Marr College Modern Languages Study Skills. This workshop aims to: Explain the National 5 languages exam. Give you tools to aid your child’s study at.

Marr CollegeModern Languages Study Skills

This workshop aims to:

•Explain the National 5 languages exam.

•Give you tools to aid your child’s study at home.

The Exam

•Internally – 4 assessments – reading/speaking/listening/writing

•Final exam:READING = 30 marksLISTENING = 20 marksTALKING = 30 marksWRITING = 20 marks

What should I know?

•VOCABULARY

•GRAMMAR

•EXAM TECHNIQUE

•DICTIONARY SKILLS

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!

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.

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’”.

Here are some websites that may be of use: www.linguascope.com username marr123 password 123marrwww.atantot.com username marrcol password 1929http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/http://www.languagesonline.org.uk/http://www.education.vic.gov.au/languagesonline/french/french.htmhttp://www.sunderlandschools.org/mfl-sunderland/resources.htmhttp://www.langweb.co.uk/http://www.ashcombe.surrey.sch.uk/Curriculum/modlang/french/index_fr.htmGLOWhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/french/http://www.rfi.fr/lfen/statiques/accueil.asphttp://www.atantot-extra.co.uk/resources/menu_category.php?l=fr&c=1http://www.thorpe-st-andrewhigh.co.uk/subjects/tsas_mfl/studentlinks.htmlhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/learning/bitesize/standard/french/

Further information can be found at  http://www.sqa.org.uk

READING EXAM

•3 Texts in French – questions to be answered in English.

•Dictionary allowed.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

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.

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•uniqueJust be careful to spot the words that look like cognates but aren’t eg. grand

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

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!

Study Skills

•Highlight•Flashcards•Post Its•Mindmaps•Study Guides•Past papers•Jotters

Recommended Book

ISBN: 9781444184518

Published: 25/10/2013

Extent: 96 pages

How to Pass National 5 French

Douglas AngusPaperback / softback

£10.99