Mistakes in writing + listening tips

[exit]

So as of now I've got all the grammar stuff down but because there's so many rules to remember, I always screw up something simple one bit or another every few sentences...(mostly word order,dative or accusative articles etc) whats the things to look for when going back over a piece I wrote?

Also whats the best way to take down everything during listening, I'd like to know your techniques..

Danke schön

[Alter]

So as of now I've got all the grammar stuff down but because there's so many rules to remember, I always screw up something simple one bit or another every few sentences...(mostly word order,dative or accusative articles etc) whats the things to look for when going back over a piece I wrote?

If you're making mistakes to do with word order, maybe you're rushing too much when you initially write the sentences. Just follow (and edit) the basic SvTOMP format and construct your German sentences in a sticklebrick-like manner.

SvTOMP = subject -> verb -> time -> object -> manner -> place. Master this. Check every sentence to see if it follows this after you write it. You can also vary it by moving something else to the start...
E.g. TvSOMP (Morgen werde ich eine Banane schnell in der Stadt finden // Tomorrow I'm going to quickly find a banana in the city)

Something I did at the start of every single writing SAC was write down a table for adjectival endings and all of the prepositions. I'd separate prepositions that are exclusive to accusative, the dative ones, and the swinger ones. Then, whenever I need to use one in the essay, I'd refer back to my plan to ensure I get it right 100% of the time.

Proofreading is pretty difficult because we tend not to pick up on mistakes we make the first time. To this end, I think it's better to take a preventative approach (write carefully with purpose) instead of trying to band-aid everything at the end. Silly mistakes are inevitable, and you'll basically always make at least one mistake an essay in German. That's just the nature of doing a LOTE.

Also whats the best way to take down everything during listening, I'd like to know your techniques.

Use your reading time to figure out what info you'll need from the text and what will be useless. In this way, you'll save time during the actual playing of the audio so you don't write down irrelevant info. On the first run, I try to make sense of everything (e.g. understand the main arguments a character brings up, get a general idea of what they're discussing and the relevance to the questions) and then on the second run I'll take notes in German with specific words/quotes I need to answer a question. If it's listening German/responding English, I'd rarely write German notes unless I don't know the direct translation. Also, use shorthand symbols and save time. The listening section is, in my opinion, the hardest on the exam, because you are only exposed to the material for a limited time.

Best of luck.

[exit]

If you're making mistakes to do with word order, maybe you're rushing too much when you initially write the sentences. Just follow (and edit) the basic SvTOMP format and construct your German sentences in a sticklebrick-like manner.

SvTOMP = subject -> verb -> time -> object -> manner -> place. Master this. Check every sentence to see if it follows this after you write it. You can also vary it by moving something else to the start...
E.g. TvSOMP (Morgen werde ich eine Banane schnell in der Stadt finden // Tomorrow I'm going to quickly find a banana in the city)

Something I did at the start of every single writing SAC was write down a table for adjectival endings and all of the prepositions. I'd separate prepositions that are exclusive to accusative, the dative ones, and the swinger ones. Then, whenever I need to use one in the essay, I'd refer back to my plan to ensure I get it right 100% of the time.

Proofreading is pretty difficult because we tend not to pick up on mistakes we make the first time. To this end, I think it's better to take a preventative approach (write carefully with purpose) instead of trying to band-aid everything at the end. Silly mistakes are inevitable, and you'll basically always make at least one mistake an essay in German. That's just the nature of doing a LOTE.
Use your reading time to figure out what info you'll need from the text and what will be useless. In this way, you'll save time during the actual playing of the audio so you don't write down irrelevant info. On the first run, I try to make sense of everything (e.g. understand the main arguments a character brings up, get a general idea of what they're discussing and the relevance to the questions) and then on the second run I'll take notes in German with specific words/quotes I need to answer a question. If it's listening German/responding English, I'd rarely write German notes unless I don't know the direct translation. Also, use shorthand symbols and save time. The listening section is, in my opinion, the hardest on the exam, because you are only exposed to the material for a limited time.

Best of luck.

Thanks, I think i did well on the writing SAC even though it's inevitable I would have made some mistakes. Generally if I stop too long on a sentence making sure its right I lose flow of what I'm saying next. For me, I wrote the essay with a good pace without stopping completely and check back after multiple times. This alleviates pressure as I know I wouldn't be stressed and struggle to finish the essay..but I'm more concerned about listening. Last year every listening exercise I used a different method and the most successful I think was me writing bits i heard all over the page with pencil then rubbing out and piecing everything together, not a good strategy time-wise.

For listening (german->english), what if I hear a important word you don't know? I should write it in German however if I write in both English and German it can be a bit jumbled up.

[Alter]

Thanks, I think i did well on the writing SAC even though it's inevitable I would have made some mistakes. Generally if I stop too long on a sentence making sure its right I lose flow of what I'm saying next. For me, I wrote the essay with a good pace without stopping completely and check back after multiple times. This alleviates pressure as I know I wouldn't be stressed and struggle to finish the essay..but I'm more concerned about listening. Last year every listening exercise I used a different method and the most successful I think was me writing bits i heard all over the page with pencil then rubbing out and piecing everything together, not a good strategy time-wise.

Yeah, you don't want to be rubbing stuff out because that section is so dependent on good time management skills. If it helps at all, I like to draw out columns or pre-prepare dot points where I'll make lists the moment writing time begins. For instance, if it asks for three examples from the text, I'd do "1. (space) 2. (space) 3. (space)" to make sure I don't miss it, and then use horizontal lines to break up points of the text based on the questions. Generally, the questions will go in chronological order (with holistic questions usually coming at the end). That being said, if you find you're not hard for time in the method that worked for you, go ahead and keep using it. Just reiterating that I found the listening section to be the hardest for both SACs and the exam itself, so don't feel stress. The unfortunate matter of fact is that it is hard to make huge improvements in this section in a short period of time, so keep working at it.

For listening (german->english), what if I hear a important word you don't know? I should write it in German however if I write in both English and German it can be a bit jumbled up.

If you know it's definitely important and you can make out the word, yes---write it down!! If you're worried about making a mess just put it somewhere away from your notes so you don't get messed up. It's definitely worth it because VCAA might try to mess you up by using two different words that sound very similar. Like I said in the previous response, I did write down some German words in this section if I didn't know the direct translation.