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The German Exam

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  • 30-05-2009 9:34pm
    #1
    MrPirate
    Registered Users Posts: 423 ✭✭


    I might as well say first that I hate languages. They're my worst subjects. I've somehow managed to keep higher level German through the 5 years. My class went through 9, yes, 9 teachers for the Junior Cert years and I managed to get a C at higher for that with little or no study at all.
    Now it's that time...
    I've been struggling with German for the last 2 years now, my teacher isn't the greatest (crap compared to the other German teacher in my school) and for the mock with a bit of study I got a 38. (If I got 5 more marks, I would have passed.)
    I don't know how good I did on the oral either. I dread the letter like the plague, I really do.
    My question to you all is:
    Should I drop down to ordinary German so I don't fail it?
    I'm doing 8 subjects(2 extra- I don't do Irish) all at higher level except math. So if I was to drop down to ordinary level I'd still be in range for the possible 600 (which I know isn't likely but you know what I mean.) I aim for 415- I got 380 in the mock with a bit of study (most seem to get about 200 in that!) so IF I can cop the f*ck on and start studying now I should be okay.
    I've seen the ordinary papers before and I lol'd a good bit at some of it! It's so damn easy!
    What do you all think I should do /b/? boards?


Comments

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    #2
    OneArt
    Registered Users Posts: 1,910 ✭✭✭OneArt


    If you hate German that much then drop to Ordinary. You're only losing out on 40 points AND you're doing eight subjects. Furthermore, you got 380 in the mocks which, for the points you're aiming for, is pretty good.

    I dropped to Ordinary Irish earlier this year and it was a HUGE weight off my shoulders. At ordinary German will seem a lot easier and more manageable.


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    #3
    GERMAN ROCKS
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,796 ✭✭✭GERMAN ROCKS


    stay with honours its really not that bad.

    for grammer learn
    questioning words
    pronouns eg mich, dich etc
    tenses eg imperfect
    conjunctions
    cases.

    for ausserung + letter it could be anything but just simple sentences eg das waere super-that would be super. oder die Arbeitslosigkeit fuehrt zu vielen sozialen problemen wie Alkohol und Drogenmissbrauch- the unemployment leads to social problems such as alcohol and drug abuse. also for the letter have your opening and closing paragraph.

    comprehensions are easy enough just manilpulate the german for the german questions.

    aural is the same for both levels more or less.

    the only real difference is that in higher you have a grammer section which is worth penut marks and in the ordinary you dont.


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    #4
    Piste
    Registered Users Posts: 11,440 ✭✭✭✭Piste


    ^ Pff you would say that, just look at your user name :P


    I sounds like if you did higher German you might only just pass, whereas if you did ordinary German you could get an A1 which is the equivalent to a C3 at higher level. As you're doing 8 subjects it wont make a difference points-wise. Also if you fail higher German you can't go to an NUI (this mightn't be an issue if you gavent applied to any) so If you genuinely think you wouldn't pass then I'd drop.


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    #5
    GERMAN ROCKS
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,796 ✭✭✭GERMAN ROCKS


    theres not that much difference between the two levels compared to other subjects . you still need a good comand of the language for ordianry. the comprehensions are a small bit harder alrite and the letter is in german but is normally very easy to understand. the aural and oral are almost the exact same. put it this was most already would have at least 20% going into the exam if they did a good oral.

    if you did a very good oral and aural you should have the thing nearly passed


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    #6
    MrPirate
    Registered Users Posts: 423 ✭✭MrPirate


    GERMAN ROCKS wrote: »
    theres not that much difference between the two levels compared to other subjects . you still need a good comand of the language for ordianry. the comprehensions are a small bit harder alrite and the letter is in german but is normally very easy to understand. the aural and oral are almost the exact same. put it this was most already would have at least 20% going into the exam if they did a good oral.

    if you did a very good oral and aural you should have the thing nearly passed

    I find there to be a huge difference. Like for example with the comprehensions. In higher level I can eventually, after a very long time, get a bit of the answer out. But not the whole thing. And I usually end up mistranslating something and making complete crap out of the thing.
    But when I looked at the OL papers I was able to get the answers out with ease. Hell, I even chuckled a bit at how easy it was!
    I might take OL in it. I've the arts course in NUIG as 4 and a politics course in NUIM down there somewhere too. Just gotta get the exemption from Irish forms sorted out.. :P


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