Survival Guide: Language

Spanish/French/Mandarin:

• Start off by separating your reading, writing, listening, and speaking notes.
• Find all of your old tests and cover up your answers. Take the test over again and see how you do
• Listen to old listenings, re-read any stories, rewrite old prompts given on tests for practice.
• For the oral: first write out bullet points of ideas you want to say, and then practice saying sentences aloud. After you’ve practice by yourself, call a friend and practice together.
• Make sure to study different prompts for the oral and focus on all units.
• Practice all conjugations. Write them out or say them out loud.
• Organize the different vocabulary sheets (or Quizlets).
• If you want to challenge yourself, watch a movie on Netflix and switch the language. This will really help you prepare for the listening portion.
• Ask your teacher to check your practice writings to see if your conjugations are correct.

Latin:  

• Go through past translations and re-translate everything, this way, even if you do blank on the test, you at least have some sense of what you’re doing.
• Parse significant words- nouns, verbs, adjective, participles
• Review grammar notes- case usage, reasons for mood, and synopses  
• Review scansion-these are generally easy to memorize, so a little bit of effort can save you a lot of extra points.
• Go to review sessions
• Work together with your class to get through translations- if everyone contributes, it will be a lot more effective.