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Higher French Discussion Thread 2012

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Reply 60
I have my speaking test on Monday, eeeek! :eek:
I did pretty well on my prelim, I got 80% overall:
Reading 19/20
Translation 8/10
Directed Writing 9/15
Listening 18/20
Response Writing 6/10

we don't do speaking prelims though so I have no idea what that'll end up like D: apparently my major let down on writing was my genders, no matter what I do I can't seem to get them right D:
Original post by rawragee
I have my speaking test on Monday, eeeek! :eek:
I did pretty well on my prelim, I got 80% overall:
Reading 19/20
Translation 8/10
Directed Writing 9/15
Listening 18/20
Response Writing 6/10

we don't do speaking prelims though so I have no idea what that'll end up like D: apparently my major let down on writing was my genders, no matter what I do I can't seem to get them right D:


Well done! How did you manage that?Was it P and N , because if it is, i am hanging my head in shame.
Reply 62
Original post by animelover123
Well done! How did you manage that?Was it P and N , because if it is, i am hanging my head in shame.


hmm I'm not sure, it was a guy talking about his part time/summer job and things he does in his free time?
Original post by rawragee
hmm I'm not sure, it was a guy talking about his part time/summer job and things he does in his free time?


It wasn't the P&N then :smile: The P&N was about a cyclist.

Was your Directed Writing about a farm, by chance? :wink:
Reply 64
Original post by Quick-use
It wasn't the P&N then :smile: The P&N was about a cyclist.

Was your Directed Writing about a farm, by chance? :wink:


Nooo, it was about a visit to a twin town and learning about it etc. I think our school put it in specially because we did an exchange earlier in the year.
what was your reading about?
Original post by rawragee
Nooo, it was about a visit to a twin town and learning about it etc. I think our school put it in specially because we did an exchange earlier in the year.
what was your reading about?


Oh, interesting.

Our listening was about a cyclist and his aspirations since he was a child. The short essay was about free-time interests, and aspirations about the future.
The reading was about education in France and how there's less school days and what they're doing to change this. The directed writing was about a stay in a country-house. :fluffy:
Reply 66
I had the P&N prelim. It was a bit of a bawbreaker the listening. I ended up with 45% overall :frown:
Reply 67
Advice needed urgently here!

I'm unsure of whether to take Higher French or not. The thing is, it's in the same column as Higher Human Biology, which I'm currently doing at the moment although my teacher reccommends that I don't sit the exam and re-sit Higher for 6th year. However I feel as if that would be a waste of almost a whole school year if I were to do that, and I can't just take the choice of taking my NAB results and dropping the course as I just scraped passes, therefore the marks aren't too great. However, as I love Spanish, and I am interested in doing something along the lines of languages at uni, I don't know whether to take Higher French or not over Higher Human Biology. Even if I re-sit Human Bio, I still think that I'd struggle with it, whereas with French I haven't learnt, written or spoken the language for a year since standard grade, where I got a 2 in the final exam.

I definitely plan on taking Higher Spanish (was supposed to sit Higher this year although it didn't fit into my timetable) which also brings another problem: getting French and Spanish mixed up. Even with this problem, I enjoy learning languages, therefore I would try to work my hardest at both languages.

What should I do? :confused:
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 68
Original post by Nfergs
Advice needed urgently here!

I'm unsure of whether to take Higher French or not. The thing is, it's in the same column as Higher Human Biology, which I'm currently doing at the moment although my teacher reccommends that I don't sit the exam and re-sit Higher for 6th year. However I feel as if that would be a waste of almost a whole school year if I were to do that, and I can't just take the choice of taking my NAB results and dropping the course as I just scraped passes, therefore the marks aren't too great. However, as I love Spanish, and I am interested in doing something along the lines of languages at uni, I don't know whether to take Higher French or not over Higher Human Biology. Even if I re-sit Human Bio, I still think that I'd struggle with it, whereas with French I haven't learnt, written or spoken the language for a year since standard grade, where I got a 2 in the final exam.

I definitely plan on taking Higher Spanish (was supposed to sit Higher this year although it didn't fit into my timetable) which also brings another problem: getting French and Spanish mixed up. Even with this problem, I enjoy learning languages, therefore I would try to work my hardest at both languages.

What should I do? :confused:


Because you've been away from French for a year, for the first while you'll find it quite strange and hard but after a while once you get into it again it will be fine. At least that's what I've found with people in my classes doing French/Spanish after a year but I can't comment from personal experience.

As for doing them both, seriously just go for it! Don't let the fact you're doing both put you off if you actually want to do both. If anything they help each other - for example I can understand the concept of the subjunctive tense easier in Spanish which helps me to understand it in French and also it makes your life easier in reading/listening as many words are similar. There is a big workload i.e. everyone in my French class says "I get more homework for French than the rest of my subjects put together" and everyone in my Spanish class says "I get more homework for Spanish than the rest of my subjects put together" and I just stand there like :| since I'm the only one doing both, but its not too bad! And now and then I mix up the words I say automatically like 'oui' and 'si' especially when I have them one after each other. But I've found doing both fantastic this year!!

Also, if you're thinking of doing something languagish then having another Higher language is going to be more useful.

I would also ask science-people for their perspective too though cause most people here will tell you to go for French and it would be good to hear the other side too.
Reply 69
Original post by Nfergs
Advice needed urgently here!

I'm unsure of whether to take Higher French or not. The thing is, it's in the same column as Higher Human Biology, which I'm currently doing at the moment although my teacher reccommends that I don't sit the exam and re-sit Higher for 6th year. However I feel as if that would be a waste of almost a whole school year if I were to do that, and I can't just take the choice of taking my NAB results and dropping the course as I just scraped passes, therefore the marks aren't too great. However, as I love Spanish, and I am interested in doing something along the lines of languages at uni, I don't know whether to take Higher French or not over Higher Human Biology. Even if I re-sit Human Bio, I still think that I'd struggle with it, whereas with French I haven't learnt, written or spoken the language for a year since standard grade, where I got a 2 in the final exam.

I definitely plan on taking Higher Spanish (was supposed to sit Higher this year although it didn't fit into my timetable) which also brings another problem: getting French and Spanish mixed up. Even with this problem, I enjoy learning languages, therefore I would try to work my hardest at both languages.

What should I do? :confused:


I think you should definitely have a go at doing Higher French! if you want to do a language at uni, doing plenty of languages will definitely stand you in good stead for it :smile: there's sixth years in my class who hadn't done French since SG but they managed to pick up on the verbs and tenses again reasonably quickly (even if it did take them a bit of extra work) so although it may be quite a bit of hard work at first, it'll get easier quite quickly! Lots of my friends took French and Spanish this year and they haven't had any major problems with it, they do occasionally mix up the odd word or so but nothing major. (And they say that doing two languages helps with their understanding of each one, and makes the tenses and verbs etc easier to handle too!) :smile:
Reply 70
Original post by Kerrias
I would also ask science-people for their perspective too though cause most people here will tell you to go for French and it would be good to hear the other side too.


Funnily enough, a lot of people who I have spoken to have said Higher Human Bio is difficult to pass which has obviously put me off the idea of sitting the exam even more now!

I think I might definitely consider taking Higher French now as it seems the more obvious option. :^_^:
Aloha.

I'm doing Higher French and AH Spanish this year. At first I did find it quite difficult and I mixed them up, but that was because I was lazy and I didn't learn my French material, so out of convenience and a preference for Spanish, I used my Spanish instead... Yeah, don't do that :wink: But now, they do actually compliment each other very well, and I'm glad I do both of them. My AH Spanish makes my Higher French so much easier honestly, and my Higher French helps me keep in practice with the simpler verbs/adjectives which helps me remember the Spanish version too!

Original post by Kerrias
And now and then I mix up the words I say automatically like 'oui' and 'si' especially when I have them one after each other. But I've found doing both fantastic this year!!

Also, if you're thinking of doing something languagish then having another Higher language is going to be more useful.



And yeah, I also sometimes slip out "oui" instead of "si". :rolleyes: I agree about having another Higher language being useful if you're considering something language oriented at university. It'll give you more options, and it'll allow you to look more closely into the prospect of actually furthering languages (which we hope stays the same, and you do study languages at university :wink: ).

Original post by Kerrias
There is a big workload i.e. everyone in my French class says "I get more homework for French than the rest of my subjects put together" and everyone in my Spanish class says "I get more homework for Spanish than the rest of my subjects put together" and I just stand there like :|


As for the amount of homework in French and Spanish, for Higher Spanish I did get A LOT, and I do get plenty for my French as well. But, the thing is that, unlike other subjects where you could probably cram facts into your head, with languages it's more about developing the skill. This skill is always improving, and it means that you have to continuously work at it to gradually improve; otherwise, if you don't work then it gradually decreases.

When I started my Advanced Higher course, I didn't do much Spanish in my spare time (or in class for that matter) as I was so confident from my knowledge at Higher. Consequently, I didn't improve, and everyone else in my class soared above me. I struggled with the harder bits, and I realised that I wasn't improving at all, but rather getting worse. So, now I'm gradually climbing up the ladder to become top-dog once again. :wink:

This is also true about my French. My reading in French was disastrous in the beginning, as was my writing. However, as I've done so much work and read over my corrections and taken down my own notes, I'm now getting full marks for both components.

I stress the importance of noting down new words/verbs/grammar/conjugations as you work through reading papers. I have about 5 pages of fancy essay phrases/words that I've taken down since my Higher Spanish, and now I'm getting full marks for all my Advanced Higher Spanish essays. I started doing this for my Higher French, and it remains true as I'm also excelling in that.

Finally, make sure to read over your corrections. Last year in Higher, I kept on getting the same mark for my essays. So in order to improve them, I considered looking over my previous essays to see where my mistakes were. Being Sherlock Holmes, I discovered that I was making the same mistakes...again and again... :facepalm: And once you learn from your mistakes, you're unlikely to make it again: perfection.



Original post by Kerrias
I would also ask science-people for their perspective too though cause most people here will tell you to go for French and it would be good to hear the other side too.


I would recommend doing Higher Human Biology this year. But, you have to work hard and ensure at least a B. If you're definitely sure that you won't pass, or you're not putting enough work in, then there's no point in having a fail or a D in your certificate. So please, do consider working your ass off for Human Biology. If you don't do so, and you consider dropping it (leaving you at 3 Highers), then that could pose difficulty for applying to university where 4 Highers in one sitting is usually needed. However, after all that if you're still considering dropping it, then I've heard that Stevenson College offer is as open-learning. This would basically mean that you would self-learn it: they would send you the material, you would do the work and send it back to them. But even so, do you really want to do Higher Human Biology for another year? Or, do you think that you can put ALL your energy into it, so that you can get a fantastic grade and say sayonara to Human Biology for the rest of your life? The decision is yours.
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 72
Original post by Quick-use
Being Sherlock Holmes, I discovered that I was making the same mistakes...again and again...


I'm wondering... do you have a fetish or something for Mr Holmes? :holmes:

Original post by Quick-use
I would recommend doing Higher Human Biology this year. But, you have to work hard and ensure at least a B. If you're definitely sure that you won't pass, or you're not putting enough work in, then there's no point in having a fail or a D in your certificate. So please, do consider working your ass off for Human Biology. If you don't do so, and you consider dropping it (leaving you at 3 Highers), then that could pose difficulty for applying to university where 4 Highers in one sitting is usually needed. However, after all that if you're still considering dropping it, then I've heard that Stevenson College offer is as open-learning. This would basica't get it would realllly mean that you would self-learn it: they would send you the material, you would do the work and send it back to them. But even so, do you really want to do Higher Human Biology for another year? Or, do you think that you can put ALL your energy into it, so that you can get a fantastic grade and say sayonara to Human Biology for the rest of your life? The decision is yours.


There's no way that I want to do Human Biology for another year! Not with the elf woman anyway... However, she tried to tell me how easy it was if I re-sat the course and that I was sure to do better, although I never want to step into another science classroom once the exams are over! Also, elf woman emphasised the fact of how low my prelim grade was, and that I'd be lucky to even scrape a C (I was quite offended). Although the problem was that I actually barely revised for the prelim, apart from write out the notes which took aaaages, so therefore elf woman thinks I put lots of effort in and revised, and that I actually have a problem with the work, although the reason I did so badly was because of my lack of revision, yet of course I couldn't tell her that!

Anyway, I am definitely sure on taking Higher French now along with Higher Spanish (obviously :rolleyes:), even if I have to put up with the most annoying teacher in the world who can't teach to save herself. Also, I won't be getting taught by Don Oswaldo... :emo:
Reply 73
Late reply, but I thought my French prelim went pretty well!

25/30 for the reading and translation
12/15 for the directed writing
10/20 for listening
10/10 for the listening essay

We just sat our final speaking exam yesterday, got told today i got 25/25! So happy! :smile:

GOOD LUCK GUYS :smile:
Reply 74
Original post by becca.95
Late reply, but I thought my French prelim went pretty well!

25/30 for the reading and translation
12/15 for the directed writing
10/20 for listening
10/10 for the listening essay

We just sat our final speaking exam yesterday, got told today i got 25/25! So happy! :smile:

GOOD LUCK GUYS :smile:


Congratulations! They are amazing, especially the speaking exam! :biggrin:

Have my Speaking either tomorrow or Friday, very unprepared and nervous. For my Spanish exam I was so prepared and ready, had twenty long, sophisticated answers learned, had my presentation perfect, and still did badly because I spoke too fast. Now have French and done nothing, barely know my presentation and don't know any answers and my French isn't good enough to go with the flow. So I'm very nervous, and annoyed with myself. But hey! Que sera sera.

How has everyone else got on/getting on?
Reply 75
Original post by becca.95
Late reply, but I thought my French prelim went pretty well!

25/30 for the reading and translation
12/15 for the directed writing
10/20 for listening
10/10 for the listening essay

We just sat our final speaking exam yesterday, got told today i got 25/25! So happy! :smile:

GOOD LUCK GUYS :smile:


You put me to shame :frown:.

22/30 for the reading/translations
1/15 for the directed writing
7/20 for the listening
4/10 for the listening essay

These were my original marks but somehow one of the other french teachers added another 7 in somewhere :s-smilie:, which pulled it up to a C. I have my speaking test on Thursday, I feel a little bit more confident about that.
so what is everyone doing for listening practice? its my weakest area and i really need to improve...
Original post by Nfergs
I'm wondering... do you have a fetish or something for Mr Holmes? :holmes:





LOL troll :wink:
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by gemmaelizabethx
so what is everyone doing for listening practice? its my weakest area and i really need to improve...


I try to listen to the radio daily, and also some French songs. I've actually downloaded past listening papers onto my phone, and I literally listen to it all day long when I'm out. Consequently, I'm a total pro. :wink: Also, if you know your vocabulary then the listening isn't much of a blur as you recognise the words. Make sure to revise your vocab. How? Go through reading papers and write down words you don't know, and memorise them. Do this with listening transcripts too. Perhaps if you use SCHOLAR you can go through the glossary. :biggrin:
Original post by Quick-use
I try to listen to the radio daily, and also some French songs. I've actually downloaded past listening papers onto my phone, and I literally listen to it all day long when I'm out. Consequently, I'm a total pro. :wink: Also, if you know your vocabulary then the listening isn't much of a blur as you recognise the words. Make sure to revise your vocab. How? Go through reading papers and write down words you don't know, and memorise them. Do this with listening transcripts too. Perhaps if you use SCHOLAR you can go through the glossary. :biggrin:

i like the idea of listening to french songs - seems like it would brighten up learning french:biggrin:! yeah i pick out vocabulary i don't know and if i relisten to the tape i can almost always hear it the second time round so that must be a good method but just takes a lot of time:frown: anyways , thankyou for your help:smile:!

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