English Language

1. English Language Revision and Exam Skills

2. If you’re sitting the AQA Higher Paper • You will sit one exam, lasting 2hrs 15mins • You will answer six questions, all of which will require fairly long, detailed responses. • Questions 1-4 require you to demonstrate very specific skills, so you need to make sure you read the question! • Timing is everything – make sure you know how much time you should spend on each question and stick to it, even if you feel you could go on (you can always go back if you have any spare time at the end).

3. The good news . . . • You’ve got 40% of your marks ‘banked’ because you’ve done all your controlled assessments – well done! The bad news . . . You’ve got an exam worth 60% still to sit!

4. It’s still two months until your exam, but time’s a ticking . . . • If your revision hasn’t started yet, it needs to start . . . RIGHT NOW!

5. Your teacher will give you a revision pack by the end of this week. • The minimum requirement is that you complete the two mock exam papers (reading questions only) before coming back after Easter – your teacher will ask you to hand these in during the first week back. • In addition though, there are lots of other helpful bits and pieces in the pack, which you can complete in your own time.

6. Revision Tips • Little and often – start now and do a few minutes every day. Trying to cram the night before is sure to stress you out. • Read, read and read some more! The more you read, the better you will get at quickly decoding texts and looking for hidden meanings. • Practice – you were given a writing practice booklet several months ago, before your mocks – there are over twenty writing questions in it. Try to complete one per week before now and the exam. If you’ve lost it, see Mrs Blacker for a replacement before Friday.

7. Easter Revision Days Mr Neale will be teaching two revision days: • Monday 7th April, 11.00am – 3.30pm – Reading Skills • Tuesday 8th April, 11.00am-3.30pm – Writing Skills Take the opportunity to get some extra revision done, guided by a teacher.

8. Advice for Parents – how can you help? • Encourage your son/daughter to revise ‘little and often’, working steadily through their revision materials. • Look out for potential reading sources which will help them – newspaper and magazine articles, interesting websites etc. • Read with them and ask them to draw out the main points of the text for you after it has been read.

9. Question 1 Source: 1 Skills assessed: Retrieval and Inference Marks available: 8 Time you should spend on it: 15 minutes, including reading time. Top tips: • Keep it simple - don’t ‘overthink’ it • Use plenty of quotes and explain what you learn/understand from these. • Try to ‘read between the lines’.

10. Question 2 Source: 2 Skills assessed: Analysis of presentational features Marks available: 8 Time you should spend on it: 15 minutes, including reading time. Top tips: • Make a range of points about both the headline and the picture • Make sure you link these to the text using quotes from the main body of the text.

11. Question 3 Skills assessed: Inference Marks available: 8 Time you should spend on it: 15 minutes, including reading time. Top tips: • This question is nearly always about thoughts and feelings. Make sure you select and explore at least three thoughts/feelings. • Remember, you are looking for what the writer is showing you, not what they’re telling you.

12. Question 4 Skills assessed: Language Comparison Marks available: 16 Time you should spend on it: 30 minutes, including reading/planning time. Top tips: • Remember to compare the language used in the two sources, not the content (what it’s about). • Try to make a minimum of two well-developed comparisons. • Don’t just ‘feature-spot’ – make sure you explore the connotations of the language used. • Link each point back to how the language helps the writer fulfil their purpose and create a specific effect on the audience.

13. If you’re sitting the Cambridge IGCSE • You will sit one exam, lasting 1hr 45mins • You will answer ten questions, most of which require relatively short responses. Only the final question will test your writing skills; the rest will be testing your ability to read and understand one text (usually travel writing, approximately 1 ½ sides). • Read each question really carefully, and consider what it is asking you. Pay particular attention to words within the question or within the phrase under analysis. • You should be constantly looking from the text and the questions and back again. • Question 1 is worth 30 marks in total. Question 1(g), (h) and (i) are worth 19 out of the available 30 marks, so you must ensure you answer each one very carefully.

14. The good news . . . • You’ve got 40% of your marks ‘banked’ because you’ve done all your coursework, and by the end of the week you’ll also have done your speaking and listening exam (a further 20%) The bad news . . You’ve got an exam worth 40% still to sit!

15. You will have been given a workbook by your teacher that looks like this: • They will set you work to complete from it – do it! • The old saying ‘practice makes perfect’ really is true.

16. Revision Tips • Little and often – start now and do a few minutes every day. Trying to cram the night before is sure to stress you out. • Read, read and read some more! The more you read, the better you will get at quickly decoding texts and looking for hidden meanings. • Practice – you have been using a revision guide with your teacher, that you will be allowed to take home over the holidays. Your teacher will tell you which bits to work through – make sure you bring the guide back after Easter!

17. Advice for Parents – how can you help? • Encourage your son/daughter to revise ‘little and often’, working steadily through their revision materials. • Look out for potential reading sources which will help them – newspaper and magazine articles, interesting websites etc. • Read with them and ask them to draw out the main points of the text for you after it has been read.

18. Easter Revision Day • Mrs Dodd will be teaching a revision day on Monday 7th April, 11.00am- 3.30pm You are strongly advised to attend – it will be of great benefit to you.

19. If you are resitting your Literature . . . You are invited to attend two further revision days in the second week: Tuesday 15th April, 10.00am-2.30pm – Exploring Modern Texts Thursday 17th April, 10.00am-2.30pm – Poetry Across Time Although not compulsory, we really recommend you come to these sessions, as you are only having one lesson per week to prepare for these exams.