[Charl1211]

Exam fast approaching! 19/6/12 so was just wondering if anyone has any particular advice? Especially on the translation sections!
Also interested in what people are studying for their cultural topics? I was doing a region (Haute-Normandie) and the work of a writer (L'Etranger by Albert Camus). After the speaking test we've been advised to 'drop' one topic (because there is still a choice of question on the exam) and steam ahead with our 'preferred' topic. I've gone for the region as I find its factual orientation much easier! Has anyone else been advised to take this route?

[Charl1211]

Come on Linguists!!!

[chaarliexx]

Hi there,

I'm also doing AQA but we are doing France under the occupation and Truffaut for our cultural topics. We did both for the oral but we are now focusing on the Truffaut for the exam essays as its easier to get the specific detailed knowledge etc.
For the translation sections, the main advice we have been given is to try to keep as close to the original meaning but it should make sense in English. Check for all the grammar points within it to ensure you get that right and try to look over vocab from all of the topics that are in the specification. There are almost certainly going to be a few words that are thrown in to challenge people so don't worry about these but make an educated guess from the clues in the context of the piece.
If you can get the translation from french to english right, it is one of the areas you can pick up marks and improve greatly... as i've seen today going from 6/10 on my last one to 10/10 in my mock that i got back today
The sentences from french to english are mainly focused on grammar. In each sentence there are four point which will get you the marks but at this stage of you're french learning, some of them don't even seem like grammar anymore...it has almost become second nature!
But do remember to look for agreements as this can lose a mark easily!!

I hope this helps x

[liviluck]

Hi everyone I'm also doing AQA French, my cultural topics are France under the Occupation during WW2, and Monet. We're doing both for the essays but I think I'm more likely to answer a question on the Occupation! I find the French to English translation is generally OK, but I'm a bit worried about the English to French, as it's really reliant on whether or not you know the vocab that comes up or not!
Good luck to everyone sitting the exam

[Charl1211]

On my last mock I got an A but my translation did really let me down.. it was only because I got 40/40 on my essay it pulled me up... dreading it!!!

[cerrr]

We've done an author and a director but throughout the whole year we've been geared towards the film for essays. I've never written an essay on the book, but my teacher's prepped us just in case.

Either way, I think I'd prefer the film (Entre les Murs) because there's a lot to say.

I'm most worried about translation... does anyone have any good ones to practice on? I've done all the past papers?

[NothingCrushesUs]

A suggestion for those of you struggling with translation: buy an issue of l'Express, and translate it (or as much of it as you can). Or pick articles from lexpress.fr or lemonde.fr etc. and translate them (I personally prefer having something on paper though). And for English to French translation, do the same for The Times/Guardian/Financial Times etc.

[kayleigh.jean]

We've done France during the Occupation and Therese Raquin as our culture topics and have all dropped one but we've had the choice depending on which interested us most and which we're more confident with, so I'm going to do the history as it's so interesting to write about!
translation, aside from past papers, we've been doing pages and pages of sentences from this frenchteacher.net website which have been really good, and just taking articles from French newspapers and translating them is good practice, especially relevant ones to the topics. We did one on Dinosaur flatulence the other day

[Charl1211]

we're absolutely gutted now frenchteacher.net have started charging for resources! I find the french news websites are very good with articles about the topics for the exams and to improve both reading and translating

[HollyWJ]

(Original post by Charl1211)
On my last mock I got an A but my translation did really let me down.. it was only because I got 40/40 on my essay it pulled me up... dreading it!!!

40/40 on your essay, that's amazing! any tips?

[bonjour_ella]

Does anyone have any examples of essay questions for a region or film? I know it's only a few days away but we've never done any practice essays in lessons and I'm pretty stressed about it now :/

[cerrr]

(Original post by bonjour_ella)
Does anyone have any examples of essay questions for a region or film? I know it's only a few days away but we've never done any practice essays in lessons and I'm pretty stressed about it now :/

I've got a list of film ones - sorry I can't help you with the region! Also sorry they're in English - I couldn't be bothered to translate them when I copied them out

• Analyse one or more work and explain why it/they is/are important
• Analyse one work - why do you like it?
• Analyse the main techniques of a work
• Analyse one work and explain the reasons for its success
• Describe and evaluate a masterpiece
• Describe and evaluate one work
• Evaluate the new ideas and/or techniques of one artist/director
• What do you appreciate most about this artist/director including reference to one work
• What would you say is the best work of an artist/director and why?
• What elements of one work make it popular?
• Choose one work. What does this work reveal about the artist/director's ideas?

Hope this helps!

[Alex_1]

Anyone studied LA haine last year?

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