Dropping to pass french

dee o gee

I guess this is only a decision I can make myself but im just looking for some advice/opinions.
Im seriously thinking of dropping to pass french. Im pretty good at the comprehensions, I can understand french when I read it but my problem is Im hopeless at writing it, speaking it and listening to it. My teachers always been telling me that il do good, but I have a pretty crap teacher who has always concentrated on comprehensions and giving us notes, but has never actually made us write something or given us a mock oral. Every week for months she made us do comprehensions, picked them up and graded them, I used to usually get around B or A, but she never done the same with the other parts of the paper so iv had feck all practise at them. The oral went pretty bad, might have scrapped a pass in it I think. And any aural work we've done im just about scrapping a pass in too.
I think I could maybe scrap a D but I think id be happier getting an A or B in pass.

Is there much of a difference between pass and honours? I had a quick look on examinations.ie at the papers and they seem really easy. Haven't listened to the aural for it yet but I presume that'd be much easier than the honours?

I should be allright points wise if I drop as im doing all honours subjects except irish. Aiming for just over 400. :eek: Also if I did decide to drop I presume its just a case of asking the examiner for a pass paper when their handing them out?

FordieMUFC

dee o gee wrote: »

I guess this is only a decision I can make myself but im just looking for some advice/opinions.
Im seriously thinking of dropping to pass french. Im pretty good at the comprehensions, I can understand french when I read it but my problem is Im hopeless at writing it, speaking it and listening to it. My teachers always been telling me that il do good, but I have a pretty crap teacher who has always concentrated on comprehensions and giving us notes, but has never actually made us write something or given us a mock oral. Every week for months she made us do comprehensions, picked them up and graded them, I used to usually get around B or A, but she never done the same with the other parts of the paper so iv had feck all practise at them. The oral went pretty bad, might have scrapped a pass in it I think. And any aural work we've done im just about scrapping a pass in too.
I think I could maybe scrap a D but I think id be happier getting an A or B in pass.

Is there much of a difference between pass and honours? I had a quick look on examinations.ie at the papers and they seem really easy. Haven't listened to the aural for it yet but I presume that'd be much easier than the honours?

I should be allright points wise if I drop as im doing all honours subjects except irish. Aiming for just over 400. :eek: Also if I did decide to drop I presume its just a case of asking the examiner for a pass paper when their handing them out?

Yes, on the day you just ask for a pass paper(I Think)

And I'm just looking through the pass paper from '09 and it is ridiculously easy compared to higher level. So I'm presuming that the rest will follow suit.

Victoria.

It's up to you at this stage, don't worry about the ordinary paper though you would have no problem, I've seen them online.

I think there is an emphasis on comprehensions, you have to do more than 2 anyway.

There isn't an opinion piece in sight
More like letters, emails, diary

The tape on the day will be the same one as higher will listen to, you'll just have a different script, like in Irish. The tape for ordinary looks fine as well, there is multiple choice and everything.

Good luck whatever you pick, I'm nervous for French too

Mountainsandh

Hi Dee0Gee, if you do decide to take pass, here is the format :

4 comprehensions, all have to be done. First 2, Q&Answers in English. Second two comprehensions (numbers 3 and 4), Q&A in French (mostly). Text 4 is nearly always the hardest, an extract from a novel usually.

Written : 60 marks = 30 + 30.
You have to write 2 items.
There are 3 sections : A, B, and C. In each section you have a choice of a) (little a) or b) (little b)
You must pick a) or b) from 2 of the A, B, C sections, otherwise they won't be able to mark you (eg : if you choose a) and b) from section A and do only that).

So you could do Section A b) + Section B a) for example.

The items to be written in the sections are usually as follows :
Section A : cloze test (letter with blanks) OR fill in a form
Section B : postcard OR leave a message
Section C : diary entry OR formal letter (to a hotel manager, tourist office...)

I usually advise students to actually write 3 items, making sure that they do span over 2 sections.
That is, for example, do : Section A : little a and little b.
AND Section B : little b.
If you do this, the examiner will correct all three, and out of section A he/she will only keep the best mark (of either your cloze test or your form), plus the one from section B as normal.

The tape is the same as higher level, but the questions are generally easier, with a good few multiple choices (tick the box) questions.

Bonne chance with whatever level you choose .

Note : when you do the written tasks in OL, you have to be thorough, and make absolutely sure you don't forget any point they asked you to make. For example they might give you 4 bullet points to be covered in the message (say that you have gone to the shop, that you will get a present for your friend....). If you forget one bullet point it will cost you a lot of marks.