Do you come over all queasy when your French teacher says, “today, we’re going to work on the subjunctive”? Do you break out in a sweat trying to work out whether to use the passé composé or passé simple in your sentence about what you did last weekend? And let’s not even get started on gender nouns and all the fun you can have trying to conjugate them! Be that as it may, you simply cannot achieve a high grade in your AS or A Levels if you can’t get your head around French grammar. Let’s delve a little deeper into the subject and give you a little peace of mind in the run-up to your exams.
French Exam Prep: You’re not alone
Here’s a fun fact: did you know that French children are taught grammar in school? That goes to show what a grammatically complex language you’re dealing with. You have to accept that French is a completely different kettle of fish to English – there simply is no way of trying to literally transfer English into French and vice versa using our grammar rules. Just take a look at this example of what “Qu’est-ce que c’est que cette chose-là?” would literally translate into:
Nonsensical! Once you’ve accepted that you’re not the only person struggling to make head or tail of French grammar and all its intricacies, you’re ready to move onto the next level.
French Exam Prep: Have some fun
We’re not telling you to just spend hours swatting up on grammar rules in your French textbooks (although you can if you want); why not make learning your grammar work for you and have some fun? If you love a good film or series, Netflix is jam-packed with French content for you to wrap your ears around and listen to how they use the grammar. You could put together a “quantifier bingo” game for you and your friends to tick off whenever you hear someone say assez, beaucoup, la plupart etc. You could even each pick a character and make a note of when they use the present subjunctive tense with extra brownie points if you can explain why. Take your pick from the following: Call My Agent – Lupin – Represent – The Parisian Agency… And many more…
Blogs and lots of French magazines have online content too so you can read about your favourite subjects in French and absorb the grammar without overthinking it.
Here are some ideas: Gaming, Fashion, Football, Travel, Science, Entertainment…
French Exam Prep: Practice makes perfect
You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again: practice makes perfect. One of the best ways to get to grips with a language and internalise it is to visit the country and use it among natives. You will be surrounded by natives and non-natives speaking the language making it a completely immersive experience. After a while, you’ll realise that the grammar comes easily and you’ll be throwing out perfect conditionals left, right and centre without having to think about it! If you’re speaking to a native, ask them to correct you if you get something wrong so you can see which areas you need to work on. You’ll also realise that you don’t get as much wrong as you think you do too! ACCORD Paris French Language School has specific language courses to help students prepare for their French exams. The ACCORD school realises the importance and difficulty involved in French grammar too and has put together a Grammar and Writing afternoon workshop that you can add onto your AS/A-Level French course whilst you’re in Paris. Being in a different environment to your school takes the pressure off your shoulders and enables you to see the subject with fresh eyes. There’s still space for this June half term and summer if you want to brush up on your grammar in the French capital.
Ne cherchez pas midi à quatorze heures – just book your French exam prep course!
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