There are so many different questions that students have when we start to look at study skills.
What is revising?
How do I revise?
What do I revise?
How on earth can I learn it all and remember it for the exams?
These are all important aspects, but one of the first things to consider is when to start.
When to start revising – that doesn’t match the title of “When to start studying?” but it is this latter question that I want to address. When we call it “revising”, students imagine that a few sessions of reading, about three weeks before the exams, should do the trick. The reality is that studying and reviewing the material should start at the beginning of the course – no matter whether that be GCSE, A Level, Degree or a professional qualification.
I’ll write that again so it can sink in a bit. Studying should start at the beginning of your course! Studying just means learning the material you need to cover.
Many people think that revision starts a few weeks before the exams. You could leave it that long before you start, but that way is not as effective as regularly reminding yourself of what you have learned. It is also super stressful as you try to cram it all in over the last few weeks before an exam – or lots of exams. Last-minute cramming is not the same as learning. It can be done, if you are lucky, but you are likely to forget the material almost as quickly as you have learned it, which means it won’t be available for future use.
So, here are my tips on when to start studying and how to plan that time:
Get a schedule ready for the beginning of the new academic year. It may help you to write your weekly and monthly schedule on a planner. Write in your non-academic commitments as well as your academic ones. Be specific. Instead of just writing “Revise”, give a topic name or a chapter number. If you allow time for all the hard thinking at the beginning of the week then you can just follow the schedule for the rest of the week, rather than wasting half your study session working out what you are meant to be doing.
Allow time each week for going over the notes you made in class. Edit or re-write those notes, using information from the textbook as well as your class notes. Make flashcards if they will help. At the end of each chapter or module, make time to revise that chapter/module to make sure you understood it. If in doubt, ask your teacher! They are much more likely to be helpful if you ask for clarification just a week or so after finishing the topic, rather than a week or so before the exams!
Remember to do your own research on a topic instead of just relying on the teacher to spoon-feed you all the information you need. Use textbooks, look things up using reliable internet sources, watch good documentaries.
In order to perform at your best academically, you need to take care of your mind and body just like an athlete who is preparing for a major competition. Feed your brain well by eating a balanced diet, allow for exercise and for relaxing time and look after yourself by getting enough sleep. That starts from the beginning of the course, too!
Who is the author?
Teri is a languages and study skills tutor based in Surrey. She has been teaching adults and children for the last 17 years, including those preparing for GCSE, IGCSE, A Level and adult qualifications.
August has arrived, and the summer break signals a time of change for many people. All over the country, children are preparing to start school or change to a new one, young adults are choosing their university or looking for their first job, and managers are on their summer break, maybe taking some time to wonder how to improve their business over the next 12 months.
A time for new beginnings – but if that new start includes a relocation, how do you make the most of that initial time you spend in a new country? One of the first goals should be integration. It is really important to find out how to navigate around your new home and also to get to know your neighbours, local shopkeepers, school teachers and the others who will be able to help you settle in (or who may get upset if you make mistakes!). The following tips will give you something to think about:
1. Make time to find out about the customs in your new home. For example: did you know that in Switzerland you are not allowed to do noisy housework on a Sunday? So, no mowing the lawn, washing clothes or getting the vacuum cleaner out.
2. One really good way to make new friends is to join a club or society. You could choose a hobby you already like or pick something new. This is a great way to get out of the house, have something to look forward to as well as meet new people and practise your language skills.
3. Do think of your family too. If you are relocating together then spend some time thinking about how your partner/children will settle in, as the success of a placement can be as much about family happiness as it is about the workplace:
While children are very adaptable, the first day at a new school will be easier if they can understand simple instructions, say their name and ask where the toilet is!
For the non-working partner it can be very frustrating as it can be hard even to go shopping without a basic grasp of the local language. Look for local conversation groups and classes, and consider whether the family should take some language classes before you leave.
Planning is key to making a success of your new home. Spending a little time on research and preparation should help you all to feel at ease more quickly and to really enjoy that time away. If you have recently arrived in the UK, or are considering relocation to another country then why not give us a call at Language Learners to see how we can help you and your family with your language requirements?
Ahhhh…. The GCSE exams are over and a long summer stretches ahead of you. Sun (maybe), friends, relaxation, summer homework…! Hang on! Summer homework?
It may have come as a shock to some of those preparing for 6th form, but it isn’t unheard of for sixth form colleges to set homework for the new intake to complete over the summer. This may seem a bit unfair, mean even, but you will be in a much stronger position to start your A Levels in September if you have taken some time over the holidays to review what you know and start on your more advanced material.
What would my suggestions be for those who are looking at an A Level in a modern foreign language such as German, French or Spanish?
1. I would always recommend finding out which board your school/college will be using and to check out the details of the specification online. You can find out what is expected in the exams, what you will be studying and even some information about the marking scheme.
2. Find out which film and/or book you will be studying. Make sure that you have a copy of your own and try to watch/read it at least TWICE before the start of the term. It is true that the teachers will go through the material with you, but it will make much more sense to you if you have at least some idea of the plot first. Buy a copy in the target language (e.g. German) and see if you can also get a good English translation. In this way you can read the English quickly to grasp the key points, then read the target language version in more detail as you have some idea of what is happening. Many schools and colleges will look at either the film or the book in the first year of A Level and then tackle the other one in the second year. This is helpful as it spreads the workload more evenly – so be prepared to do similar studying in the summer holidays following your first year of the course, so that you are in good shape for the second year.
3. Take time to look at and learn some of the grammar. The jump from a good grade at GCSE to the higher expectations of A Level can be a large one. Some students do well at GCSE by essentially learning blocks of text (useful phrases and grammar constructions) but not really understanding them. Buy a good grammar guide and get practising so that you have less work to do at the beginning of the new term.
4. It is important to get as much listening practice as possible. Use online resources such as news websites to find articles that you can listen to as well as read. Euronews (www.euronews.com), Deutsche Welle (www.dw.com) and 1jour1actu (www.1jour1actu.fr) are all good examples.
5. Consider whether it would be helpful to set up or join a conversation group to improve your confidence in speaking your target language. This doesn’t have to be an expensive option as you may be able to find like-minded students from your own sixth form or from another local one so you can meet together for the price of a coffee.
Whether you are choosing a language tutor for a child, for an adult or for a group, there are several considerations that you may want to bear in mind when it comes to finding the right person for you. Here are some ideas for you if you are looking for someone to teach an adult:
1. Consider carefully whether you would be better to have tuition at your home/office or at the tutor’s premises. In some cases it can be more convenient to have the lesson at your work, presuming that you have a suitable room available. You may prefer to meet the tutor in a public place for the first lesson, but this may not be the best option for longer term (background noise, additional costs, space…)
2. Match your tutor to your needs. If you are a beginner then you will have different needs from someone who would like to improve their business language. Ask your tutor about their experience with teaching the type of language you need.
3. If you would like to work towards a qualification then ask the tutor what they think is appropriate. There is no need for an adult learner to take a GCSE or A Level – indeed, I would advise against it, unless you particularly like talking about how much your brother annoys you, or why you love geography! Those qualifications are carefully aimed at teenage learners and so some of the topics are less relevant for adults. There are other certificates available which are internationally recognised, for example the certificates offered by the Goethe Institut for German or the Cambridge Certificates for English (EFL).
4. Have reasonable expectations of what you will be paying. Remember that the minimum wage for someone over 24 is around £10.50 per hour. With a good tutor you are not just paying for the one hour of the class, but also for the time they spend planning and marking homework. It can take quite some time to plan a student-specific scheme of work to meet your requirements in the time available. As a rough guide, prepare for the cost of the tutor to be similar to the cost of a 1:1 session with a physiotherapist or personal trainer at the gym.
5. Think about how often you will take classes and how long each lesson will be. If you have little time to commit and an irregular working pattern then you may not be able to learn as quickly as if you can dedicate time to your project two or three times each week. Once a week is a good start for lessons, less than once a fortnight will give too much time to forget in between! As a general rule, the quicker you need to learn, the more time you must make available. So if you have just three months to learn then you would be wise to fit in as many teaching hours as possible.
6. Personality. Ensuring that you get on well with the tutor and can work well with them is a key element. Sometimes two people just don’t get on well, without it being anyone’s fault – so be prepared to review the situation after two or three classes to make sure that both sides are happy.
Teri Fleetwood is the owner of Language Learners and has been providing French, German and English (EFL) lessons to adults and children for more than 17 years.
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