Language Subject Choice

Topbike77

Hi, Im in transition year and it was my ambition this year to catch up on French as the teacher I had for the previous three years had not been great; actually, to be quite frank, she was terrible. I asked one of the other French teachers who would be teaching for the leaving cert cycle and they told me it would be her again.

For my Junior cert my average results (all higher level) were b's and the worst result I got was a "D" in French.

Anyway I heard that it is important to do a language apart from Irish and English for the leaving, to get into most collages and other reasons. But I really don't believe I can get higher than a D in honours French for the leaving.

Im am wondering what to do as the subject choice will be later on in the year and I want to be prepared. Any advice would be much appreciated!

EliteC

I got a D in HL French for Junior Cert, but I have brought that up to a B1 in HL Leaving Cert.
The HL LC exam consists of 4 parts:
Oral 100 marks (25%) - Quite easy to get 80+ if you prepare well.
Listening 80 marks (20%) - Usually straight forward with one difficult part but manageable. Most students stay afloat thanks to listening. Easy enough to get 60+
Comprehensions 60m marks x2 = 120marks (30%) - First one is always easy and easily get 50+. Second ones tend to be harder and usually about 35-40. Still they are manageable.
Written Expression 100 marks (25%) - For me this is the easiest. It is all about using verbs to your advantage. Since I really didn't learn verbs and tenses until last year they are fresh and I am scoring good marks often full marks. You have to do 1x 40m (90 words), and 2x 30m (75 words), one of which is always a diary or e-mail and so handy for marks. Easily 70+.

IN my pre-mock and oral I got 81% (B1) which is 85 points.
Oral - 82/100 (82%)
Listening - 68/80 (85%)
Comprehensions - 80/120 (67%)
Written Expression - 93/100 (93%)
Total - 323/400 (81%)


SO it's not impossible but you will need to put in alot of work. Since you still have TY you should take a few minutes every evening and learn a new verb and how to conjugate it. Next year keep it up but add 3 new words to your vocab.

If you prepare well beforehand -Oral and Written Expression you have the bulk of the work done and the rest is up to your comprehending skills which in 2 and a half years time will be alot better.

Listen to podcasts of french talkers and listen for words you know. Any you don't write them down and look them up.

I hope this helped

Topbike77

Thanks for the advice, if I decide to do French ill defiantly get cracking on it this year, although I do not see myself seeing it through as I have been very lazy this year.

Although I want to know, do I need to do French? Or would it be ok if I did not pick a 2nd language?

EliteC

It depends on what you plan to do after the LC! Certain colleges require a 3rd language but the IT's usually don't. They accept OL third language as valid and is not bad to have just in case.

Mr Pseudonym

Trinity doesn't require a third language. NUI universities require a pass in one for Humanities/Arts courses. UCD is a little bit more picky.