How hard is it to get a 7 in french b sl?

[cricketcrazynerd]

What does it take to top french??? Omg it's so difficult and killing me these days... any tips for survival peoples?

Merci

[Nabz]

I'm taking B sl. It's not too hard, i mean if i don't study at all, i end up getting a 5. You have to score high in individual oral. For your paper 2, know your vocabulary on the topics that you've studied namely environment, health etc. This will also help you understand paper 1 and score high on it.

The only thing which separates a 4 or a 5 from 7 is lack of vocabulary.

[alefal]

Grammar is also an important factor in order to achieve better grades, shad0wboss. Your broad vocabulary won't have a huge impact on your grade if your grammar is horrible.

If you're not scoring very well, talk to your teacher about how you can improve your grade. More often than not the answer will be to broaden your vocabulary and improve your grammar. Get some previous papers (paper 1 in particular) and go through them - familiarise yourself with the layout. Get your prepositions right, and make sure you understand the four different texts.

Also, use the language when you have the opportunity. Listen to French radio, read French newspapers, write French to French penpals.

The best way to improve your oral abilities is to speak a lot of French. That is, of course, difficult in nations where French isn't spoken, but try to answer your teacher in French to the best of your abilities.

Bonne chance!

[Nabz]

Grammar is also an important factor in order to achieve better grades, shad0wboss. Your broad vocabulary won't have a huge impact on your grade if your grammar is horrible.

If you're not scoring very well, talk to your teacher about how you can improve your grade. More often than not the answer will be to broaden your vocabulary and improve your grammar. Get some previous papers (paper 1 in particular) and go through them - familiarise yourself with the layout. Get your prepositions right, and make sure you understand the four different texts.

Also, use the language when you have the opportunity. Listen to French radio, read French newspapers, write French to French penpals.

The best way to improve your oral abilities is to speak a lot of French. That is, of course, difficult in nations where French isn't spoken, but try to answer your teacher in French to the best of your abilities.

Bonne chance!

French B sl are taken by students who already know passe compose, future simple, plusque parfect, imparfect and conditionale, or at least three of the tenses which are sufficient to get a good grade in B sl. The only thing you have to know is the vocab (including verbs)

Why i'm so sure? well i've been studying french for the last 6-7 years

[alefal]

French B sl are taken by students who already know passe compose, future simple, plusque parfect, imparfect and conditionale, or at least three of the tenses which are sufficient to get a good grade in B sl. The only thing you have to know is the vocab (including verbs)

Why i'm so sure? well i've been studying french for the last 6-7 years

Well, I'm been studying French for 6 years as well, and that's not necessarily how it works, at least not here in Norway. Those who has studied a language for two-three years, no matter their skills, cannot take any ab inito courses in that very language. There are a couple in my class who cannot get the grammar correct whatsoever, but they're still taking French B. In fact, in Norwegian schools, you don't learn about the conditional mood and other quite important grammatical aspects of a language before year 12 (equivalent to IB1). I only really understood it last semester. It doesn't help if you have been taught a grammatical aspect, in order to use it properly you have to understand how to use it.

The Norwegian school system is not the best model, I'm aware of that, but you need to take into account that people with different skills take French B before you assert that 'everyone' who takes a language B knows all about all the verb conjugations. And, if it is so that it is only the Norwegian schools that operates in this way, my point still stands. Good grammar is as much as an imperative for good grades as vocabulary is.

Edited January 28, 2013 by alefal

[Nabz]

French B sl are taken by students who already know passe compose, future simple, plusque parfect, imparfect and conditionale, or at least three of the tenses which are sufficient to get a good grade in B sl. The only thing you have to know is the vocab (including verbs)

Why i'm so sure? well i've been studying french for the last 6-7 years

Well, I'm been studying French for 6 years as well, and that's not necessarily how it works, at least not here in Norway. Those who has studied a language for two-three years, no matter their skills, cannot take any ab inito courses in that very language. There are a couple in my class who cannot get the grammar correct whatsoever, but they're still taking French B. In fact, in Norwegian schools, you don't learn about the conditional mood and other quite important grammatical aspects of a language before year 12 (equivalent to IB1). I only really understood it last semester. It doesn't help if you have been taught a grammatical aspect, in order to use it properly you have to understand how to use it.

The Norwegian school system is not the best model, I'm aware of that, but you need to take into account that people with different skills take French B before you assert that 'everyone' who takes a language B knows all about all the verb conjugations. And, if it is so that it is only the Norwegian schools that operates in this way, my point still stands. Good grammar is as much as an imperative for good grades as vocabulary is.

1. It's obvious that not doing your homework and not learning the easy conjugations won't get you anywhere.

2. I never mentioned language B in general but French.

3. OP's asking how to get 7 so it doesn't even have to be mentioned that the first thing you need to be good at is the grammar to even get a 5 lol.

This ain't an argument thread, we're all here to answer questions/learn/ask questions so let's just not make it worse. You might be right but anyways...

Edited January 28, 2013 by shad0wboss

[sarahlouise]

I'm taking B sl. It's not too hard, i mean if i don't study at all, i end up getting a 5. You have to score high in individual oral. For your paper 2, know your vocabulary on the topics that you've studied namely environment, health etc. This will also help you understand paper 1 and score high on it.

The only thing which separates a 4 or a 5 from 7 is lack of vocabulary.

It's not actually only vocabulary, it's your ability to correctly use complex constructions. You will get very, very high points for language in paper 2 if you try to use as many of these as you can, such as the different tenses - subjunctive, past conditional, present condition, future anterieur, future simple, etc. etc. - things like the present participle, dont, celui, superlatives, comparatives, and so on. If you show that you are at least aware of this variety of grammar, you will get decent marks, and if you show mastery of them then you will get fantastic marks for language.

It is, of course necessary to know the more simple grammar constructions too.

What I did (and it paid off) was make a list of all the different complex constructions that I wanted to use, and learn the list (I actually just learnt the number of items on the list, because I knew that I could probably remember what they were and that way I would know if I missed one) so that you can recreate it in an exam. Then you can make sure in the exam you have used what you wanted to.

Vocabulary is more significant in paper 1, because you have to actually understand what the articles are about.

[Nabz]

I'm taking B sl. It's not too hard, i mean if i don't study at all, i end up getting a 5. You have to score high in individual oral. For your paper 2, know your vocabulary on the topics that you've studied namely environment, health etc. This will also help you understand paper 1 and score high on it.

The only thing which separates a 4 or a 5 from 7 is lack of vocabulary.

It's not actually only vocabulary, it's your ability to correctly use complex constructions. You will get very, very high points for language in paper 2 if you try to use as many of these as you can, such as the different tenses - subjunctive, past conditional, present condition, future anterieur, future simple, etc. etc. - things like the present participle, dont, celui, superlatives, comparatives, and so on. If you show that you are at least aware of this variety of grammar, you will get decent marks, and if you show mastery of them then you will get fantastic marks for language.

It is, of course necessary to know the more simple grammar constructions too.

What I did (and it paid off) was make a list of all the different complex constructions that I wanted to use, and learn the list (I actually just learnt the number of items on the list, because I knew that I could probably remember what they were and that way I would know if I missed one) so that you can recreate it in an exam. Then you can make sure in the exam you have used what you wanted to.

Vocabulary is more significant in paper 1, because you have to actually understand what the articles are about.

couldn't agree more, sure you have to learn all that lol, you can't just go away with a 7 without the use of all the things mentioned.

Edited January 29, 2013 by shad0wboss

[TykeDragon]

Definitely, grammar and vocabulary I find grammar mnemonics to help, particularly with paper 2 as you can easily write down the list of grammar points on your question paper/plan and literally tick off all the grammar points as you use them, and make sure you use them all! Also make sure to score highly for the content criteria by making all of your writing relevant, and using any information in the question, to score the best marks for criteria B in Paper 2 you need to use the whole question/info not just get the general gist and write around the topic

Paper 1 is my own personal nightmare, and grammar is even helpful in that. You know those fill the blank kind of questions? I don't know how it is for French but with Japanese I could use what comes after the blank, for example particle or linking verb form to significantly narrow down the options, so knowing the grammar structures as well as vocab will even pull up your paper one scores! Also, as mentioned above, you need vocab to understand the articles, and that should apply equally to grammar, as if you can't tell between past/present/future for a simple example, you might mess up a question about 'what did so-and-so do last year/what do they intend to do next year' , that sort of thing

Also remember that you need to score highly in the speaking exams as well. So make sure you try hard in those in-class speaking exercises and improving your ability to improvise question response and make accurate gramatical sentences off the top of your head, so you can score well in the orals

[cjy]

I despise French. It's just something that's never clicked with me. I want a 5. I really want a 5.

[susanne]

hi dere,

I would say that getting a seven in french is pretty diffuclt considering that the only people who regularly gets 7s in french are the people with french backgrounds, or have stayed in france/any francophone country for a while,

confidence and a good poker face is a must

and yes, quelqu'un shoot moi aussi...

[Wicquor]

Protip! The French verb for shoot is tirer but I believe it's used as tirer sur.

To get back on track, I'm not going to reiterate the aforementioned, however I've been told that mastering the subjunctive (le subjonctif) is VERY helpful and also indicates a high degree of understanding of the mechanics of the language. I'd also strongly advise you to use a wide range of vocabulary with complex sentence structures, in addition to thinking past simple ideas. We discuss weird stuff like abortion in my French class ;_;.

Of course, I'm only getting a 6 for French and I haven't done it for very long, so my advice is not the best and probably rather unhelpful.

[cricketcrazynerd]

Protip! The French verb for shoot is tirer but I believe it's used as tirer sur.

To get back on track, I'm not going to reiterate the aforementioned, however I've been told that mastering the subjunctive (le subjonctif) is VERY helpful and also indicates a high degree of understanding of the mechanics of the language. I'd also strongly advise you to use a wide range of vocabulary with complex sentence structures, in addition to thinking past simple ideas. We discuss weird stuff like abortion in my French class ;_;.

Of course, I'm only getting a 6 for French and I haven't done it for very long, so my advice is not the best and probably rather unhelpful.

Thanks for that accurate translation! Will change it soon I'm on a 5 after my first term, I'll work on the subjonctif...