Reading & Listening

1. Reading & Listening 10 Ways to improve your grade

2. Read the questions FIRST • And use the example • When given a choice of words to put into gaps, cross out the ones you use as you go • Use clues the texts give away – what gender of noun? What’s the subject/ending on the verb? Are there any clues of tense?

3. Use the 5-minutes pre-listening • Underline question words e.g. WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, HOW, HOW MANY… • Underline the mark allocations (1), (2), (3) • Anticipate what words will come up and write them into the blank spaces on the paper. It’s your paper. • * the option which looks most likely if you have to guess

4. Listening for numbers! • When you hear the words, write the KEY words on the exam paper, e.g. soixante-cinq

5. Silver Rule 6a • 3 or 4 PAST TENSES j’ai voyagé (I travelled) j’ai travaillé (I worked) j’ai lu (I read) j’ai acheté (I bought)

6. Silver Rule 6c • 3 or 4 FUTURE TENSES j’irai(I will go) je travaillerai(I willwork) je visiterai(I willvisit) je lirai(I willread)

7. Don’t leave blanks! Reading exam techniques... Answers come in order in the text What tense is being used? Have you written a number/ letter as requested? Read for gist Look out for negatives Cross words out you’ve used already Have you given enough points for the answer? Ignore words you don’t need Highlight key points in the question – have you answered as directed? What answer would make sense? Come back later to tricky questions Are there any cognates? Now have a go at the question in front of you. Which techniques did you use? What do you know about France?

8. The Top 40 Vocab Areas • Days/months • Numbers, esp time • Abstract rooms at home • Room contents • Materials • Housework tasks • School subjects • School equipment • Meat, veg, fruit, fish! • Cutlery & crockery • Snacks, drinks • Animals and pets • Weather • Jobs • Transport • Countries / Nationalities • 20 adjectives for a grade C. Add 10 for each further grade up. • Restaurant, café • Sports • Body parts • Family members • Clothes • Free time • Types of films / tv • Environment • Things on the street • Abstract places in town • Shops • In the country • Colours • Directions • 30 verbs for a grade C. Add 10 for each further grade up. • If you sit there and count these then you are very sad.

9. Reading: Look at the question first. What’s the topic? Which words can you expect to come up? How could the examiner try and catch you out? Read the passage carefully. Identify key words, then look for those tricky little words that can change the meaning of a sentence (see below for a few examples!) Find the verbs. What tense are they in? Is the writer talking about the present (je mange), past (je mangeais, j’aimangé), future (je mangerai, je vais manger,) or a possibility (je mangerais, je voudrais manger)? If you’re reading a series of statements by several people, and the question asks you to write the name of one of the people, try writing a brief summary of what each person has said in English. Check your work thoroughly and write down any vocabulary you didn’t recognise.

10. Listening: Build up your listening stamina! Start with one listening exercise, then build up to three or four per revision session (see lists below for useful listening sites). Look at the question. What’s the topic? Which words can you expect to come up? How could the examiner try and catch you out? Numbers can be tricky. Listen out for ages, dates, times and prices and note them down. Always listen to a passage at least twice before committing to an answer. Try and repeat sentences to yourself more slowly so the words sink in. Look at the transcript (if available) and write down any vocabulary you didn’t recognise.