AS AQA French - Oral AND Written Exam

I'm retaking my AS oral, revising is the thing I struggle most with. I've written bullet points for basic questions which cover the topic, just so that I've got some basic ideas ready that I can expand on. Also, just go over revision and structures as much as possible - my teachers are all about 'wow' sentences.

In terms of essay, I reckon something sport related will come up, I was expecting it last year, with it being Olympic year, but I didn't happen. There was a really ridiculous fashion/shopping question last year, so I don't think that will come up. Maybe something to do with publicity?

In January, there were questions about Fast food, Celebrities, and Divorce, so they're unlikely, although the board does seem to be fond of families and relationships as an easy question.

Reply 3

OP

Original post by Amylina

I'm retaking my AS oral, revising is the thing I struggle most with. I've written bullet points for basic questions which cover the topic, just so that I've got some basic ideas ready that I can expand on. Also, just go over revision and structures as much as possible - my teachers are all about 'wow' sentences.

In terms of essay, I reckon something sport related will come up, I was expecting it last year, with it being Olympic year, but I didn't happen. There was a really ridiculous fashion/shopping question last year, so I don't think that will come up. Maybe something to do with publicity?

In January, there were questions about Fast food, Celebrities, and Divorce, so they're unlikely, although the board does seem to be fond of families and relationships as an easy question.

I've got bullet points for basic questions, and the ones I can think they might ask me based on the activities we've done in class and topics in the textbook... I struggle a lot with the ideas, and with getting very tired by the end of the 15 minutes- dry mouth and struggling a lot more to speak correct French. My teacher says that examiners do appreciate that, but I think it's a tough task, I'd struggle to talk that long in English without a dry mouth!

I think I can manage the structures. I find interaction hard though- getting a balance between relying too much on further questions and losing out on the marks for having developed my own ideas, and not leaving space to be asked questions- how does one get the interaction marks?

I would've liked food, shame :/

Reply 4

I'm the same with struggling after 15 minutes, I'll be quickly sipping water between topics!! I'm worried as the actual speaking part of my test is supposed to start exactly at the beginning of our school break - there's going to be noise and distractions everywhere! So scared I won't be able to concentrate :s-smilie:

I don't know what I'd like to come up essay wise, just probably not something about marriage/divorce/living together - I tend to just repeat the same ideas in those essays!!

Reply 5

Amylina

Original post by Anny Smiles

I've got bullet points for basic questions, and the ones I can think they might ask me based on the activities we've done in class and topics in the textbook... I struggle a lot with the ideas, and with getting very tired by the end of the 15 minutes- dry mouth and struggling a lot more to speak correct French. My teacher says that examiners do appreciate that, but I think it's a tough task, I'd struggle to talk that long in English without a dry mouth!

I think I can manage the structures. I find interaction hard though- getting a balance between relying too much on further questions and losing out on the marks for having developed my own ideas, and not leaving space to be asked questions- how does one get the interaction marks?

I would've liked food, shame :/

Definitely agree that ideas are the hardest part, all I can say is that I would have some basic ideas for everything. It's better to have a few that you know you can speak on, than a lot that you will just be listing and not actually discussing.

If a dry mouth is a problem, then take a bottle of water into your exam, I can't see why or how anyone would have a problem with you taking a quick sip whilst your examiner is speaking!

I think to get marks for developing your own ideas, it's more about leading the conversation, so when the examiner asks you a question, maybe answer the question, and then maybe add in a 'personal anecdote', or move slightly into a different topic - an example might be, in my mock I got asked if I thought that some sports were male-dominated. I answered that i thought some were, such as football, because male footballers earn a lot of money, whilst female footballers get joked about still, and then I said how unfair it was because some women are just as good/better than men at playing football - my teacher said after the exam that this would get me interaction marks, because I used my initiative rather than sticking strictly to the question and waiting for him to ask me if I thought it was fair. If you're really struggling with interaction marks, you can pick a few up easily by simply asking the examiner his opinion - he won't say much, but it should be enough.

Sorry for rambling, good luck with your exam!

Reply 6

OP

Original post by Amylina

Definitely agree that ideas are the hardest part, all I can say is that I would have some basic ideas for everything. It's better to have a few that you know you can speak on, than a lot that you will just be listing and not actually discussing.

If a dry mouth is a problem, then take a bottle of water into your exam, I can't see why or how anyone would have a problem with you taking a quick sip whilst your examiner is speaking!

I think to get marks for developing your own ideas, it's more about leading the conversation, so when the examiner asks you a question, maybe answer the question, and then maybe add in a 'personal anecdote', or move slightly into a different topic - an example might be, in my mock I got asked if I thought that some sports were male-dominated. I answered that i thought some were, such as football, because male footballers earn a lot of money, whilst female footballers get joked about still, and then I said how unfair it was because some women are just as good/better than men at playing football - my teacher said after the exam that this would get me interaction marks, because I used my initiative rather than sticking strictly to the question and waiting for him to ask me if I thought it was fair. If you're really struggling with interaction marks, you can pick a few up easily by simply asking the examiner his opinion - he won't say much, but it should be enough.

Sorry for rambling, good luck with your exam!

Yeah, I know that Television is my chosen conversation topic, and I'm just prepping ideas for the other 9 subtopics with mind maps and bullet points...

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to do that, but I might email my teacher and ask her, or find her before my exam Tuesday! I think part of it is that I get really nervous! She said I can take in a stress ball or similar though, as long as it won't make noise, so I'm going to take my tangle in with my to fiddle with.

I lost marks on a mock because I lacked the ideas to get enough marks, so I'm revising ideas and am more confident there now... So I think it's the interaction that I struggle with.

Do you know how it's marked and moderated? I'd be interested to know, because we all seem to struggle with interaction marks. Part of it, I think, is that our teacher feels it's about a meaningful conversation with the examiner which I find hard, because it seems to be very reliant on them to steer it and respond to the prompts you give them... like when I'm answering a question, I try to steer it onto another potential question in the same sub topic, so I start talking about why young people are stressed and I steer it on to the way they're coping with smoking etc so I can be asked about how we can stop them smoking and stuff- but that relies on the examiner taking my cue!

Reply 7

Amylina

Television is my chosen topic too :smile:

(tactic to avoid Publicity and New Technologies, hahaha)

Obviously, the depth in which you talk about the topics is important, but I'm not sure how far it is possible to have a 'meaningful' discussion about shopping an cinema, haha.

I'm not sure what goes on once you've finished your exam, but whilst you're speaking, the examiner will be making notes and grading you. Obviously, they will get checked again after you've finished, but I'd imagine that they won't change that much, because the person who is examining you can just get a much better feel for what you're saying than someone who is listening to you speak on a tape, because they can see your facial expressions etc.

It sounds to me like you're doing alright, that's pretty much what I've been doing for the past 2 years anyway. I don't know what grade you're aiming for, but the mark scheme states that for 7-8 out of the 10 intonation marks, there needs to be 'infrequent evidence of spontaneity in response to opportunities to develop ideas'. So if you do what you're doing two or three times in the 15 minutes, you should be into level 4 if you fulfill the other requirements as well :smile:

Reply 8

Kureiji_Riji

My mock went well, but I'm hoping i'm just as nervous because that's how i work best... i think! As for how it's marked, they mark you on fluency as one of the biggest things in the exam. So even if your grammar is terrible, if you keep speaking and appear spontaneous, then as well as good ideas, you should be OK.

I'm hoping i don't get asked about publicity. In my mock i was asked about if i was a technophile, which wasn't bad haha. But i don't know :s-smilie:

I hope i can do this AND the listening/reading/writing exam. So much stuff to revise ;__;

I just feel like I'm going to forget everything urgh i don't mind sport too much but i was lucky in the mock with the questions i asked. I tended to make things up, like... being influenced by lady gaga. Paha nope. Blurrrr je ne sais pas >.<

Reply 9

clsinger

hey

has anyone got any tips for the AS AQA French listening, reading and writing paper? I'm in Year 13 doing A2 French but I want to improve my AS Grade. I re-sat my AS paper in January but my grade only improved by a couple of marks :/ I make sure I do past papers and practice essay Q's (I've improved a lot on the essay Q's now). Any advice would be much appreciated!! :smile:

Thank-you! :smile:

Reply 10

Smarticus

Original post by clsinger

hey

has anyone got any tips for the AS AQA French listening, reading and writing paper? I'm in Year 13 doing A2 French but I want to improve my AS Grade. I re-sat my AS paper in January but my grade only improved by a couple of marks :/ I make sure I do past papers and practice essay Q's (I've improved a lot on the essay Q's now). Any advice would be much appreciated!! :smile:

Thank-you! :smile:

Could you give me some advice? I'm in year 12 doing French

This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

Reply 11

clsinger

Original post by Smarticus

Could you give me some advice? I'm in year 12 doing French

This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

Hi!
Yeah sure :smile:

i do AQA french and my main advice is to try and do as many past papers as possible! They've helped me feel more confident with what the questions will be like, for me I was always worried about the listening part :smile:

Also go on the aqa French a level website as they have exemplar material such as old writing answers which scored well are on there and they're good to look at if you're a bit worried about the writing part :smile:

Hope that helps a bit! :smile:

Reply 12

OP

ARGH!

How did people find it this morning?

Reply 13

Original post by Anny Smiles

ARGH!

How did people find it this morning?

Not good! You?

Reply 14

OP

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/41702

Original post by Student96

Not good! You?

Pretty awful! I had issues with my MP3 to begin with, and then I spiralled into panic.

What was with volant for steering wheel?! And panne d'electricite- that's strange vocab!

The essays weren't ideal, either :frown:

Vvhh

Reply 17

Original post by Anny Smiles

Pretty awful! I had issues with my MP3 to begin with, and then I spiralled into panic.

What was with volant for steering wheel?! And panne d'electricite- that's strange vocab!

The essays weren't ideal, either :frown:

I'm so glad someone else felt the same. Oh no, that just makes things worse! I hate that, when you start going wrong and then just keep worrying :s-smilie:

I know, I guessed so so much :s-smilie:

No the essays weren't great, I did the cinema one because I had written about it recently, but still... oh dear. :frown:

Reply 18

OP

Original post by Student96

I'm so glad someone else felt the same. Oh no, that just makes things worse! I hate that, when you start going wrong and then just keep worrying :s-smilie:

I know, I guessed so so much :s-smilie:

No the essays weren't great, I did the cinema one because I had written about it recently, but still... oh dear. :frown:

Definitely, I started to panic & it spiralled downhill from there!!
I hated all the essays, but I did holidays. Blahhh.

Reply 19