Learning a foreign language is a hugely rewarding experience and is usually enjoyed by all who take up such a course

Learning a foreign language is a hugely rewarding experience and is usually enjoyed by all who take up such a course. You do not actually need to be enrolled on a course to acquire knowledge of a foreign language but most people feel that they need to pass an exam in order to measure their grasp of the language they are studying. This may also be a requirement to further your education or career. Even those who are purely learning a language for travel purposes will feel more confident knowing that they have a particular qualification in their chosen language.

Most foreign language exams will test the reading, writing, speaking and listening skills of the learner. These areas can be approached separately when revising for an exam, although speaking and listening often go hand in hand.

It is important to know what grammar is expected for the level of course and focus on that rather than trying to know everything, lower level courses for example may only require present tense knowledge so it would be a waste to spend time on other tenses.

When revising for written papers, the key is to look at past papers, they follow the same format but usually in an adjusted way. Neat handwriting and punctuation can often be overlooked by eager but tense students, but if these two aspects are in good order then the examiner will be able to mark the paper far more easily and may be inclined to give higher marks. It is also worth learning set phrases for written tasks. If a paper requires a letter to be written then a suitable phrase for opening and closing the letter could score a learner points for accuracy of spelling and use of grammar.

Reading examination papers, again, tend to use the same format but with different materials or topics. By completing past papers, students will soon become confident and capable of answering the types of questions that the examining board typically poses. The wording of questions is normally the same each time a paper is set so it is better to get to know the language used prior to the live paper.

Speaking and listening examinations generally consist of a conversation between the examiner and the learner, most students will be aware as to what topics are likely to be used on the day of the exam which is invaluable. These topics can be researched when revising and used to build up a suitable vocabulary. The listening element can sometimes involve a recording with questions to follow. In order to prepare for this form of test, students should aim to immerse themselves as far as possible, ideally with native speakers using the language. Clearly the best approach would be to visit a country in which the language in question is routinely spoken but if this is not possible, then a radio station or a language audio cassette or DVD will help in acclimatising to the accent and the speed of native speakers.

The points made here are quite specific for particular examination papers, general revision that will increase a student's foreign language knowledge includes watching television in that language , reading national newspapers and using the language to communicate with other speakers insofar as possible.