*FRENCH* - ACHIEVING THE A1.

Coeurdepirate

Idea for this thread was stolen from Hogwarts!

Anyway, does anybody have any tips for me? I'm consistently getting A1's in oral exams, but my written pieces always seem to linger around a low A2. Can somebody help? I think I need to use more idiomatic phrases, but I don't know where to find any!

Chuchoter

I'd be the same as yourself, my oral is good but the written not so much because I over complicate sentences (my love affair with que and strange sentence constructions). Apparently keeping things short, nice vocabulary and no little grammar mistakes like missing agreements is the key.

eVeNtInE

This post has been deleted.

Enda Kenny

eugh french

spurious

Read good written French - as much as you can. Not written in Irish textbooks, or written by note making establishments, but real French magazines and newspapers (quality ones).

Listening to Internet radio talk stations is great too, even if just for the flow of the language.

Canard

http://french.about.com/library/express/blexdico-b.htm this is a nice link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W8SrhLVl5U and this never hurt!

djcervi

Some already mentioned points are quite good.

As a grinds tutor and someone who got the A1 in French, I would try to read French on a regular basis. Personally, I think you should try this site http://www.cafebabel.fr/. On this site, you can read some straightforward news items. If you feel up to it, have a look at Le Monde. But, even at University level French, I find Le Monde tough at times.

A great website to cover a few things is tv5.org. A programme which is suited for French learner is on this website called '7 jours sur la planete'. You can watch the news stories, and do some language exercises based on your comprehension. Also all news bulletins are availiable to read in transcription, which is good for reinforcing what you learnt. Also you can learn some vocabulary. http://www.tv5.org/cms/chaine-francophone/info/p-1914-7-jours-sur-la-planete.htm

On the subject of new vocabulary, keep a notebook of new words and idioms. This can be good for the written pieces.

Bonne chance!

Gordon Gecko

Learn cracking CONSTRUCTIONS and useful general phrases to do with arguments for starters. Then it's simply a case of doing at least one written piece every day, and writing out your errors. Sounds too simple a method but got me the A1.

Hogwarts

Eh, excusez-moi? :P

eVeNtInE

This post has been deleted.

Coeurdepirate

Thanks everyone for the help Are there any topics that tend to come up often enough as far as the written pieces go?

Canard

Oh yeah, written pieces... :eek:

Also, is there any way of preparing for reading comps etc? We had a French test on things like adjective placement / pronouns and the only reason I lost marks was because I didnt know some words, like I wrote 'le chemin' instead of 'la rue' because I just didnt know the word. Its really annoying because literally anything could come up in the LC...how does one achieve this fabled A1? :pac:

dsct92

Hi guys,

I did my LC last year and i got the A1. (Woop! )

As regards to the written section, your best bet is to practice, practice and practice more! Maybe at this stage just focus topics youve already covered with your notes open and hand them up to your teacher at the end of class (Believe me, theyll be far from PO'd knowing that someones actually doing the work :pac:) ) Coming up to the Mocks/After Xmas I'd recommend doing 2-3 without the help of your notes in an exam situation (ie time yourself) and get your teacher to correct them. I actually found that without the notes I did slightly better because I had a tendency to get a little overcomplicated with google languages/a dictionary... :rolleyes:

Then, during easter, sit down with your compiled corrected work, as clichéd as it may sound. Write down anything thats been underlined or corrected on a sheet and tick how many times it happens in the other pieces youve done (Its actually surprising how much itll teach you - I realised without knowing I was using the Plus-Que-Parfait and adverbs completely wrong!) and then revise whatever your weaknesses are - and stay on the alert for them!

They dont want much from you, only about 90-120 words depending on the question - make a small intro, 3 paragraphs (they dont have to be longer than about 3 sentences) and a small conclusion. If you have a few idioms and you know how to use them properly, drop 2 MAX per piece (you dont want to give them the impression you've learnt it all off - although you have :P)

As regards to the Listening, as far as i can remember you can download the scripts from the marking schemes as far as 2002. Listen to the tape with them if youre having trouble with trying to understand the accent, and underline and translate anything you dont understand in them and make a list - they use the same vocab quite frequently!

With the Reading comprehension, all I can say is do as many as you can and try and correct them with the marking schemes. You'll soon get a grasp of the amount theyre looking for and what theyre expecting for the grammar question. Highlight what you think is the question - just in case they dont recognise the reference/cant read your writing theyll be able to interpret where you were getting at from the text!

And what can I say about the Oral... When youve got the house to yourself talk aloud about particular topics and see if you can intertwine other ones along (ie School into Career choice) and see how long you can go without running out of things to say - theyres the odd examiner who'll ask really simple questions which theyre expecting you to expand on... a lot! (Décrivez vous meme is a classic example - you can get loads of brownie points from talking about yourself, family, school, neighbourhood etc.)

Hope thats helped guys, I wish you all the best, PM me if youve any more questions (Although looking back at this its quite long, so I think I've covered everything! :P)

Coeurdepirate

dsct92 wrote: »

Hi guys,

I did my LC last year and i got the A1. (Woop! )

As regards to the written section, your best bet is to practice, practice and practice more! Maybe at this stage just focus topics youve already covered with your notes open and hand them up to your teacher at the end of class (Believe me, theyll be far from PO'd knowing that someones actually doing the work :pac:) ) Coming up to the Mocks/After Xmas I'd recommend doing 2-3 without the help of your notes in an exam situation (ie time yourself) and get your teacher to correct them. I actually found that without the notes I did slightly better because I had a tendency to get a little overcomplicated with google languages/a dictionary... :rolleyes:

Then, during easter, sit down with your compiled corrected work, as clichéd as it may sound. Write down anything thats been underlined or corrected on a sheet and tick how many times it happens in the other pieces youve done (Its actually surprising how much itll teach you - I realised without knowing I was using the Plus-Que-Parfait and adverbs completely wrong!) and then revise whatever your weaknesses are - and stay on the alert for them!

They dont want much from you, only about 90-120 words depending on the question - make a small intro, 3 paragraphs (they dont have to be longer than about 3 sentences) and a small conclusion. If you have a few idioms and you know how to use them properly, drop 2 MAX per piece (you dont want to give them the impression you've learnt it all off - although you have :P)

As regards to the Listening, as far as i can remember you can download the scripts from the marking schemes as far as 2002. Listen to the tape with them if youre having trouble with trying to understand the accent, and underline and translate anything you dont understand in them and make a list - they use the same vocab quite frequently!

With the Reading comprehension, all I can say is do as many as you can and try and correct them with the marking schemes. You'll soon get a grasp of the amount theyre looking for and what theyre expecting for the grammar question. Highlight what you think is the question - just in case they dont recognise the reference/cant read your writing theyll be able to interpret where you were getting at from the text!

And what can I say about the Oral... When youve got the house to yourself talk aloud about particular topics and see if you can intertwine other ones along (ie School into Career choice) and see how long you can go without running out of things to say - theyres the odd examiner who'll ask really simple questions which theyre expecting you to expand on... a lot! (Décrivez vous meme is a classic example - you can get loads of brownie points from talking about yourself, family, school, neighbourhood etc.)

Hope thats helped guys, I wish you all the best, PM me if youve any more questions (Although looking back at this its quite long, so I think I've covered everything! :P)

Thanks so much, that's a massive help, and congrats on the A1!

Canard

Agreed!

I just have one more question for you guys though...what exactly are the written pieces like? We've only done journal intime, is there some kind of 75 word essays to do? :eek:

Parawhore.xD

I was looking through some threads here and this seems like the place to put this, I've just finished writing a journal intime as part of my midterm h/w and I was wondering could people give me some feedback on the standard as I always seem to fall short on reaching an A, (often get 24/30) and im not quite sure what I'm missing.

The title is 'you're not getting on well/ there are bad feelings between you and your bf/gf at the moment. Explain why and what you are going to do to solve your problems in your journal intime'

Cher journal,
J'ai envie de pleurer! Je viens de rentrer de chez Simon où nous faillions avoir un gros argument, car quand j'ai emprunté son portable pour envoyer une texto à Amanda, j'ai vu qu'il s'a envoyé une texto plus tôt, mais, c'était une texto amoureuse!! Je n'en croyais pas mes yeux!
Je lui aurais affronté mais je pense que si j'avais, j'aurais pu dire quelque chose qui je regretterais. J'ai rentré chez moi et maintenant je suis en état du choc! Comment est-ce que il a pu faire cela? Tout se passait bien entre nous. J'ai du mal à accepted que Simon soit totalement à blâmer.
Demain, je parlerais avec Simon, nous en allons de notre relation! Si il n'a pas une bonne explication, nous serons finit. Aussi je voudrais parler avec Amanda mais je suis trop en colère à l'instant. J'ai pensé que Elle était mon amie! J'éspere que j'ai tort propos de tout ça et je fais d'une mouche un elephant! Nous verrons comme tout passera.

À demain,
A.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated

plumpote

Hey Parawhore,

I know what its like not quite getting the grades you want to, and not understanding why
1 Firstly, try and keep your sentences a bit shorter-it's easier for the examiner to follow if the sentences are a reasonable length. Keep it short and sweet-you're more likely to get the grammar, verbs etc wrong if you do really long sentences

Parawhore.xD wrote: »

Je viens de rentrer de chez Simon où nous faillions avoir un gros argument, car quand j'ai emprunté son portable pour envoyer une texto à Amanda, j'ai vu qu'il s'a envoyé une texto plus tôt, mais, c'était une texto amoureuse!!

This sentence might be a bit too long

2 Don't complicate things. This is kind of point 1 continued, but its better to keep it simple and get it right than have really complicated conjugations that are all wrong (not saying this about the journal that you posted, just in general)

3 Finally, see if you can put in a few phrases, such as
*Quel désastre
*Quelle catastrophe
*Quelle chance
*j'étais choqué(e)
*Je peux a peine le croire
*Tant mieux
*Dieu merci
There should be lists of them in whatever textbook you're using, or in any of the revision books. As well as acting like fillers, they bump up your marks.

And remember, do LOADS of practice-the more, the better!

Hope this is someway helpful! Bonne chance!!