1. Revising for the Advanced Higher exam
Advanced Higher French, German and Spanish

2. It is easier to know how to revise for a science or social science subject.
This presentation is aiming to help you achieve the grade you would like in a language!

3. Know what you want
Goal!
Decide what grade you are aiming for
Up to 40% get an A, 20-25% get a B
Give yourself an estimate for the speaking test and the folio (out of 80)
Now work out what mark out of 120 you need for that grade!
Look at your strengths and weaknesses as you stand now
Be realistic as to what you can improve

4. Know what you want
Goal!
On average, Advanced Higher Candidates get 60+% for Paper 1, and 60+% for Paper 2
For reading and listening, the main areas for improvement are in developing your skills
For translation, practice is what counts
Writing can only be about 30% prepared, but it can be prepared!

5. The three skills
Listening
This is very much a skill, which you get better at with practice.
The format of the exam is very intense
Listen to every past paper you can, then listen again with the transcript, to train your ear to hear
Redo past papers you have done at home or in class, sticking to the running order to get better at working your timing
Use the SQA website to download past papers and sound files as well as marking schemes

6. The three skills
Listening
Use the Scholar listening material, then listen again with the transcript revealed
In Scholar, go into Additional Tools, Activities
At the top of each topic area, you will find Listening Assessments : they are multiple choice/single word answers
You will also find Listening assessments under ‘Listenings’. These are more like exam listenings, and allow you to compare your answer with a model answer

7. The three skills
Reading
Reading is another skill: practice again is really important.
Develop your dictionary skills! Get used to using a good dictionary
As in the listening, redo past papers you have already done, but sticking very closely to 50 minutes for the first questions, twenty minutes for the overall purpose question and twenty minutes for the translation
Go to the SQA website for past papers and marking schemes, particularly for the translation and for the overall purpose question

8. The three skills
Reading
Reading is a big feature of the Scholar website.
The readings are set at three levels: going for an A or a good B, you should be using the level three material for revision purposes
For practice, go into Additional Tools, Activities, then look for Reading in the assessment area at the top of each topic.
As in the listening, there are assessments and comprehensions!
In German (Leseverständnis test) and Spanish (evaluación de lectura), you will find assessments at the top of each topic in Activities . In French, they are called ‘compréhension du texte) Choose topics you have worked with at first.

9. The three skills
Translation
Look at the guidance in the homework session (tackling the translation) which has a PowerPoint on translation
Try the translation exercises on the Scholar website by going through Activities. Ask your teacher to look at your versions, if you are not sure whether your version is as good as the suggested translation.
Use the SQA website to look at the marking schemes for the past papers for Advanced Higher and also the discontinued Advanced Higher. The approach is different, depending on the language. Try the translations, then use the marking schemes to correct them. You will get a real feel for what is right, acceptable, and wrong
Look at what is acceptable and what is not.

10. The three skills
The dictionary
Get faster at using the dictionary, practise using the one you will take into an exam
Use a dictionary which is right for the task
Much of the meaning in a sentence is conveyed by the verb: get used to identifying where the verbs are, by highlighting them
Become familiar with the verb pages: many times when people can’t find a word in the dictionary, it is because it is a form of a verb, and most dictionaries give only infinitives
Get used to going beyond the head word in the dictionary, practise scanning the examples below, as you will often find the whole phrase you are looking for

11. The three skills
Discursive writing
Put together a list of good sentences with conjunctions giving reasons or qualifications, with blanks left to put in words which relate to the topic
Have a look at some past papers, and try to write plans of how you would go about answering these (in bullet points)
there are some areas really worth covering
new technologies: phones, computers, social networking and influence on old technologies
multiculturalism, speaking languages and immigration

12. Know what you want
Discursive writing
You should have an introduction ready, with just gaps to fill in: this is just rephrasing the question in a discursive way
You should also have a conclusion ready: when planning, start with your conclusion and then fill in the arguments for and against
What you can do is have a lot of opinion phrases ready, and be prepared to adapt them to fit the topic in question

13. Para 1
An introduction to the topic: rephrasing the question, saying what you are going to look at
40 words
Para 2
Argument 1
Counterargument 1
70 words
Para 3
Argument 2
Counterargument 2
Para 4
Argument 3
Counterargument 3
Para 5
Conclusion
Total words

14. Discursive writing Spanish
Society La televisión ya no influye tanto en los adolescentes como lo pueden hacer el Internet.
Learning Más vale seguir estudiando que empezar a trabajar joven.
Employability Hoy en día, la mujer y el hombre son iguales en el mundo de trabajo.
Culture El racismo se cura viajando.
Society Los jóvenes que usan redes sociales corren el riesgo de perder sus habilidades interpersonales.
Learning En nuestra sociedad globalizada, compensa hablar más de un idioma extranjero.
Employability La falta de trabajo aporta consecuencias a los jóvenes en cuanto a poder abandonar el hogar e independizarse.
Culture En países multiculturales, siempre va a haber enfrentamientos políticos, raciales y religiosos.

15. Discursive writing French
Culture Le format électronique va bientôt remplacer le livre traditionnel en papier.
Learning Aujourd’hui, une éducation multiculturelle est nécessaire à la réussite d’un pays.
Employability Ce qui compte dans le monde du travail, ce ne sont pas les diplômes, ce sont les compétences de l’employé.
Society Construire des éoliennes est un gâchis écologique.
Society Notre société́ devient de plus en plus multiculturelle.
Learning De nos jours, étudier à l’université́ pendant des années est inutile.
Employability Pour trouver un travail aujourd’hui, il faut savoir s’adapter.
Culture Dans les années à venir, la télévision risque de disparaître.

16. Discursive writing German
Society Soziale Netzwerke können Freund wie auch Feind sein.
Learning Englisch ist eine Weltsprache. Es ist trotzdem wichtig, dass Schüler in Schottland eine Fremdsprache lernen.
Employability Wir arbeiten, um zu leben, aber manchmal leben wir, um zu arbeiten.
Culture Die Zuwanderung in der Europäischen Union ist ein umstrittenes Thema. Sie bringt aber viele Vorteile.
Society Das Internet ist eine rein positive Erfindung.
Learning Man sollte Studiengebühren in allen Ländern der Europäischen Union abschaffen.
Employability Mit Fremdsprachenkenntnissen hat man auf dem Arbeitsmarkt viel bessere Chancen.
Culture Gegenseitiges Verständnis der Kulturen ist der Schlüssel zum Kampf gegen Rassismus.

17. SQA Past papers http://www.sqa.org.uk/pastpapers/findpastpaper.htm
Subject: from menu choose French, German, Spanish or Italian
Qualification: from menu choose Advanced Higher
Go! There is one past paper, and a specimen paper
Choose pdf of the paper you want, sound file as an mp3 if you want to try the listening, then scroll down to the pdfs for the marking instructions
You will also find Discontinued Advanced Higher papers, which can be really useful. The readings are at the right level, and just replace the last question with an overall purpose question. (Now consider the article as a whole. What is the writer’s overall purpose in writing about this subject? Justify your response with close reference to the points made and the language used. )
The mark scheme will still help you judge your own answer
The listenings are also perfect for practice

18. Thank you for taking part tonight!
Remember that there is support for certain skills in the Advice area of SCHOLAR
You might also find the homework sessions on the various skills useful