Anyone studying for the Language Exam?

[highpriestess]

So at the start of September I will have to take my first language exam (French) for my MA.  Is anyone studying for this currently? Does anyone have any insight on the best ways to prepare?

[sush]

Yup. Currently studying for my French language exam as I will be a first year grad student this fall. I also have to take it in early September. I have been working through French for Reading. Its kinda dense but seems to be helping a lot. I took French for only two years but encountered it enough during undergrad to feel comfortable with it. 

[highpriestess]

Yeah same...I really need to cram.  I'm fairly confident in my French reading abilities but I am not too sure what the exam specifically entails.  Does anyone know what happens if you fail it? haha...

[sush]

The school where I'm headed I believe gives you a second chance if you fail and if you fail again then I think you have to take a language course.

[highpriestess]

yeah I think that is what I have heard too...which I guess isn't that big of a deal.  More just embarassing/a pain in the neck.  I knew a doctoral student at my undergrad who that happened to and I don't think they made her feel too bad about it. 

[sush]

Yea exactly. I just want to get it done the first time and not have to worry about it anymore. Even though I'm not terribly worried about not passing just more so about what to expect exactly as far as the content. 

 

I think our exam is timed which stresses me out more than anything because I tend to worry a lot about the time instead of the exam in front me in cases like that and like the GRE for example (which by the was has to be one of the silliest tests known to man).

[highpriestess]

Same.  Mine is only one hour and no one will give me a straight answer as to how long the passage is.  And the GRE was absurd I got like in the 20th percentile for math I think. 

[sush]

Yea mine is an hour as well and I would really like to know how long the passage is too.

Can I ask what program you are in? You can message me if you don't want to post it here.

And I did horrible at the math section too. I agree the whole thing is absurd. I just don't see how a bunch of random vocabulary, arbitrary timed writing prompts and vague math problems test your ability to succeed at graduate work. Like at all. Especially when everyone's field is different.

[ChurchLover]

Every single thing you guys have said applies to me as well. I'm taking the French language exam in early September, it'll be an hour long but I don't know how long the passage will be or its content. Just wanted to let you know you guys aren't the only ones in this position. I also took a couple years of French in undergrad and I'm comfortable with it, but I really need to cram. I'm thinking of reviewing my old textbooks as well as reading and translating a short novel (Camus' L'etranger, not too complex, I know, but it's a start). 

 

And I wholeheartedly agree that the GRE is ludicrous--it's all a racket for ETS and Kaplan to make tons of money. And now that it's so engrained in the system it probably won't be going away any time soon.  

 

If you guys are interested in what program I'm in, don't hesitate to message me. I'm more than willing to talk. Good luck with your studies!

[highpriestess]

I'll add that the way I have been studying is that I have just been checking out history books in French from the library, sitting down with a French-English dictionary, and writing out a translation.  For me, I think this has been the best method, mainly because I am fairly solid with grammar, but things like colloquial phrases and idioms are tough.  Translating an already history related text has been very helpful and, honestly, at this point we cannot learn an entire language before the exam.  For the most part, what's done is done.  So it is good to just practice as much as possible and get your head in the game.  But we can do it I believe in you guys!!!! (and it is not like they will kick us out if we fail)