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how to revive German gcse listening

(My 3rd and last post this morning.)

writing is easy to revise, I just need to learn sentence structures, tenses, grammar.
reading is easy to revise, past paper questions and learning 200 word sets of vocab.
speaking is easy to revise, I make flashcards
But listening, I don’t know how.

For reference I got a 6- reading, 6- writing, 8- speaking, 4 - listening. Bear in mind for both reading and writing I was only 1 mark away from a 7 so it can be easily improved on. But listening I was almost 1 mark away from falling to 3.

Whenever I ask ppl how to revise listening it’s always “watch movies” “listen to music”. All the German music I’ve tried to listen to sucks and half the time I don’t understand a word they’re saying because of the way they are singing/rapping. It’s hard to find German movies that aren’t about world war or holo** bc that stuff just makes me uncomfortable and I don’t even do gcse history. I don’t watch Netflix that often most of the movies I do like to watch (like marvel) are on Disney+ and I don’t have a disney+ subscription.

so uh yeah I know it sounds like I’m making a a ton of excuses but plz I need help bc past papers don’t help

Reply 1

Original post
by ekhsaa_18
(My 3rd and last post this morning.)
writing is easy to revise, I just need to learn sentence structures, tenses, grammar.
reading is easy to revise, past paper questions and learning 200 word sets of vocab.
speaking is easy to revise, I make flashcards
But listening, I don’t know how.
For reference I got a 6- reading, 6- writing, 8- speaking, 4 - listening. Bear in mind for both reading and writing I was only 1 mark away from a 7 so it can be easily improved on. But listening I was almost 1 mark away from falling to 3.
Whenever I ask ppl how to revise listening it’s always “watch movies” “listen to music”. All the German music I’ve tried to listen to sucks and half the time I don’t understand a word they’re saying because of the way they are singing/rapping. It’s hard to find German movies that aren’t about world war or holo** bc that stuff just makes me uncomfortable and I don’t even do gcse history. I don’t watch Netflix that often most of the movies I do like to watch (like marvel) are on Disney+ and I don’t have a disney+ subscription.
so uh yeah I know it sounds like I’m making a a ton of excuses but plz I need help bc past papers don’t help


There are online (free) AI podcast generators. You could try putting in some past paper listenings and asking it to generate a podcast based on that.

Whilst this is technically for National 5 (equivalent of gcse), Higher (equivalent of a-level), and Advanced Higher (equivalent of 1st year uni) in Scotland, the website Language Learning Scotland has listening resources (as well as reading, writing, grammar, vocab, and speaking) that you may find useful. We sometimes use gcse past papers and resources in our languages revision, so I don't see why you can't use ours.

You could also search up sqa past papers and filter for National 5 German and try those listening exams. You could also try other exam boards than yours.

You could start by trying to listen with the transcript to see if that helps and make a note of any key vocabulary that the exam board likes to use a lot so you begin to memorise it.

You could also take the transcripts from listening exams and the texts from reading exams and record yourself speaking them into your phone. You might find you understand yourself better than someone else when you play it back.

I hope this helps, and if you have any more questions, feel free to ask me. 😊

Reply 2

I can only echo jasmineva’s advice, and say that watching entire films in German when you struggle with listening must be quite demotivating - it is a difficult language! I would suggest using YouTube to find videos aimed at German learners or slow podcasts. And do some past papers from your exam board. You could slow them down to 0.75x if needed, but at this stage past papers will have the vocabulary and grammar most needed. Good luck 🫶

Reply 3

Original post
by jasmineva3128
There are online (free) AI podcast generators. You could try putting in some past paper listenings and asking it to generate a podcast based on that.
Whilst this is technically for National 5 (equivalent of gcse), Higher (equivalent of a-level), and Advanced Higher (equivalent of 1st year uni) in Scotland, the website Language Learning Scotland has listening resources (as well as reading, writing, grammar, vocab, and speaking) that you may find useful. We sometimes use gcse past papers and resources in our languages revision, so I don't see why you can't use ours.
You could also search up sqa past papers and filter for National 5 German and try those listening exams. You could also try other exam boards than yours.
You could start by trying to listen with the transcript to see if that helps and make a note of any key vocabulary that the exam board likes to use a lot so you begin to memorise it.
You could also take the transcripts from listening exams and the texts from reading exams and record yourself speaking them into your phone. You might find you understand yourself better than someone else when you play it back.
I hope this helps, and if you have any more questions, feel free to ask me. 😊

Listening to random stuff won't help too much this close to listening exams. Have you seen this video by The Ideal Language School on YouTube? Lots of really good ideas to improve your listening skills that will actually help. GCSE German Listening Exam Revision Tips: Boost Marks & Confidence FAST

Reply 4

Original post
by YOLOright
Listening to random stuff won't help too much this close to listening exams. Have you seen this video by The Ideal Language School on YouTube? Lots of really good ideas to improve your listening skills that will actually help. GCSE German Listening Exam Revision Tips: Boost Marks & Confidence FAST


I never said random stuff. Everything I suggested can have relevant vocabulary within it.

Reply 5

Original post
by jasmineva3128
I never said random stuff. Everything I suggested can have relevant vocabulary within it.

I don't think I suggested you did, but I can see that I linked to your post rather than the original post which is perhaps where the confusion has come in. You have some good suggestions!
(edited 11 months ago)

Reply 6

Original post
by YOLOright
I don't think I suggested you did, but I can see that I linked to your post rather than the original post which is perhaps where the confusion has come in. You have some good suggestions!


Ah, I see. That makes more sense. Thank you, you do also.

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