Language Exams...

zam

I always find it really difficult to study for a language exam... Obviously you can work on your competence at the language throughout the course but the night before the exam, I find that you're generally just at the stage where there's not much you can do.

How does everyone else study for a language exam such as French or German?

H2student

Yes Language exams are very hard to cram with if not impossible. I'm looking for advice on how to study for French at the moment so let the comments come!

I'm completely clueless on how to study for the aural exam. I listen to it but I don't feel like I learn anything, I would learn the vocab in them but I don't know to what extent I should learn for the aural vocab. Learning them all might be the best way to go but there's some very specific and sophisticated vocab sometimes...

Gael23

H2student wrote: »

there's some very specific and sophisticated vocab sometimes...

You're not supposed to know every word, you only need to know enough to get an understanding of the conversation. The best way I can come up with is to learn key words which are often highlighted in textbooks. In my french book there are several boxes with important vocab in them.

eVeNtInE

This post has been deleted.

zam

For German listening I learn all the weather vocab and also the German states names which always come up, maybe it's the same in French...

poppygirlx

I hope german is okay in the actual real leaving cert.
I'm not the best at it!

CosmicLove

I do Irish, Spanish & Japanese(All higher level) and for me the best ways to revise are;

Translate comprehensions, write down the vocab you have to look up in a special copy & look over it frequently.
Listen to your aural exam question cd. You'd be surprised how much it helps with your written work, aswell as your aural and oral of course.
Learn off a list of idioms off by heart. They really do pay off.
As for grammar, translating passages and phrases is the only way that works for me I guess.

Hope that helps

Keogg

H2student wrote: »

Yes Language exams are very hard to cram with if not impossible. I'm looking for advice on how to study for French at the moment so let the comments come!

I'm completely clueless on how to study for the aural exam. I listen to it but I don't feel like I learn anything, I would learn the vocab in them but I don't know to what extent I should learn for the aural vocab. Learning them all might be the best way to go but there's some very specific and sophisticated vocab sometimes...

I feel the exact same, I mean, some of the French listening tapes are just insane! They talk so fast, and when you get those ones where they do talk slowly for ages, then there's one sentence that they fly through and typically enough, its the one sentence from the whole section that you need to hear GRRRR:mad:

We've done about 3 or 4 exam paper aurals and none of them helped me, the weather barely fecking comes up in those ones that we've done too they all seem so completely random

unknown13

zam wrote: »

For German listening I learn all the weather vocab and also the German states names which always come up, maybe it's the same in French...

That is a good idea because they frequently come up.

This is the only year I have been able to study for language exams because I have found them hard to study for. I study the languages just like they were Geography or Business.

felic

Interesting topic. Languages are probably one of the hardest subjects to study because you can either speak them or you cant.

I think its very important to have a very very rich vocabulary. And you'll only get that from reading reading and reading. As much as possible. And noting the words you dont understand, looking them up in the dictionary, and making a note of them. Like a little black book of vocab that is constantly referenced.

Then, just having words isnt enough. You need to have a strong grasp on grammar and knowledge of the tenses. That is acquired through study alright and written practice.

In terms of the oral... practicing speaking out loud is the only way. if you have a family member or friend who has a strong grasp on the language, spending time with them speaking in whatever language is a great way to familiarize and 'get used' to speaking in another language.

There is no way to 'cram' study for a language subject. Its a process learned over time. No shortcuts.

MaggieNF

i wouldn't recommend cramming, what I do and i find it works is just listen to the listening to get used to hearing it for the Aural

then for the written pick a topic and write about it, try to do it without like using a book or if there is a certain sentence you want to learn include, best way I find to learn it

anothernight

MaggieNF wrote: »

then for the written pick a topic and write about it, try to do it without like using a book or if there is a certain sentence you want to learn include, best way I find to learn it

I do that, and it helps a lot. I pick a random topic and write as much as I can about it, in french. If I really need to look up something I will. Whatever I've looked up (normally expressions) I underline and learn off by heart when I'm finished.

Read as much as you can in the language you're learning. Read things that interest you, even if you won't be writing/talking about it in the exam.
Obviously listening to aural sample answers, the radio, podcasts, etc. also helps. But I find that the more I read and write in the language, the more I understand the aural.

For the oral, practice your pronunciation. You'll be able to say something, or at least get your point across, without much difficulty if you've done the other things I've mentioned. So it's really a matter of trying to sound like the French! There's a few marks going for this, and judging by how my teacher always goes on about it, it's probably quite important.