Help!

Wherever you are in your A-level course, everyone gets to a point where they just want to scream and wish the answer would just write itself. We don’t have a magic wand, but we’ve covered whatever dire dilemma you may find yourself in! Read through until we solve your crisis conundrum.

Help! Did I make the right decision?

Maybe you’ve just decided to take a language for AS-level or have chosen to continue your language onto A2. We know the story, the going gets tough and you find yourself asking ‘what’s the point?’ well, this is the point! All lessons at A-level are a step up in pace from GCSE, which is what you expect and it’s perfectly normal to feel a little lost from time to time. The best thing to do is not let this get to you - let your teacher or form tutor know, you might not be the only one in the class finding it difficult. Your teacher will be able to help you by going slower in class or explaining things in more detail. Students always struggle at different times and in different subjects, we should know, but you should really give the class a chance before you make any rash decisions. After a rocky start you may find that this is your best subject that you just absolutely love.

Help! Got any good advice?

We’ve got loads of the stuff! If you’re finding yourself in a tongue-twister when speaking, feeling snowed under with vocab and homework is driving you mad, check out our advice in each section - reading, writing, listening and speaking - they’re full of great tips for improving your language skills and grades. If revision is getting you down, why not look at our exam preparation sections, the transition from GCSE to A-level and what next? sections to give you some uplifting inspiration.

Help! Revision ideas?

In a revision rut? No problem! Look no further than here - reading, writing, listening and speaking - ...we have tonnes of advice to help you get ready for the exams. Revision shouldn't be stressful and take up all your time, but it is dead important that you do it. Finding a way to revise that suits your learning style is key to doing well in exams.
Try our top tips on improving your 4 skill areas to help make revision more exciting - you needn’t spend all the time with your head in a book. There are plenty of fun, interactive activities online that you can use to help revise.

Help! I’m worried!

Are your exams coming up soon? Starting to feel a tad nervous? Losing sight of the end result? Stop! breathe! read this...we all get worried, nervous and stressed before any examination and the language exams are no different. There’s a lot to remember but it needn’t be a struggle. We all managed our GCSE exams and A-levels are simply the next step. This website has plenty of ideas and strategies that we used when feeling anxious just before the exams. Look at the different sections for tips on improving your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills that’ll hopefully put your mind at ease and make you feel a little more confident.

Help! Does anyone else find languages hard?

Yes! Of course they do, but everyone learns things in different ways. You may not be a fan of maths, whereas your mate finds it the easiest subject. The great thing about learning a language is seeing the progress that you make in it; you can really see how you’re knowledge and skills are growing as you start to be able to express yourself more and understand more and more of what your teacher says. Have a look at what type of learner are you? section to work out how you might learn things best and start using some of the suggestions in your language learning, they’ll probably make things a whole load easier. Language learning is a challenge, but one with a massive reward.

Help! Is anyone out there? I’m stuck!

We’re here! Don’t feel like your alone when you're learning a language, there’s a whole network of people all over the world who know what you're going through and even though they already know the language you’re learning, they’ve got their own troubles with other languages they’re learning.

There are lots of forums on the internet that are great for talking through your worries with other students who may feel the same. Also, don’t forget about the support that’s already around you. Your teacher is your first stop when you feel like there’s something you’re not understanding and if you feel you need a bit more time to get to grips with it, why not see if there are any break time catch-up sessions you could go along too. Never feel like you’re the only one dealing with the problem - you’re most certainly not!

Help! I just don’t get it!

Everyone has felt like this more than once in their language learning so you’re alone on this one. If you don’t get something, the best thing to do is go back to the start and work through it again. If you’ve still got no idea ask your teacher - they’re there to help you so don’t be afraid to ask, chances are if you're not getting something, someone else isn’t either, and they’ll be really grateful you were brave enough to ask.

If you’re still not sure, the best thing to do is look it up in other sources as you may just need it explaining in a slightly different way. The internet is full of online learning guides which are topic specific so you can read through some different explanations and try putting it into practice with a game or activity. If you’re still not sure if you’ve got it, why not go and see your teacher at a break time one-on-one so you can chat through it.

Help! I can’t be bothered!

Is your motivation missing? To learn a foreign language you need to dedicate time and effort to ensure that you remember new words and grammar and improve on your 4 key skills, but this doesn't necessarily mean that you have to spend all your free time learning a language. Little and often is the best strategy for language success. Keeping motivated is really important and it's easy to stay motivated once you know how. Check out our section on tips for staying motivated and how to bust out of those blues. Don’t give up!

Help! My exam is tomorrow morning!

First of all - don’t panic. Make sure you are all ready for the exam tonight - pens, tissues etc and make sure you get plenty of sleep too. Trying to reduce your stress levels on the morning of the exam is really important - you want to go into the exam feeling confident and fresh.

Doing well in exams isn't just about learning the subject, it's also about making sure that you understand the questions and write good answers. So double check you're familiar with the exam format and what the examiners are looking for.

This may be a little late now, but as with revision for any subject it's important to start revising early. Cramming the night before isn’t going to work as you won't remember anything, so start to prepare and revise well in advance.

Help! How do you study?

Everyone studies in their own way but check out the sections on listening, reading, speaking and writing to see ways of learning and studying languages. When it comes to revision, your study plan of action can be made better by knowing what type of learner you are. Look at our section on leaning styles to see what methods could work best for you.

Help! How do I remember key words/phrases/grammar?

Everyone has different methods to help them remember things so this bit is up to you. Try putting what words or a phrase to a tune that you can sing or draw pictures that look like the words for inspiration...try a few out until you find what works for you.

Another great way of remembering them is to surround yourself with them! Write everything up in lists and stick them up around the places you often go in the house. Use the bathroom mirror and you can revise while brushing your teeth, or on your kitchen cupboard so when you go to open it you glance and review the words once more. This is great preparation before your exams and there's enormous satisfaction in taking them all down afterwards!

Help! What’s covered in each exam?

Each exam board is different - there is OCR, AQA and Edexcel - so make sure you know which exam you will be doing. Ask your teacher. Normally the 3 exam boards include similar topics and have similar structure to their exams. Look at our ‘ask a student’ section to see more about content covered and exam structure.

Help! How do I remember it all?

Just like you remember everything else! It sounds simple, but seriously, if you’ve followed our hints and done vocab learning a little and often and revised effectively by splitting up your workload into manageable chunks then it’s already embedded in your brain (although it might not feel like it!) Trust us, in the exam you’ll have a few ‘light-bulb’ moments where awesome phrases and brain waves come to you, and that’s when you know you’ve remembered it all.

Help! How do I fit it all in?

It may feel like you’re fighting a losing battle with all the work you have to do and the actual time you have to do it in, but you’re not. Create a homework planner and use it to organise and sort your revision into achievable revision-friendly pieces. Make sure you pick a time of day that suits you. Not everyone wakes up early on a Saturday morning feeling ready to get up and revise so don’t feel guilty! Decide when you can do your revision and stick to that.

It’s also really important to take regular breaks during revision. Strangely, it’s more effective to do 30 minutes and then take a 10 minute break then it is to work solidly for 2 hours. Don’t forget to write your breaks into your revision planner and set a goal that you want to achieve by the end of each session. This means you’ll have a target to aim for and a way of measuring whether your revision was successful.

Help! I did well, where can I go now?

Your language learning doesn’t have to stop because you’ve done your A-level. Like lots of things, you never know when you might need to use your language skills so don’t lose them. Check out our what next? section to see what other options are open to you to carry on with languages - you won’t regret it.

Help! I can’t concentrate...

Make sure there are no distractions around you, have a quiet area that is nice and tidy so you know that you are able to work. Let your parent/brother/sister/dog know that you’re doing your homework and don’t want to be disturbed (making sure you do actually do your homework!) Take little breaks every 30 minutes and have a drink or walk around, you’ll find it much easier to work if you split it up into manageable chunks.

Help! I don’t have time for my homework...

Socialising and hobbies are extremely important, but so is your homework. Include time for your homework in your daily routine so it feels a normal part of it, not something you have to make specific time for or a chore. By having this window of time every day there’s no reason not to be able to do it. You can even arrange with your friends to all do it at the same time and then you’ll all be free together afterwards too!

Help! I’ve got too much to do...

Take small steps at a time. When it comes to your homework don't tackle everything all at once, being organised is a life saver as you can sort your homework into what needs doing first. Don’t forget to create a handy homework planner to help you out.