By Gráinne D. - 2 minute readGerman, unlike many typical Leaving Certificate subjects, is hard to predict and doesn’t encourage rote learning. Which is similar to spoken languages in real life, meaning the subject requires effort and dedication. In this blog, Gráinne goes through her top tips and tricks on getting a H1 in this subject.
I personally found that these were the most successful way to revise German. The vocabulary stays fresh in your head and if you ever need to revise a certain topic, just have a look back at the flashcard and try to recall the words!
You can make your own flashcards our download our Studyclix ones.
In today's world, it's never been easier to learn German outside of the classroom. Try using sites like languagesonline.org.uk to learn new vocabulary and improve your German through a variety of games. Even using apps such as Duolingo allow you to track your progress and set goals to accomplish.
These are vital to success in German. It's easy to run out of time due to the tight time constraints, so it’s important to practice your timing. Try to initially practice various questions - reading comprehensions in particular - by trying to answer the questions without using notes or a dictionary. You can practice this easily on Studyclix using the Exam Builder or Print Questions feature to print out any questions you want to practice.
This is one of the biggest aspects of the German course and in order to get a H1, you need to put a lot of work into it. Try only speaking German with some of your classmates on a certain evening as the oral approaches. If this isn’t possible, write out a common list of questions that you can be asked in your oral and sample answers to accompany them and ask a parent/guardian/friend etc. to quiz you, so you can revise the key phrases that you want to say in the oral exam.
Don't forget to study German and end up leaving it until the last minute. Constantly study it throughout the year, as it is easier to gradually learn languages and cramming just leads to more stress, which isn’t helpful when you are sitting your exams in June.
Remember, you’ve been studying German for 5-6 years, so don’t be afraid to show off your fluency by using plenty of sayings and impressive vocabulary. At the end of the day, the examiner is there to give you marks - not deduct them!
Know your exam technique and the marks for each section off by heart before you go into the exam. Otherwise you could lose a lot of marks due to running out of time or forgetting to do a section!
For more tips and tricks, read our German Guide by clicking the button below.
Best of luck in your German exam!
