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Secondary education

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Original poster

GCSE French Oral

13 replies

QueenofQuirkiness · 04/12/2016 16:56

Dd1, Year 11, has her French speaking controlled assessment tomorrow. She's predicted an A in French, and is achieving that regularly, with an A in her first writing assessment and her classwork, and she wants to take French A Level.
However, she panicked a lot in her last speaking exam and blanked and cried, despite doing lots of revision. She came out with a B, which is a great grade, but obviously not what she wanted and she was disappointed. Now she really wants to get an A* on this speaking, and retake her other one. She has revised and knows it perfectly, and has practised with the teacher, but she's worried about nerves getting the better of her when she's in an exam situation. Does anyone have any advice on how to keep panic at bay?

OP posts:

TeenAndTween · 04/12/2016 20:06

Deep breaths.

Make sure her 'prompt' words will help where she is most likely to forget. (Do they get prompt words for the oral, I can't remember?)

Tell herself she knows it so she should be fine.

And if she is good enough at French, if she can't remember what she has prepared, just go off-piste and answer the questions as she is asked them!

fourcorneredcircle · 04/12/2016 20:11

Just try and be supportive. Encourage her to get an early night, relaxing bath etc. If she really knows it, She will probably get more and more stressed if she stays up practising.

The most you can do is keep her as calm about it as possible.

It was generous of your DD's teacher to practice with your daughter. Since it's cheating... Maybe don't mention it in any correspondence etc. if you try to arrange a resist on her behalf.

On the same note if she wants to retake either again, according to the rules, the task would require changes to the original, she shouldn't do exactly the same task again again. Best to be prepared for more hard work and stress if that's a route she wants to take.

Should she not achieve her target again I would discuss it with her teacher whether she is likely to achieve better. You need the teacher's honest opinion. No point of it won't help and the added stress will be worse.

Bobochic · 04/12/2016 20:36

What exactly is a teacher for if not to practice and revise for exams? Why is teaching "cheating"?

bigTillyMint · 04/12/2016 20:41

Aww, deep breaths and trying not to rush? Lots of them (including DD) get nervous. But they can do as many CA's as they like - just the best ones are sent off.

I think the regular teacher is not allowed to help them practice, but another teacher could?

The whole system for MFL CA's is seriously flawed - it is really just a memory test for 99% of pupils, so I couldn't care less what extra help they get - it is a crap system

fourcorneredcircle · 04/12/2016 20:42

Teacher can practise speaking before task setting (so, should build in loads of speaking opportunities when teaching topic that leads to task) which can be marked, improved upon and then done again.

But, actual once the actual assessment task is set teacher (or language) assistant isn't allowed to practise student's answers with them.

It's supposed to make sure that 30% of the grade is as equally 'hard' to get as say, 30% of a maths grade which is gained in an exam with no outside assistance beyond preparation and revision - just as the MFL controlled assessments are supposed to be.

fourcorneredcircle · 04/12/2016 20:47

No, another teacher from the same school setting the same task can't either ... which also covers language assistants.

Not disagreeing the system's ridiculous - but them's the rules. One of the reasons that the system has become even more ridiculous is that so many teachers cheat so much that speaking/writing grades have become over inflated. The exemplar A grade work from when the exam started would be lucky to scrape a C now.

So glad it's over after this cohort.

Laniakea · 04/12/2016 21:04

*Teacher can practise speaking before task setting (so, should build in loads of speaking opportunities when teaching topic that leads to task) which can be marked, improved upon and then done again.

But, actual once the actual assessment task is set teacher (or language) assistant isn't allowed to practise student's answers with them.*

That's what dd has been told - they don't even show their teacher their prepared paragraphs or bullet points & don't have any practice with them. Fortunately for us dd is only doing French to get the EBacc so as long as she gets a C I really don't care. It is rubbish though - what can they possibly learn from memorising 200 words on some random topic.

Original poster

QueenofQuirkiness · 04/12/2016 21:58

I agree that it's a stupid system - it's a memory test rather than a test of ability in French. She has practised with the French language assistant, which is what I meant by teacher, but again I think that 'cheating' goes on in all schools and in fact students who just answered the questions on the spot would probably be at a disadvantage!
DD says she will go to bed as soon as the I'm a celebrity final has finished!

OP posts:

Original poster

QueenofQuirkiness · 05/12/2016 17:35

DD is very happy, remembered it all and no major mistakes very proud of her and thank you for all the advice

OP posts:

Allthebestnamesareused · 05/12/2016 17:36

But learning a language is a memory test!

You remember what the French equivalent is for what you'd say in English!

What a bizarre thing to say.

TeenAndTween · 05/12/2016 18:50

All No!

The oral exam of an MFL should be a show of your ability to have a conversation in the language, possibly of a pre-known topic.

It should not be preparing and learning by heart and parroting answers. Especially when there is so much variance in the 'help' given to students during the preparation.

Similarly the writing should be ability to write correct language. Not spend hours writing and getting checked and then regurgitating.

It is quite possible for a student to say/write a sentence without having a clue as to what it means.

The AS level oral is much better. You know the topic so you can make sure you know the essential vocab and have views and opinions. But you don't actually know what you are going to be asked in advance.

bigTillyMint · 07/12/2016 17:38

Yes TandT - spot on!

I could not for the life of me remember 350 words to parrot out for a CA, but I could easily have an A* chat/write about any subject in French because I learned to speak/write the language by being taught properly and doing several French exchanges. That is not my DC's experience

Ontopofthesunset · 07/12/2016 23:49

Learning a language is not a memory test! Of course there is memory involved, as there is in learning any subject; you have to learn words and grammatical structures, but then you need to internalise them and apply them. The problem with this type of assessment is a student can rote learn their 200 or whatever words but might be completely unable to have a very simple conversation in French about what they would like to have for dinner.

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