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Starting GCSE French any tips?

Hi at my school we move up early so I started year 10 yesterday. I was wondering if anyone had any tips for starting french gcse? I will be doing the new 9-1 specifications. Or just any tips overall? Thanks

Reply 1

gimplord4000

move to france for a few months and u will pick up the langwich v. easily.

Reply 2

Naomeyz_01

buy the revision guide and use apps such as memrise for your listening and writing skills

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Reply 3

sapphire79

omg i highly stress downloading this app called memrise. If you frequently use the app I guarantee you'll gt an
A* by your exam in year 11. I wish I had known about it in year 10

Thats for your exam, but for coursework just use google translate and ask people on here.

Reply 4

outgoingpopcorn

Hi,

I've just done French GCSE this year, I am in year 11. I would say learn the vocab and phrases for each topic as you go along. If your teacher doesn't give you notes on something go through your textbooks and get your own phrases. This is what I did. Also make sure you keep practising the grammar, we got a dictionary for the writing exam with verb tables but I'm not entirely sure if you will too. Good luck with everything! :biggrin:

Also how come you move up early in your school?Its just that I have never heard of any systems like this before.

Reply 5

nomophobia

Google Translate is your best friend.

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Reply 6

james02jjk

Original post by gimplord4000

move to france for a few months and u will pick up the langwich v. easily.

lol i wish i could

Reply 7

james02jjk

Original post by niv1234

Also how come you move up early in your school?Its just that I have never heard of any systems like this before.

I don't know why but it's stupid if you ask me.

Reply 8

james02jjk

Original post by Naomeyz_01

buy the revision guide and use apps such as memrise for your listening and writing skills

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just downloaded thanks!

Reply 9

outgoingpopcorn

Original post by hhorse01

I don't know why but it's stupid if you ask me.

Oh ok

Reply 10

emmald583

Definitely learn the vocab as you go along. I did 2 languages and when I had a vocab test, I would cram in form time and have forgotten at least a third by the time I'd left the lesson. Left a lot to learn right before the exams - don't make that mistake!

Reply 11

luciie

Memrise and Duolingo are godsends. Especially Memrise, I was getting C's and B's in Year 10 and after using it for a few months I was getting A's and A*s - it's amazing :smile:

https://www.memrise.com/
https://www.duolingo.com/

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 12

glowanti

Original post by hhorse01

Talk to yourself in French (obviously when you're good enough to maintain a conversation) because with the new spec the speaking section of the course is all spontaneous and you won't have a script to learn like we all did, so you have to be able to have a basic conversation

Reply 13

wolfslayer1

Considering I self-learned Spanish to A* at GCSE, and I am doing the same for French, I hope my tips will be helpful :wink:

1) Duolingo app - this is mainly for the purpose of building your confidence with the language and also your vocabulary. The more you use it, the better at French you will be and I can almost guarantee that. Incorporate Duolingo into your daily life because you cannot cram for languages and get a high enough grade

2) Visit the website of the exam board you are doing and download all of their old past papers - yes, even though you are doing the whole 9-1 thing, French is still the same language so a lot of the reading exams will be very helpful. Even trying their listening exams for practice and keep a book of phrases rather than isolated vocabulary

3) Buy revision guides and workbooks for your specific exam board and.. Yeah abuse it until you basically get bored. Stop when you get bored, and start again later

As for controlled assessments (if you do any controlled assessments), use the textbooks that you'll find in school. As soon as you know what topic you have to write about, write it up EARLY and get it checked so you have time to make mistakes and get them corrected

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Reply 14

FenixZ

This is seriously going to help you and I wish I found this before I took my french exam. I got a B in the end, but it could of easily been an A if I had done this:

http://www.memrise.com/course/52220/aqa-gcse-french-vocabulary/

http://www.memrise.com/course/89149/edexcel-gcse-french-vocabulary-list/

These are awesome and only take like 5 minutes a day of your time.
Also just learn your controlled assessments of by heart, there is no excuse why you can't get an A* in those.
Good luck :smile: