For those who know french/took french for GCSE

[Andrew]

How would you recommend learning a 300 world letter (7 paragraphs) all in French obviously.

I've learn't 3 of them, but it's taken me so long now I'm left with 4 paragraphs to learn by Wednesday.

If I was that determined then I would spend all day (maybe even all night) learning the bloody thing but are there any really easy ways?

 

[Frutos]

In my experience (I have an A-Level in French, for whatever that's worth these days), I found the best way to memorise something was to read it, read it again and keep reading it until it stuck, but different things are going to work for different people.

What do you have to do with it when you've memorised it? If it's for the speaking part of the exam, are you still allowed a cue card?

 

[Mr Smggles]

How would you recommend learning a 300 world letter (7 paragraphs) all in French obviously.

I've learn't 3 of them, but it's taken me so long now I'm left with 4 paragraphs to learn by Wednesday.

If I was that determined then I would spend all day (maybe even all night) learning the bloody thing but are there any really easy ways?

For my spanish oral exam I read my essay into the microphone my computer, and put a basic beat in the background. I just put it onto my iPod and listened to it just like I would a song. Worked very well for me.

 

[Andrew]

In my experience (I have an A-Level in French, for whatever that's worth these days), I found the best way to memorise something was to read it, read it again and keep reading it until it stuck, but different things are going to work for different people.

What do you have to do with it when you've memorised it? If it's for the speaking part of the exam, are you still allowed a cue card?

Basically you have to write it out. We get to chose 40 words which are dodgy spellers to take into the exam with us. I've tried reading it over and over but I find easier to read it out loud to my self.

But I'm seriously bricking it now that there is less than 60 hours left until I have to write it out and I've learnt less than half of it.

 

[Andrew]

For my spanish oral exam I read my essay into the microphone my computer, and put a basic beat in the background. I just put it onto my iPod and listened to it just like I would a song. Worked very well for me.

Don't have this sort of technology, one of my friends played it on a loop all night and it's stuck with him and he now knows it basically word for word.

 

[Frutos]

Basically you have to write it out. We get to chose 40 words which are dodgy spellers to take into the exam with us. I've tried reading it over and over but I find easier to read it out loud to my self.

But I'm seriously bricking it now that there is less than 60 hours left until I have to write it out.

OK well, in that case instead of trying to memorise the whole thing word for word, try focusing on one or two key words per sentence. If you can get those key words in place and in the right order, you may well find that the rest of it will flow around them a lot easier than you expect.

 

[Andrew]

OK well, in that case instead of trying to memorise the whole thing word for word, try focusing on one or two key words per sentence. If you can get those key words in place and in the right order, you may well find that the rest of it will flow around them a lot easier than you expect.

That's what I'm thinking, the 40 words could trigger off a sentence. I think I'll be al right, I'll be so determined tomorrow to learn it I should be okay.

 

[Mr Smggles]

Don't have this sort of technology, one of my friends played it on a loop all night and it's stuck with him and he now knows it basically word for word.

If you don't mind me asking, is it the ipod factor or the microphone-computer factor you dont have access to? I only ask because all ipods come with something called "voice memos" which you can record spoken word. Then combining two tracks is very easy.

 

[Frutos]

That's what I'm thinking, the 40 words could trigger off a sentence. I think I'll be al right, I'll be so determined tomorrow to learn it I should be okay.

Good luck (or should I say 'bon chance') with it, let us know how you get on.

 

[Andrew]

If you don't mind me asking, is it the ipod factor or the microphone-computer factor you dont have access to? I only ask because all ipods come with something called "voice memos" which you can record spoken word. Then combining two tracks is very easy.

The ipod factor, have nothing of the sort, not even an MP3 player.

 

[Andrew]

Good luck (or should I say 'bon chance') with it, let us know how you get on.

Thanks, once I get this out of the way I can start looking forward to christmas!

 

[Mr Smggles]

The ipod factor, have nothing of the sort, not even an MP3 player.

Fair enough, could be a good thing to invest in, probably get one of ebay for 20 quid.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

If ever I needed to remember something, I always tried to shoe horn it into a tune that I knew and loved.

Turn it into a song.

 

[Kazenga <3]

If its for a writing exam, standard practice for most in our French 2 years ago was to write out your essay into the dictionary and copy from there. Risky but I don't think anyone ever got caught, depends on the teacher's vigilance. For speaking you just have to learn it like a parrot i'm afraid

 

[gullshark]

I did German but my basic revision technique was to re-write it myself, word for word reading it out aloud, then I would pin it on the back of my bedroom door so whenever I left the room I would read it beginning to end.

 

[seagullondon]

Get Romain Vincelot to do it for you

 

[brightn'ove]

funny you ask, i memorised a 1500 word essay all in spanish the morning before my exam (got a B!) this was at AS level.

go to sleep at 7pm
wake up at 3am.
write down each paragraph over and over until you can write it perfectly from memory, then record yourself speaking it over and over until you have it down.
repeat until finished.

done.


disclaimer: i do not take responsibility for failure, not everybody can memorise things easily

 

[Andrew]

funny you ask, i memorised a 1500 word essay all in spanish the morning before my exam (got a B!) this was at AS level.

go to sleep at 7pm
wake up at 3am.
write down each paragraph over and over until you can write it perfectly from memory, then record yourself speaking it over and over until you have it down.
repeat until finished.

done.


disclaimer: i do not take responsibility for failure, not everybody can memorise things easily

1500 hundred?

300 is nothing then..

 

[brightn'ove]

1500 hundred?

300 is nothing then..

Quite honestly I have no idea how you've stretched 300 words into 7 paragraphs!!

But give it a go, memorise it paragraph at a time, don't start the next one until you have the previous one memorised.

 

[Andrew]

Quite honestly I have no idea how you've stretched 300 words into 7 paragraphs!!

But give it a go, memorise it paragraph at a time, don't start the next one until you have the previous one memorised.

A couple of those paragraphs are only 2 sentences, where as others are as much as 3 or 4.