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How can I improve GCSE English Language FAST !?

Hi, my exams are in May/June and I was wondering if anyone can help me with improving English Language. In my November mocks, I got a grade 2 (E). I was devastated as I practiced lots of exam questions before the mock. I have AO's from the WJEC exam board, but I can't quite grasp how to 'tick them off'. I also struggle with expression, as I know what to say verbally, however, I can't manage to put that onto paper in a sophisticated way. I'm really worried as I only have 5/4 months left and I really don't want to be doing resits in college. If anyone can help me with any suggestions on this subject that will be great! Thanks :smile:

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Original post by maeneedhelp
Hi, my exams are in May/June and I was wondering if anyone can help me with improving English Language. In my November mocks, I got a grade 2 (E). I was devastated as I practiced lots of exam questions before the mock. I have AO's from the WJEC exam board, but I can't quite grasp how to 'tick them off'. I also struggle with expression, as I know what to say verbally, however, I can't manage to put that onto paper in a sophisticated way. I'm really worried as I only have 5/4 months left and I really don't want to be doing resits in college. If anyone can help me with any suggestions on this subject that will be great! Thanks :smile:


I also struggled with English language at GCSE. In my mocks I got a 4 and I was predicted a 6 at the time. Something I found really useful was the English language revision guide and workbook - I did Edexcel but there should be one for WJEC too. If you can't find one, you could still use the Edexcel ones since English language isn't immensely different across exam boards. You might also want to practise writing narratives or annotating texts under timed conditions. In my mocks I was terrible at analysing and annotating the texts, but I definitely improved after practising this. In the actual exam I ended up getting a 9 and I never would have thought I could get that. Don't worry you have time to practise and improve.
Original post by blackvoid17
I also struggled with English language at GCSE. In my mocks I got a 4 and I was predicted a 6 at the time. Something I found really useful was the English language revision guide and workbook - I did Edexcel but there should be one for WJEC too. If you can't find one, you could still use the Edexcel ones since English language isn't immensely different across exam boards. You might also want to practise writing narratives or annotating texts under timed conditions. In my mocks I was terrible at analysing and annotating the texts, but I definitely improved after practising this. In the actual exam I ended up getting a 9 and I never would have thought I could get that. Don't worry you have time to practise and improve.


I do currently have a new eduquas book, however, I'm still waiting for the WJEC book to be published. I would definitely be practicing in the lead up to the exams. Thank you for your suggestions!
For English language, I got a 4 last year. I'm in year 11 now. We had mocks in December, and I got a 9 in English language. Personally, I just watched Mr Bruff's videos on youtube and then did some past papers.
Hi, Grade 8 in English Lang here.I'd say that English isn't like a science that can be meticulously processed with specific routines and disciplines. It's an art. And like with any art, you have to practice. Whereas some may think that this would involve going over past papers and exam questions and all of that jazz, for English if you want to improve your ability to write, just write. It's very simple. I haven't even looked at a past paper in English - I just read. English lang (at gcse) will mostly call upon ability to write informative writing - articles,essays so forth - so reading a lot of essays (Woolf, Eliot, existentialist philosophers etc) and intellectual and structured articles (The Guardian, BBC etc) will really improve your writing (subconscious linguistic processing), also in the exam just use words like 'linguistic', 'sociolinguistic','ambigious' just to sound like a smart ass - like all other writers :smile:English is an art, not a science. So when in doubt use your emotion.

Books I'd Recommend -

For use of language - Richard Yates - Eleven Kinds Of Loneliness, Vladimir Nabokov - Lolita, John Williams - Stoner
For effect - Aldous Huxley - Brave New World, Franz Kafka - The Trial, Ken Kesey - One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (These are all ,mostly, really depressing though)

However, though it feels intuitive for me, phenomenology dictates that a different approach may be needed for yourself. Good luck either way.
(edited 6 years ago)
I did WJEC last year - absolutely hated it.
All I did was the 3 or 4 sample papers and tried my best in the exam, which somehow paid off, as I got an A*.
Reply 6
Try looking for help on YouTube...Teacher P is a new channel - she really helped me with understanding the new grading system and the witches scene in Macbeth.
Reply 7
hi, i wanted to ask which edexcel language book you used to help you revise
Hi, got a grade 6, what i found really useful is to use English Language workbooks specific to your exam board and just repeatedly practice.
Original post by fiza.h
hi, i wanted to ask which edexcel language book you used to help you revise


I'm not on the Edexcel exam board. However, I'm using the new WJEC Eduquas 'English Language' book and an outdated 'English and English Language' from WJEC, CBAC. Which both cover all of the components I'm doing on the exams. If Edexcel doesn't have a book, I would suggest looking at all exam board books if you get the chance. As I doubt the content is dramatically different.
BBC bitesize. Builds the core.
YouTube- Mr Buff.
Practice papers with mark schemes
Practice questions and have your teacher mark them and help you improve
Persistence is key. The more you practice, the better you'll get.
Reply 11
I was awarded grade 8 with merit, here's my recommendations:

1.Know the exact time you have left to revise, not a guess, so get organised, you MUST know the exact amount of weeks and days you have before you sit the exam. It's 13 weeks for my exams.

2. Do cheat sheets, mind maps and index cards, in fact any that will help you learn and revise.

3. Watch Mr Bruff's videos on You Tube and if you can afford it get his PDF book from his website.

4. Read different broadsheet and tabloid newspapers to recognise they way they write a report, recognising the different techniques. Do the same with different books and genres.

5. Do past papers, or using the key similarities makeup your own papers and answer them. NB as far as I know the 2017 papers are locked for students, you might be able to get them through your teacher.

6. Ask your teacher what you can do specifically to improve. They are there to help, so ask them. If your own teacher is unhelpful, then approach another English teacher at the school.

START REVISING NOW
(edited 6 years ago)
I sit edexcel and I would recommend the edexcel workbooks from the exam board.
Original post by maeneedhelp
Hi, my exams are in May/June and I was wondering if anyone can help me with improving English Language. In my November mocks, I got a grade 2 (E). I was devastated as I practiced lots of exam questions before the mock. I have AO's from the WJEC exam board, but I can't quite grasp how to 'tick them off'. I also struggle with expression, as I know what to say verbally, however, I can't manage to put that onto paper in a sophisticated way. I'm really worried as I only have 5/4 months left and I really don't want to be doing resits in college. If anyone can help me with any suggestions on this subject that will be great! Thanks :smile:


Hi, I did my GCSE's last year and was lucky enough to get 9's in both language and literature. Admittedly I'm an aspiring writer, so it's definitely one of my fortes, but my biggest piece of advice for language is to read. A lot. I don't know if that's something you're doing already, but reading anything (particularly fiction) will really improve your vocabulary and even just the way you write. It sounds stupid, but it honestly makes such a difference. Choose something you'll enjoy though, because GCSE's are enough of a chore without that on top!

In terms of the writing quality, avoid repetition where possible (unless it's for effect), and try to vary your sentence structure. When it comes to answering questions, I also suggest jotting down brief answer plans on a scrap piece of paper, even if it's only a few bullet points, so you know what you're going to say before you start writing. That'll really help with things like topic sentences, paragraphs and flow. The same goes for Section B. I know the time pressure in exams is scary, but an examiner is much less likely to give a good grade to a huge wall of unorganised, poorly thought through text than they are a paragraphed, clearly structured argument - even if the points they made were roughly the same.

The most important thing though is to keep at it, and not give up. Read through some model answers, and ask your teachers for specific feedback on your work. One of the boys in my class wasn't happy with his mock grade, so he dedicated himself to writing one extra practice essay a week until the exams. Luckily for him our teacher agreed to mark them (if somewhat reluctantly), and give him the feedback he needed - he ended up with two 9's for the real thing.

Good luck, and hope I helped!
The for your help, I am really nervous for the exams.
Everyone saying that reading is the best thing you can do are right. I did the WJEC course last year and sat the paper feeling so unprepared! I got an A initially but it was close to an A* so my school put it in for a remark and I did come out with an A*. If the course is the same as last year, the hardest part for me was deciding which text type things were, such as educational, occupational etc. I’d say to just try and learn those types really well and do lots of reading to help with the more creative pieces. You say that you struggle to write in a sophisticated way, but (although brief I know) from the original post your written style seems pretty good. Good luck!
What revision guide and workbook did you use?
Hey can you tell me what books you used and also are there any thing that u also used for ltereature as well
help me please, how do you remember vocab
If its for analysing quotes(books like macbeth , Jekyll and Hyde ect.) Use the peace anagram
P-point
E-evidence and explain
A-author method
C-context
Effect on reader
You could also add a second interpretation

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