Achieving Success in Language Study
Success in foreign language study comes only as a result of self-discipline both in classroom attentiveness and in daily study at home. Students are encouraged to try various study strategies based on their individual learning styles when studying for quizzes and tests. They should always begin their study sessions by quizzing themselves first in order to see which words they need to focus on. At Patapsco our aim is to help students achieve this success through continuous encouragement, help with organization, and suggestions for various study techniques.
All students should have a French or Spanish binder divided into the following sections:
French: vocabulaire, grammaire/verbes, travail de classe, interros, devoirs
Spanish: vocabulario, gramática/verbos, trabajo de clase, pruebas, tarea
(vocabulary, grammar/verbs, class work, quizzes, homework)
When the homework is to study the new vocabulary, students
have the following options:
(If pronunciation is needed for any vocabulary, type "translate" into Google. Change the language in the box on the left to French or Spanish and the language in the box on the right to English. Click on the icon in the lower right hand corner of the box on the left to hear the words. You can also hear pronunciation in www.quizlet.com.)
Write the vocabulary several times each.
Construct a word search or a cross word puzzle and print it
out. A good site on which to do this is: www.puzzlemaker.com.
Or you can make a puzzle on graph paper.
Make flashcards: use
index cards or cut small squares of paper. Write
the English translations or draw pictures.
Make a chart or booklet illustrating the vocabulary.
Write a dialogue or a story using all of the words.
Make a jigsaw puzzle. Write
the French/Spanish on one side of the lines and the English translation on
the other side. Cut along the lines.