1-Know your syllabus
All effective revision starts with a deep understanding of your syllabus or curriculum. Besides knowing how to study, it is crucial to know what to study. The French exam board’s syllabus will be your roadmap, so familiarize yourself with it as soon as you start your revisions and go in depth to the content of each theme.Some themes and topics carry more weight than others and it is important to be aware of them to understand where you need to focus your efforts more intensely.
Knowing the structure and the format of the exam is also crucial if you want to make the best of it:
– the type of question: do I know the key words? Are all the questions in English/French or is it a mix? Are they yes/no questions or open questions?
-the marking scheme: do all the questions have the same marks? If not, why do some questions have more marks than others and what does the examiner want me to answer (1, 2 or more answers?)
– the exam layout of the exam: how long do I have for each paper? With which paper am I going to start?
Here is the link for the IGCSE French Edexcel syllabus : International GCSE in French Specification (pearson.com)
2-Set up the right learning environment
No distraction
It is important that you study without any distractions. Background noises are ok as long as it helps your revision. However, don’t get any visual objects such as phone, tv where you could be tempted to watch something, read something or answer someone.
Create your perfect study space
Do you prefer learning with no noise around you in a calm atmosphere? Or maybe do you prefer being in a buzzing one?
Everybody has a setting where they learn and study the best and focus on the task, and it is important that you find a suitable study environment that is right for you. Here are some learning environment:
-in a coffee: some people prefer learning in a coffee as having movement around them helps us focus on what they are studying.
-at the library: other people are more motivated to study at the library because they are surrounded by books and people who study as well.
-at home: you can study in your own room, without distraction and have access to all of your material and take some breaks in your own house.
Wherever you want to study, setting up a dedicated, supportive and engaging learning environment will help you to get more effective results and to boost your confidence.
So, what is your perfect study place? Feel free to drop me a message to share it with me!