Are you having trouble with your European language course – but still choosing to do the higher-level exam? You are not alone… but it is not the best idea.
A State Examinations Commission report has looked at how students managed in key language exams last year.
In Spanish, the number of students taking the higher level exam has more than doubled in recent years. However, the percentage of students doing well has dropped. Instead, there has been a rise in D grades. Furthermore, the proportion of E or F grades doubled between 2012 and 2016.
Missing the basics
According to the State Examinations Commission, these students would have been better off taking the ordinary level exam. The SEC report also found that some students did not have a firm grasp on the basics of Spanish. This included vocabulary for numbers, days, dates and the weather.
The examiners found that most French students were well prepared for their exams. German language students ranged from those who were proficient to those who were very weak.
The examiners also found that many language students relied heavily on learned-off sentences for oral and written exams.
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