每年IB的考试，孩子们都说英语数学很简单，只有法语全靠猜。这次也不例外。学校教的法语是完全不够IB入学水平的。我的几个学生跟我分享了几道题，都是我课上讲过的。都答对了，很高兴。果不其然，上周都收到了录取通知。
举个例子，一道题是：Quand il ---, il faut conduire lentement. 因为我教过conduire的动词变位，孩子记得是drive的意思。那么就选neige，下雪的时候慢点开车。考点是词汇量以及语法，Il neige，是下雪的意思。
还有一道题是Nous nageons dans ---. 这个完全考词汇量，四个选项比较之后，答案是 la piscine游泳池。而nageons是一个特殊的动词变位，也是我上课强调过的。
有几道题是关于疑问句，相当于英语的when，why，how，比较容易。而难的一题是要选 Est-ce que开头，因为我教过Est-ce que开头，回答一定是yes 或者是 no。正好题干就是用no 回答的，孩子记住了这个，选择Est-ce que也答对了。几道题考点都是疑问句语法。
想要被Milliken Mills 或者St. RobertIB录取，入学考试分数高很重要。孩子们英语和数学学校学的都够用，只有法语，在学校学的远远不够。我的学生提前跟我补习法语词汇量，语法，句型，有很大帮助。
St Robert对法语词汇量以及阅读能力的要求更高。我有几个学生考完没有Milliken Mills IB那么自信。
比如，有一道题很长的阅读，之后的选项也是很长的句子。其中有一个问题针对单词pendant，一个学生觉得这似曾相识，好像是during的意思。他的选择是对的。最后功夫不负有心人，依旧拿到了录取通知。孩子们积累的语感发挥了作用。
学校的法语老师鼓励孩子用Google Translate做作业，导致孩子什么都没学到。IB的考试不让用电脑啊。最后还是要靠自己的真本事。
Preparing for the IB French entrance exams at schools like Milliken Mills and St. Robert can be quite challenging, especially since the standard school curriculum often falls short of the proficiency required. From my experience tutoring students, focusing on expanding vocabulary and mastering key grammar concepts such as verb conjugation and question formation significantly improves their confidence and performance. One effective approach I recommend is practicing context-based sentence completion that mimics actual exam questions, like understanding verbs such as "conduire" (to drive) and vocabulary cues like "neige" (snow) to choose correct answers intuitively. Similarly, regular exercises on special verb conjugations—like "nageons"—help students internalize patterns that appear repeatedly in exam settings. Another crucial area is the use of interrogative forms like "Est-ce que," which tend to puzzle students at first. Teaching not only the grammatical structure but also the logic behind the expected yes/no responses enables learners to tackle these questions confidently. Reading comprehension at St. Robert demands a deeper grasp of vocabulary and contextual meanings, especially for words like "pendant" meaning "during." Encouraging students to build their French language instincts through exposure and repetition has proven invaluable and compensates for less effective practices such as overreliance on translation tools like Google Translate. Ultimately, the key to success lies in consistent incremental practice tailored to IB exam formats and a focus on true language acquisition rather than shortcuts. Those who engage with targeted tutoring often secure admission letters that reflect their readiness and command of French necessary for IB studies. This journey underscores the importance of combining vocabulary, grammar, and reading exercises to cultivate the language skills that IB French assessments demand.
