Is a MFL vital for Uni?

[Confuddled101]

I have also put this on the Further Education as I wasn't sure which board to use. Hope that is ok.

My daughter is taking the following GCSE's starting in September...
English Lang
English Lit
Maths
Triple Science
History
Latin
Computing (Computer science)
1/2 RS
French

Her tutor thinks that the amount of prep needed for those subjects will equate to between 13-14 hours per week.

The only subject she doesn't enjoy is French.
The school thinks that she can drop French.

When it comes to University applications, will she be penalised for not having a MFL?

She doesn't know what she wants to do yet. Possibly law, science or business.

[fourcorneredcircle]

She won't be penalised (and I'm an MFL teacher). She's doing Latin anyway. I always advocate doing what you like best.

[Bolograph]

When it comes to University applications, will she be penalised for not having a MFL?

No. Only one university wants GCSE MFL, UCL, and applicants without it simply suffer the penalty of having to do a GCSE-standard MFL as a module in the first year, which slightly restricts your options (like many universities, UCL insist you do a module outside your main discipline in first year, and not having GCSE MFL means you can only do an MFL). No other university cares: it's part of UCL's "the world university" thing.

The consequences of failing first year modules outside main discipline are usually benign, so you probably don't need to pass it, but you would need to check their regs were you going to test this theory.

You've haven't need an MFL for university admission (other than for language degrees, obviously) since the 1960s.

[Bolograph]

Oh, and sorry, I didn't notice Latin. I think UCL count that as an MFL anyway (not sure, you'd need to check).

[Confuddled101]

Thank you very much Fourcornercircle and Bolograph.

[titchy]

I hope UCL don't regard Latin as an MFL!

[Bolograph]

They don't, upon checking:

UK students who do not have a GCSE grade C or equivalent in a foreign language (other than Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew or Latin) on admission to UCL will be required to acquire an equivalent level of language proficiency once they are enrolled with us. This will either be through study for a specially designed certificate at the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education (CLIE), or by taking a 0.5 CU (course-unit) course in a language as part of their degree programme.

[Aftershock15]

Is there some reason why she will take much longer to do the work than everyone else? 10 1/2 GCSEs isn't an excessive load for a bright child (which I assume she is due to the triple science and Latin). Won't this be the same workload as all her friends? Trying to work out why this is seen as a problem and she doesn't just get on with them. Will the school let her have free periods if she drops the French?

[senua]

She will have Latin so she will learn language skills. Latin counts for the EBacc. I think that one language is sufficient for those not going on to study languages at A Level or beyond.
I have pm'd you.

[Confuddled101]

Aftershock, yes she is bright. Most of the other girls are doing less than her.

I think she would get prep periods rather than free periods. Currently her timetable would be full with no prep periods other than the fixed ones from 4:30 to 5:30 each day. She has a long school day, starting at 8:15 and finishing at 5:30.

[Bolograph]

Aftershock, yes she is bright. Most of the other girls are doing less than her.

At risk of being thought boastful, and accepting it's actually a bit pointless, both of my children got 13 A* in one sitting, all in mainstream subjects, without excessive workload or any diminution in their social and extra-curricular whirl. I think it's pointless, although it did keep options open (both did at A Level at least one subject they might very well have given up had they only done 8 or 10 GCSEs) but it's hardly a punishing workload for a reasonably bright child.

[Confuddled101]

Senua, thank you. She wouldn't be taking a language at A level. It will most likely by Science/Maths.

[Confuddled101]

Bolograph, if your DC have achieved 13 A* (well done) they are in the older version. My DD will be doing the new version that they started to introduce with some subjects last year. We have been told by her school that the new ones are harder and they will not allow as many subjects as previously done.

Not sure how true this is as I don't think any children have done the final exams in any of the new ones yet.

[PonderingProsecco]

A lot of schools limiting GCSEs to about 10 max now.
9-10 fine under new system I think.
Btecs can also be mixed in and that's great.
Some schools very pro Ebacc mind you.
Is that going to change?
Progress 8 does not require MFL?
Unless going to the 'one' university that requires it- drop the French....

[Essexmum69]

There is one other scenario not yet mentioned where an MFL is useful (although not essential) at university, and that is the increasing number of degrees offering a year abroad as part of the course. DS has an offer for a natural sciences degree with a year abroad. The university options available to him in his year away are dependant on the languages he has studied, as students are expected to have some skills in the host countries language even if the course is being studied in english (which most are).

[Bolograph]

That's a good point, Essex, although my experience is that years abroad in France are fairly rare.

[Essexmum69]

French years abroad maybe rare, but Switzerland is popular these days with would be physics majors like my DS, very keen to get to CERN!
However you may find the university will allow the language study while at uni, like UCL, so it can often be picked up later. I would say though that DS (maths and science brain) although initially preferring Latin over French, and taking both at GCSE only because French was compulsary at his school, failed Latin whilst getting an A in French.. GCSE latin, certainly under the old syllabus, had huge amounts of translations and vocab to rote learn whereas the french was more day to day practical and eventually clicked for him.