu_category.php?l=fr&c=1 http://www.thorpe-st- andrewhigh.co.uk/subjects/tsas_mfl/studentlinks.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/learning/bitesize/standard/french/ Further information can be found at http://www.sqa.org.uk

10. READING EXAM 3 Texts in French – questions to be answered in English. Dictionary allowed.

11. Writing Exam One piece of writing 120-150 words Address 6 bullet points Format of job application Introduction, ending and 4 bullet points can all be learned in advance. Remaining 2 bullet points can be anticipated. Revision ESSENTIAL. Reading and Writing paper in total lasts 1 hour 30 minutes.

12. Listening Exam One presentation or monologue in the language. One conversation or dialogue. French will be repeated 3 times. 20-25 minutes in total No dictionary. Answers in English

13. Talking Exam To be assessed internally by Teacher. Moderated by SQA Spoken Presentation and conversation in French/German/Spanish on one context (Society/Learning/Employability/Culture). Will be agreed and prepared in advance with Teacher. Presentation 10 marks, conversation 20 marks. 5 of the 20 marks for making conversation sound natural. Will last 6-7 minutes in total.

14. SOCIETY Saying how you get on with family members/who has influenced you in your life /Arguments Ideal parents Different types of friends/ Peer pressure Lifestyle-related illnesses Advantages and disadvantages of healthy /unhealthy lifestyle Media Impact of TV reality shows Advantages/disadvantages of new technology, eg internet, mobile phones Language-learning and relevance Description of local area as a tourist centre Comparison of town and country life Being environmentally friendly in the home

15. Learning Talk about what learning activities you like / dislike in modern languages / in each subject Preparing for exams Education Comparing education systems Improving own education system Learner responsibilities

16. Employability Jobs - Part-time jobs and studying Qualities for present/future jobs/future plans Work and CVs Planning, reporting back on work experience Reviewing achievements/ambitions

17. Culture Importance of travel and learning a foreign language Describing your best holiday/trip/attitudes to travel Aspects of other countries including educational, social, historical, political aspects Comparing special occasions/traditions/ celebrations/events in another country Importance of customs/traditions Literary fiction, eg short stories — understanding and analysis Studying films in the modern language Studying television in other countries

18. Tips Revision Schedule/Study timetable Organised breaks Be realistic Look at the N5 topics Study one topic at a time. Read notes Use vocabulary Lists Use Kerboodle

19. Study Skills Make revision notes Practice exam questions Do past papers (Int 2 / Credit) Ask for help Homework: students should be learning vocabulary every evening. Students MUST ensure they learn their writing piece and talking presentation thoroughly.

20. Listening Exam Worth 20% Read the questions first of all and look at number of points each is worth. Don’t write anything down during first listening. Get an idea of important points – there will be lots of information you don’t need. Pick out key words. Look at the question and think about possible answers. If you are not sure, guess! It’s worth a try! Write answers after second listening and check during third listening. Read the question carefully, there’s always a clue in the question. Double check your English! If you have taken any notes on your answer paper, scribble them out – only leave the answers. Don’t leave blanks. Important – numbers, times, dates, distance, price, days, months, weeks, years, school.

21. Reading Exam Read the information in English at the start to get clues. Read the questions and look for clue words. Now look at the text. Skim through it to get an idea of what it is about. Now start finding answers to match the questions. Questions will follow the same order as the text. Look for ‘car’ and ‘parce que’ (because) – answers often follow these words. Make sure you have answered with enough points that are being awarded. Leave yourself enough time – don’t overuse the dictionary. (look at example)

22. Talking Exam Use your textbook / Kerboodle Make sure you understand what you are saying. Make sure you teacher marks your work before the exam. Use a variety of structures – don’t always use ‘je’. Use different tenses – past, present, future. Give opinions. Learn it thoroughly. Don’t leave it until the last minute.

23. TO LEARN VOCABULARY EFFECTIVELY YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING WITH IT Think of it as a challenge not a chore – your attitude is MOST important – WANT to learn them. Read the words in silence several times – then try & do a memory test – how many can you do without looking? Cover the words and test yourself – or get someone to test you. Concentrate on the difficult words & link them to something you know. Write the words out over and over – English with French and vice versa – do more and more from memory each time. Make up a rhythm – tap out the words as you say them. Record the words onto phone/MP3. Try and make the words rhyme or make up a rap. Read the words out loud – fast/slow/loud/quiet. Break up the words – mus/ique prof/es/seur. Invent a song/poem with the words in. Sort them by gender/groups/patterns - fruit/vegetables/which adjective follows which rule or colour code them. Group them alphabetically. Jumble up the letters & try & rearrange them in the correct order & then give the English. Draw the words & label.

24. Memory strategy 1. LOOK carefully at the word for at least 10 seconds 2. SAY the words to yourself or out loud 3. COVER up the word when you feel you have learned it. 4. WRITE the word from memory 5. CHECK your word against the original. Is it right? If not, what’s wrong? Spend time learning that part of the word. Go through 1-5 again until you get it right.

25. Cognates A cognate is a word that is spelt the same in English as in French. Most of the time they mean exactly the same too eg. parents animal hamster unique Just be careful to spot the words that look like cognates but aren’t eg. grand

26. Not quite cognates In French there are also lots of words that look similar to English words, but are not identical. Often these words have exactly the same meaning as the English (but not always!) eg. Afrique-Africa Tunisie – Tunisia la capitale – capital la montagne – mountain un appartement – apartment une lampe – lamp la musique - music

27. Mnemonics One way to remember tricky words that don’t seem to stick is to invent a mnemonic, a rhyme, or saying that does stick in your head eg. My Aunt Gets Alligator Shoes In Normal Shops If you make up your own they’ll be easier to remember/harder to forget!

28. Study Skills Highlight Flashcards Post Its Mindmaps Study Guides Past papers Jotters

29. Recommended Book ISBN:9781444184518 Published:25/10/2013 Extent:96 pages How to Pass National 5 French Douglas Angus Paperback / softback £10.99