A2 French speaking exam - help!

OP

Original post by bstar

Hi

I suggest with Camus read the english version and understand the story and then look on the internet for french translation and go through methodically and pick out some key themes in the text. I known etrangere by Camus (sorry lack of accents there) but i would just suggest writing down some key things to learn for the card and practice speaking aloud for a few hours each day. My AQA oral exam is in 3 weeks and i have found it so helpful to speak aloud the content of what you want to say and go through the AQA textbook and make some points on all the cultural topics you could be asked. Make sure you expand on your points so dont just write down 5 points and then be done with it make sure you develop the 5 points. You could use a spider diagram or something like that. I find that colours can be particularly useful :smile:

Hope this helps and good luck i'm sure you'll be fine.

Any other questions just ask :smile:

Thank you, and good luck too!😊

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Reply 3

D_Vadgama

1

Hey! Although in not doing A2 french i'll be sitting for my edexcel igcse french speaking exam. i don't know how to prepare for it. any help/advice would be really appreciated. Got them in like 2 weeks :afraid:

so need serious help immediately!!

Reply 4

OP

Original post by D_Vadgama

Hey! Although in not doing A2 french i'll be sitting for my edexcel igcse french speaking exam. i don't know how to prepare for it. any help/advice would be really appreciated. Got them in like 2 weeks :afraid:

so need serious help immediately!!

Do you have a set of questions and answers already written out and prepared? That's what I did for my GCSE and I just learnt them by heart. I'm not sure how different the IGCSE is to normal GCSE but try to speak French as often as you can and work on pronunciation and spontaneity, that should help a bit!

Reply 5

Hey, I've got my French speaking for A2 exam on 15th May! Haven't started revision yet, but I still have a week of the Easter Holidays to make some revision notes.

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Reply 6

ArtisticFlair

11

My A2 oral is in the first week of May... eek!

My cultural topics are l'Etranger and French Occupation. To be honest, I'm not that worried about the stimulus card/debate because we have 20 mins prep time, and you'll never know exactly what's going to be on the card. However, I'm struggling with the cultural topic revision... I feel like I'm just revising summaries of l'Etranger and facts for the Occupation. Does anyone have a list of possible questions for these topics? Do we need to know the context of Camus' life and the society in which he wrote?

Thanks, and good luck!

Reply 7

OP

Original post by gracelich

Hey, I've got my French speaking for A2 exam on 15th May! Haven't started revision yet, but I still have a week of the Easter Holidays to make some revision notes.

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Good luck! How are you feeling about it?

Reply 8

OP

Original post by ArtisticFlair

My A2 oral is in the first week of May... eek!

My cultural topics are l'Etranger and French Occupation. To be honest, I'm not that worried about the stimulus card/debate because we have 20 mins prep time, and you'll never know exactly what's going to be on the card. However, I'm struggling with the cultural topic revision... I feel like I'm just revising summaries of l'Etranger and facts for the Occupation. Does anyone have a list of possible questions for these topics? Do we need to know the context of Camus' life and the society in which he wrote?

Thanks, and good luck!

For Camus, I'm looking into the philosophy behind La Peste and trying to link it to some of the ideas or even characters in the book, maybe you could do the same for l'Etranger? But most of my questions are about themes and developments throughout the story. Bonne chance aussi!

Reply 9

TheBookOwl

2

I did this exam last year and felt similarly underprepared :redface:

My topics were Un Sac de Billes by Joseph Joffo which I knew quite well, and L'Avare by Moliere which I knew next to nothing about, because I'd had something ridiculous like 5-6 lessons on it. So I had to devise some tactics for L'Avare! I would sum them up as:

1. Ensure you know the story, at least the key plot points (you won't go into massive detail in 5 minutes)
2. Pick 2 main themes and create a bit to say about each of them e.g. key moments/characters which relate to the theme
3. Pick a favourite character and why you like them
4. Know what the author's main aim with writing the book was
5. Have something to say regarding the historical/social context. Doesn't have to be very much, for L'Avare I only said a little bit, no more than 20-30 seconds about the role of women in the 17th century and the examiner was happy
6. Prepare for the classic "do you like the book? would you recommend it? why did you like it?" questions

If you'd like, I actually have an example full-marks essay somewhere about La Peste that we got given as an example of how to write the one in the exam. It's got some good paragraphs that you could steal! :wink:

Reply 10

OP

Original post by TheBookOwl

x

Thank you for this, it's a real help!!:-)

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Reply 11

Original post by sammyruse

Good luck! How are you feeling about it?

Thanks, and I'm feeling neutral at the moment. I think once I make revision cards I'll be fine. Haven't had much speaking practice this year, as we have a really poor French assistant, so I've avoided seeing her.
I'm studying Jean de Florette and La Haine as my cultural topics. Got all the notes for them.... Just need to revise them! What are you aiming for this year? And how are you feeling about it?

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Reply 12

OP

Original post by gracelich

Thanks, and I'm feeling neutral at the moment. I think once I make revision cards I'll be fine. Haven't had much speaking practice this year, as we have a really poor French assistant, so I've avoided seeing her.
I'm studying Jean de Florette and La Haine as my cultural topics. Got all the notes for them.... Just need to revise them! What are you aiming for this year? And how are you feeling about it?

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I'm really nervous about it, as speaking has never been my strong point. But we've been lucky and had a really good assistant this year so he's been a great help, and I'm feeling a lot more confident about answering questions on the spot. I need a B to get into uni, but an A would also be fab! How about you?

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Reply 13

Original post by sammyruse

I'm really nervous about it, as speaking has never been my strong point. But we've been lucky and had a really good assistant this year so he's been a great help, and I'm feeling a lot more confident about answering questions on the spot. I need a B to get into uni, but an A would also be fab! How about you?

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Ahh, it's great that you've had a good French assistant. I need an A to get into uni.... So need to get cracking with revision. Answering questions spontaneously is fine for me, as I'm one of those people who just keeps talking no matter what. My mock oral is next tuesday though! What are you doing at uni next year?

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Reply 14

OP

Original post by gracelich

Ahh, it's great that you've had a good French assistant. I need an A to get into uni.... So need to get cracking with revision. Answering questions spontaneously is fine for me, as I'm one of those people who just keeps talking no matter what. My mock oral is next tuesday though! What are you doing at uni next year?

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Good luck! I'm doing French and beginners Spanish at Swansea, you?

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Reply 15

Original post by sammyruse

Good luck! I'm doing French and beginners Spanish at Swansea, you?

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Ahh, nice! I kind of wish I had chosen to do joint honours with French. I'm hopefully going to do History at UCL. Good luck too :smile:

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Reply 16

Suky

1

I've got my french speaking on the 2nd May (this friday) and I'm studying La Haine and also the region of Nice. Wish I knew the speaking cards; desperate to debate on immigration or integration because I know it so well!

Reply 17

Original post by Suky

I've got my french speaking on the 2nd May (this friday) and I'm studying La Haine and also the region of Nice. Wish I knew the speaking cards; desperate to debate on immigration or integration because I know it so well!

Good luck, let me know how it goes!

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Reply 18