Advice with German and French A Level...

So, next year I'm doing both at AS and just wanted to know how much homework you (roughly) get. Obviously I know that it's not always the same amount each day/week and that sometimes it's less/more, but just wanted to know how much of your time it takes up in about a week... It's just kinda hit me that I've finished dossing about with GCSEs and that for once I may actually have to do my homework at home and not in registration lol.

Reply 1

ruth_lou

9

hello
ive just finished doing french and german at a-level, and they are both a BIG step up from GCSE. i got an A in both at GCSE and in AS i had 2 work so hard. Most of the work i did was speaking test questions when we had finished a topic and i think there are about 9 topics and also in the first year u do a lot of essays to prepare for the writing exam and at the same time do listenings in class, which also helps you to learn new vocabulary. as long as you keep up with the work and keep on top with the new grammer esp in french you will be fine, but for most people they are not an easy subject

hope that helps
xxxxx

Reply 2

hel437

i do and dont agree with what ruth_lou just said - i mean obviously it depends on how much grammar and stuff you got taught before you started your a levels. i got really really bored with french and german at the start because i didnt find it challenging enough - even though i wasnt doing very well with my essays and stuff in german (it takes me about 3 months to get into the swing of things). there's a LOT of german grammar, but with the french i dont think i learnt anything new. but workwise, it is a big step up from gcse like ruth_lou said. i think thats all
hope i helped x

Reply 3

veryrandom

OP

10

Thanks to both of you! :biggrin:

Reply 4

Piggsil

16

Just make sure you write bazillions of practise essays before the writing exam and you'll be sorted.
Also learn to conjugate -ir verbs properly. :biggrin:

Reply 5

Chocolatefudge

9

I wouldn't recommend doing both languages - but it may be coz i haven't really enjoyed them at my school. The problem is if you have more than one teacher for each subject and then some weeks you can end up doing the same topic e.g. technology in german with 2 teachers and in french with 2 teachers at the same time! It's soooo boring and confusing.
however if you are set on doing them, they are useful subjects because you learn about politics and Europe etc. I think if I'd have liked my teachers better the lessons wouldn't have been so boring and I would have coped better.
Also its good for your reputation! I've found that people are always impressed when I tell them I'm doing both languages!

Reply 6

veryrandom

OP

10

Thanks to you two also :smile:

Reply 7

kaylalou

I've just finishes A level French, like everyone else says its a big step up, the worst thing was that the teachers do the whole lesson in French. It's hardgoing at first but you get used to it and some of the topics are really interesting, especially the ones about french society

Reply 8

Cirsium

19

Yep i'll agree with everybody BIG step up
I know it sounds cliche but my main piece of advice is DO THE WORK
At AS you will be learning a lot of new grammar points
Make sure you are comfortable with them all
Do extra practice if you need to
And if you have excercises, write out the english and the german - as it will help it to go in. Or if you have an ABC 123 excercise write out the whole sentences. The more you use it the better you'll get

For A2 especially you will have to learn a LOT of vocab
Make vocab lists as you go along and try to learn them
Tape yourself reading them out and play it when you're going to bed

Try to familiarise yourself with the language. Watche German/French TV (tageschau.de for german news) listen to music, read the newspaper if you can

Practice practice practice

Reply 9

Richy Rich$$

2

Bekaboo

[
Try to familiarise yourself with the language. Watche German/French TV (tageschau.de for german news) listen to music, read the newspaper if you can

Yeah, i reallyt agree with that, watching German news at www.tagesschau.de is really useful and helps load with vocab and for familiarising your self with German speaking and society

Same for French at http://videojts.france2.fr/

Reply 10

kellywood_5

17

Just to add to what everyone else said really; I can only speak for French, but it's a huge gap from GCSE to AS. At GCSE you can get away with not doing a lot, if anything, outside of lessons, but at A-level it's not like that. There'll be many times you have to do independent research, ie AS oral, A2 coursework, A2 oral, and if you're doing 2 languages, it will obviously be double the work. Keeping up with vocab and grammar and getting regular practice as you go along really helps though.

Reply 11

sarah1987

Yep, huge step up - I went from an A at GCSE to an E at AS because I just didn't do the work. You really have to apply yourself! But I'm back on a C or maybe a B so if you put the work in you can do it. Essays are a bit of an adjustment tho, I never did anything like that at GCSE and now...well I have an essay paper amongst other things on Tuesday!

We never had lessons all in French, kaylalou! Guess I'm just lucky :smile:

My teachers are a bit lazy hehe.

Reply 12

Madelyn

13

Virtually all my French lessons since about year nine have been more or less entirely conducted in French, which I've always found really helpful. Must be tough if they suddenly start talking only in French though...
I'm doing (have, in fact, done!) both laguages for A level and while it can get quite confusing with grammar and vocab and doing the same topics, having the two to back each other up did help. I didn't find that there was all that much homework (compared to things like History. Urgh...), mostly just the odd grammar exercise, exam practices, and essays for the essay paper. But because we were in relatively small groups, the lessons were quite intensive - you couldn't just sit at the back and do nothing.

Reply 13

Aitch

2

veryrandom

So, next year I'm doing both at AS and just wanted to know how much homework you (roughly) get. Obviously I know that it's not always the same amount each day/week and that sometimes it's less/more, but just wanted to know how much of your time it takes up in about a week... It's just kinda hit me that I've finished dossing about with GCSEs and that for once I may actually have to do my homework at home and not in registration lol.

It is a big step up. You also have to try, on your part, to adopt a different approach to (home)work. The question "How much homework will I have to do?" is not really relevant any more. The question becomes "What grade do I want, and how hard am I prepared to work to get it? Do I want to take some chances or really make sure of what I want?"

You will find that your teachers expect that during the six weeks of the summer holidays you will have undergone a miraculous and totally inexplicable transformation. The Y11 grub will have metamorphosed into an autonomous, highly-motivated and thoughtful Sixth-Form student. This is, of course, a totally unreasonable expectation on their part.

As an ex-language teacher, let me make a request. Be keen. Respond in lessons. If you don't really have an opinion about a subject being discussed, invent one and express it. This oral training is for you. Grab it. The Sixth-Form language lessons that are wasted are not those in which everyone makes loads of mistakes, but those in which the teacher has to drag opinions out of (basically lazy) students, like drawing teeth.

If any of your mates think you're too keen in class, tell them you want a good grade, and they can stick their apathy where the sun doesn't shine.

Aitch

Reply 14

ksncl

this might help you understand how much work you'll need to put in:

http://www.dulwich.org.uk/modlangs/factsheets/the_'contract'.htm

its my school's advice on whats necessary to succeed at A level languages

Reply 15

Aitch

2

ksncl

this might help you understand how much work you'll need to put in:

http://www.dulwich.org.uk/modlangs/factsheets/the_'contract'.htm

its my school's advice on whats necessary to succeed at A level languages

This looks like a sensible, not unrealistic schedule.

It's essential to realise in the first week or two that extra reading, listening are a bonus, not an imposition...

Aitch

Reply 16

veryrandom

OP

10

Wow, thank you all for your advice! I'm very grateful :smile:

Reply 17

Aitch

2

Rebecca/Becca

Just make sure you write bazillions of practise essays before the writing exam and you'll be sorted.
Also learn to conjugate -ir verbs properly. :biggrin:

..and if it ends in -ish in English, there's a good chance that it's a regular -ir verb:

Finir, polir, punir, (replenish=remplir), périr, démolir, chérir...

Plus tricky ones choisir, saisir (saisissons, not saisons!!)

Plus lots that you can (almost) make up from adjectives, meaning to become #####, or to make #####.

Noircir, jaunir, blanchir, rougir(blush), brunir, ralentir, grandir...

Aitch

Reply 18

Lottie

9

Thank you all so much for your words of advice.

I've found it really helpful too.

Reply 19

Cirsium

19

Ooo with German you'll quickly get used to making up words :wink:

Very useful

If you know a verb you can make the noun and the adjective and vice versa

e.g. in my exam i wanted to say "This is best summed up when Sabine says "quote""

Well i didn't know the word for to sum up

But summary is Zusammenfassung - so i came up with the verb zusammenfassen - and it works :biggrin:

Also you'll learn that it's not so hard to learn genders as there are some rules
- ung (Abtreibung) is feminine as is -shaft and -haft (Stadtpartnerschaft)
-chen (Maeuschen - a small mouse, Maedgen - a small girl) means "small" and is always neuter

Und so weiter :smile:

Advice with German and French A Level...

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