How To improve for IGCSE French

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DreamGirls
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Feb 20, 2016 8:29 pm

How To improve for IGCSE French

Post by DreamGirls »

Hi all,
I'm new here discovered it today after a thread on mumsnet, anyway DD is currently doing IGCSE french and is struggling with the questions where to read a french text and then answer in french. any tips for how to improve its where she's loosing the most marks.
Thanks
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: How To improve for IGCSE French

Post by Guest55 »

Welcome - have you found the online past papers? They are very helpful.

The Student Room may have resources [just avoid the siilly threads] and try searching online for revision notes etc.
DreamGirls
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Feb 20, 2016 8:29 pm

Re: How To improve for IGCSE French

Post by DreamGirls »

Guest55 wrote:Welcome - have you found the online past papers? They are very helpful.

The Student Room may have resources [just avoid the siilly threads] and try searching online for revision notes etc.
Yes she's done all the past papers (course only dates back to 2012) x they've done them all in class
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: How To improve for IGCSE French

Post by Guest55 »

Is it worth looking at older papers? MFL specifications don't change that much.

What about other iGCSE boards?

I found these:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVTReBqghik" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://frenchteachernet.blogspot.co.uk/ ... -2015.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
KB
Posts: 3030
Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:28 pm

Re: How To improve for IGCSE French

Post by KB »

Are the questions in French as well?
We were told to try and think in the language and not translate back and forth in our heads. That's much easier said than done of course!
There is something to be said though for using the question and the passage to write the answer rather than formulating an answer in English and then translating it back to French.
Apologies if DD is already doing this.
Amber
Posts: 8058
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:59 am

Re: How To improve for IGCSE French

Post by Amber »

That's good advice KB. I have taught several languages and I always told students to try and think in the language. It is indeed easier said than done especially when they first start out, but it is always best to try and use natural idiom. At GCSE as you say, the question will lead you to the answer - innovation won't be needed. The types of questions will be predictable and formulaic and the teacher ought to be able to help with a list of 'answer this type of question this way' openers. So, get your daughter to ask the teacher first; and tell her to try and forget English while dealing with that type of question.
DreamGirls
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Feb 20, 2016 8:29 pm

Re: How To improve for IGCSE French

Post by DreamGirls »

Hi yes. At DDs old school she DD gcse French so had controlled assessments at new school it's igcse French so no controlled assessments so they assess reading and writing in one paper. And gcse papers are no good as they don't help DD practice for her exams as they can answer in English etc...
She tries to not translate but sometimes does, her teacher has said just to go over the papers again.
DreamGirls
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Feb 20, 2016 8:29 pm

Re: How To improve for IGCSE French

Post by DreamGirls »

Amber wrote:That's good advice KB. I have taught several languages and I always told students to try and think in the language. It is indeed easier said than done especially when they first start out, but it is always best to try and use natural idiom. At GCSE as you say, the question will lead you to the answer - innovation won't be needed. The types of questions will be predictable and formulaic and the teacher ought to be able to help with a list of 'answer this type of question this way' openers. So, get your daughter to ask the teacher first; and tell her to try and forget English while dealing with that type of question.
Hi some of the questions do require innovation
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: How To improve for IGCSE French

Post by Guest55 »

There is more than one board for iGCSE ... use their papers too.
ToadMum
Posts: 11946
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:41 pm
Location: Essex

Re: How To improve for IGCSE French

Post by ToadMum »

I don't know whether anything on this site would be of any help?
http://www.ciep.fr/en/delf-scolaire
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
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