how to prepare for french at a-level?

i've taken french, but after 11 or so weeks of not doing any work i need tips on how to get back into the mind set of the language so it's not such a shock. i think french is the hardest subject i'm taking and really want to do well at it, so how can i prepare, and what should i expect in AS french?

Reply 1

MewMachine

12

I wouldn't worry too much before you go back, I didn't do anything and was fine as they do an introductory GCSE -> AS level part which is good.

What the above poster said is right, except depending on your exam board you may not have an oral topic to prepare- mine was completely made up on the day (which if anything was better, as the level you are expected to speak to isn't as high). The written exam overall isn't too bad. Listening is a LOT easier than GCSE as you get your own tape player and can replay it as many times as you like. Everything else has been covered. :smile:

Reply 2

Happiness

1

Don't worry too much about it, as the others have said the course is meant to break you in gently. One thing I would recommend doing is quickly going over some of the basic grammar, for example making sure you really know the regular present tense conjugations, but also familiarising yourself with some of the important irregular ones (e.g. etre, faire, savoir, devoir). Sites like about (http://french.about.com/od/grammar/a/present.htm) are usually good for going over the basics. Depending on how much you've done at GCSE, you might also want to go over some of the other tenses (perfect, imperfect, future) which will also be pretty handy at the beginning.

www.wordreference.com is an excellent dictionary site where you can look up vocab and conjugate verbs, but you'll probably also be using a big french/english dictionary.

Reply 3

Mazzia

1

Yeah, I did little to no preparation for the start of AS and I was fine :smile:

But if you're really bothered, just immerse yourself in the language for a while. French TV is good. TV5 Monde is on Sky channel 799.

Happiness

www.wordreference.com is an excellent dictionary site where you can look up vocab and conjugate verbs, but you'll probably also be using a big french/english dictionary.

Wordref was my god send during A-Level!

Reply 4

Skadoosh

12

Organise grammar. Learn tenses.

Learn French.

OP

thanks for everyone who's offered suggestions.
i think im on aqa for philosophy and ocr for french but am not totally sure
im going to listen to french radio and just go over gcse things, and i guess everyone's starting at the same level so i should be fine (Y)
im really excited to start my a-levels now :biggrin:

Reply 7

ChopinNocturne

15

LouLou92

i've taken french, but after 11 or so weeks of not doing any work i need tips on how to get back into the mind set of the language so it's not such a shock. i think french is the hardest subject i'm taking and really want to do well at it, so how can i prepare, and what should i expect in AS french?

Wow, we're doing the same subjects except I'm doing music while you're doing art!! :five:

Reply 8

LouLou92

OP

1

ChopinNocturne

Wow, we're doing the same subjects except I'm doing music while you're doing art!! :five:

bit late, but :five:

back at you :smile:

Reply 9

cymraesfach

To be honest I didn't find AS too hard - I never put in enough efford and got an AB (two marks from an A in the oral - frustrating! But at least it's an oral resit which is less pressure than an exam resit in my mind. I should have just put the work in).

There are loads of really brilliant French films about. I'm lucky enough to work in an art centre and get free tickets to its cinema, so definitely see if there's anything like that local to you. Online newspapers, books and TV are brilliant too, of course.

Reply 10

vegcar

I'm also taking French, but due to option pools in my school I had to switch a subject I would have taken for A-level for French. I'm now a bit concerned as I hadn't already considered it at A-level- how much use will it be to me in the future?

Reply 11

Gooner

14

vegcar

I'm also taking French, but due to option pools in my school I had to switch a subject I would have taken for A-level for French. I'm now a bit concerned as I hadn't already considered it at A-level- how much use will it be to me in the future?

You can't really go wrong with languages nowadays. Because so few people take them at GCSE, let alone at A-Level, you're much more employable due to the skills that you build up whilst studying them. :smile:

Reply 12

vegcar

Thanks! I've also heard various horror stories about terrible workloads that impede on other subjects- does anyone know if that's right as well?

Reply 13

Gooner

14

Hmm, I wouldn't say so. Language learning is more about what you do in your spare time, and therefore the beauty of that is that you can learn your languages around your other work commitments, as long as you gradually build up your skills throughout the year :smile:

Reply 14

vegcar

Thanks a bunch, guys!

how to prepare for french at a-level?

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you