How to take notes (as an Oxford University student)

My name is Aimee and I've just graduated from the University of Oxford with a degree in the Japanese and Korean languages. I also completed GCSE and A Level German back in my school days. Note taking for the humanities, especially the languages, can be very different compared to other humanities subjects or for STEM exams. Learning a foreign language at GCSE or A Level requires lots of grammar practice and memorizing a lot of new vocab! Today, I'll give you my top five tips for note taking, memorizing new words, and ultimately, acing your GCSE or A Level foreign language papers.

Separate notes by topic area

For GCSE foreign language papers, we can easily split note taking into two broad areas: notes on grammar, as well as vocabulary lists.

For your A Level exams, depending on your exam board, you'll be asked to talk about social issues and trends, as well as produce essays in your target language about films and books that you've read over the duration of your course.

In both GCSE and A Level examinations there are also spoken exams that require you to answer short questions and talk about a random topic. For GCSE level, these topics range from hobbies, school life and cultural questions, but for A Level the topics tend to me more complex, for example social issues in contemporary society.

It's useful to categorise your notes into these different areas so you can refer back to them easily when you need them! This includes having written notes for vocabulary. Though nowadays you can use an online dictionary to instantly find any vocabulary you need, having a key list of useful vocabulary for your exams is still imperative to learn for when you enter the exam hall and no longer have access to a dictionary.

Keeping notes on methods of translation may also be useful if you decide to pursue languages at university, but for GCSE and A Level examinations, there is less focus on learning how to make good translations and more emphasis on learning to communicate effectively in a foreign language.

Keep your notes neat

For languages it's especially important that you pay attention and jot down carefully any new grammar structures that you come across in class. Many of us tend to think that we will remember things we learnt in class, and so we don't jot it down. From my own experience, that method doesn't work out well, especially when it comes to language learning. Learning grammar takes time and focus, so having your notes written out neatly and in detail allows you to refer back to them at any time and with minimum hassle! Though, if you struggle to keep up when taking notes in class, then of course it's okay to jot notes down scruffily or in short-hand, but remember to write them up neatly once you get home or in the following days whilst the topic is still fresh in your memory. You'll be so grateful for having neat and tidy notes when it comes to revising!

Write key things out more than once

Though you don't need to write out every note you have for a subject over and over again, for languages, the more you practice new grammar and make up sentences yourself, the more likely the information will stick in your brain long-term.

Once you have your original notes organised and written out neatly, try practicing making your own sentences using grammar and vocabulary that you've learnt in class. However, these notes don't have to be super neat as they're just for practice and to improve your creativity, ability, and confidence in your target language!

Keep flashcards or use memorization apps

Old school flashcards are very beneficial for language learners, especially to drill in new grammar patterns and vocabulary! Though, these days there are lots of free websites and mobile apps that have pre-loaded vocabulary and grammar lists that you can use as a substitute for traditional flashcards. Most schools already encourage their students to use online study websites, so ask your teacher if they know any good websites for memorizing vocabulary and grammar needed for your exam. You can either go through these lists to check off what you've learnt already and what you still need to focus on, or you can make online flashcards and test your strong and weak points. Online flashcards and memorization apps also save you from having to physically write out long vocab lists onto flashcards which can eat into your revision time!

Write notes that complement the syllabus

Check out the syllabus for your course online to find a full list of skills and grammar points required to pass your course with a top grade! Exam bodies tend to provide you with a list of potential topics, vocabulary, as well as grammar points that may come up on the final exam. Grammar points that are not present in the syllabus won't come up on your exam. Whilst in the real world it might be useful to know how to say the same sentence in five different ways, for your exams just focus on the grammatical structures that you're required to know, and don't overcrowd your notes with too much extra information. There's already enough content you need to revise without adding extra and very niche grammar into the mix! Once you've revised and understood everything on the syllabus then you should feel confident that you have everything you need to score a top grade.

The takeaway

Taking notes for languages may be a little different compared to other subjects you're being examined on but taking the time to write your work out neatly and referring back to your notes regularly can be the difference between an average and outstanding grade!

If you want to find out more helpful study tips then check out some of EasyA's other handy blog posts or check out the EasyA app for maths help whenever and wherever you need it.