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Advice for French Extension (1 Viewer)

nomieee

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Nov 27, 2014
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HSC
2015
Hey All,

I'm doing French Extension for my HSC next year (providing i don't have to drop it due to it being at another campus) and my teacher has given us a few practice monologues to do and because most of the questions are really broad, every time i go to do one, I can't get my head around the question without asking my friends/family. Obviously I won't be able to do this during the monologue in the Half Yearlies/Trials/HSC so does anyone have any tips and tricks for getting notes down quickly and concisely? (The fact that we only have seven minutes to plan is stressing me the frick out and it's not for another year)

Also like... other advice in general would be FAB.

Thanks in advance :)
 

baci

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Oct 28, 2014
Messages
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HSC
2014
Hey! I did my HSC last year and I received an E4 (45/50) for French Extension :).
It is a bloody difficult course, but the challenge is worth it. It will help you with continuers so much and will give you a whole new realm of vocab.
I found that I devoted a lot of time to French Extension so if you don't have this extra time I wouldn't recommend the course.

Oh good old monologues... They were so awful at first. Honestly I felt the same way you are feeling now, overwhelmed, doubtful I'd ever be able to do it etc etc.

My advice is to start by writing out monologues and recording them. Have an introduction, three main arguments or points, and a conclusion. I almost always used this structure up until and including the HSC exam.
Once you start writing them out you will see the overlap in material; I would use paragraphs that were exactly the same for two different questions.

My other tips are, turn the piece of paper with the box in it sideways when you are writing, that way it is a column rather than a rectangular box.
Start getting better at notating in French, almost like your own text language in French.
Always use the same introductory sentences and concluding sentences, and know a few great phrases off by heart about say racism/education/family.

Bonne chance! <3 If you need any help ever just message me x
 

raggiedoll

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Apr 17, 2012
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HSC
2014
I also received an E4 (45/50) for French Extension in 2014. My best advice for the monologues would be to have a structure (Intro, For, Against, Conclusion) - almost like a 'formula' which you can refer to. The best way to go about questions is to look at both sides of what they're asking. For example, the broad question of, say, whether Australia is racist, you should find one broad point arguing that Australia is racist, then support this with 2-3 examples/case studies to support your 'for' point. Then you find one broad point against the notion that Australia is racist, and find 2-3 examples to support this 'against' point. Furthermore, it's useful to memorise 'favourite phrases' as 'markers' to indicate your Introduction, For, Against, and Conclusion. For instance, my favourite introduction was « Ce n’est pas evident d’avoir une opinion franche sur la question de si [Insert question here] sans l’analyse des deux côtés de l’argument. D’une part...[Insert For argument], D’autre part...[Insert Against argument]"

Your skills in monologuing can translate into your essay writing as well. As for the Reading section, make sure you write enough to the allocated marks. If it says 6 marks, write six ideas in dot point form, if that makes sense. Personally, I was a little disappointed in my French Extension mark, but I majorly screwed up my monologue in the end (even though I was getting 9/10 for trials) because of nerves. Relax. Don't be 'that kid' lmao
 
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