Languages in high school

I would say it is pointless personally. I took German to A Level - I got a B and could hold basic conversation, but nowhere near fluent. 20 years later I can barely remember any of it. Unless you are going to continue learning the language past A Level, eg travel to that country regularly, use it in your job, practice regularly …… then it will all be forgotten pretty quickly. Far more useful to pick subjects related to the fields of work he is interested in.

His argument is that you can speak English pretty much everywhere so what's the point.

Actually not true at all. Well you can speak it, but people often won't understand or will judge you for being an ignorant British person.

As a tourist you can get served in tourist areas in English, you can get by in English in airports, you'll be fine in Amsterdam, Ireland, Australia, US, NZ and most of Canada, much of Africa and parts of Asia that were previously British colonies.

But if you want to go off the tourist trail or work abroad it will be beneficial if not essential to speak the language. Even in banks and other big institutions there's often a need to learn the language of the country it's based in as a condition of working there.

I have family in the Netherlands and only about half of them speak/understand English to a conversational level.

You do realise that calling everything 'racist', 'colonialist' and whatnot waters down the the impact of actual racist and colonialist attitudes?
He isn't exactly wrong. People in other countries force themselves to learn English, whether they like it or not. Especially in developing countries because of the sheer opportunities. Most remote work opportunities require English, many countries offer degrees taught in English despite it not being a national language to attract international students, etc.

The downside is that he's competing with the entire world for English language opportunities. But he's not wrong in saying that not learning a second language is a big barrier. If your first language was something else, however not learning English is a much bigger barrier.

p.s. Am not white, Commonwealth citizen, speak 4 languages and learning a 5th 😁

I think learning another language, especially living near Europe, is a really good idea. French and Spanish are spoken in several countries.

European countries all ensure they teach, at the minimum, one foreign language. For example, where we live, kids learn English from the second grade, then their 3rd compulsory language (French, Spanish or Latin) in the 6th, and then a non-compulsory 4th language in the 7th or 8th. Even if we weren't living here, I would strongly encourage my kids to go as far as they can with another language. It gives them more opportunities for studying in the future, creates an interest in other countries and cultures and is really good for their brain.

Out of all my GCSEs, French is about the only one that is actually useful in my adult life. I mean I needed maths and english and sciences to get where I am but the content is no longer useful. French has been useful multiple times on holiday and watching French films, helps with communicating with French colleagues even if not strictly required. This despite the fact that I didn't get a top grade in French and it was now nearly 30 years ago, I still remember a surprising amount. I since learned basic Spanish and German during evening classes. Languages are very worthwhile.

Also no one is too stupid to learn a language, assuming they can manage other GCSEs. Languages should be open to all. I would encourage him to do a language, it doesn't matter which one, Spanish is probably easier/more fun but it depends where he wants to go on holiday!

Doing languages at GCSE isn't going to make him 'able to communicate'. Quite the opposite - it's only going to stress him more, putting him off learning another for life if he struggles. No need to sacrifice a good grade for something he has a whole life to pick up.

YABU to force him OP. Send him to extracurriculars if he wants to, get him on Duolingo if you're that concerned so he can learn. At his own pace, without being forced to learn it via the dry, boring GCSE syllabus. Language is so personal and everyone has a different way of learning.

So many people forced to learn and don't remember a word. Others who never did but picked it up because they were passionate about something and the language was a door to that.

His argument is that you can speak English pretty much everywhere so what's the point.

Sounds like he needs history, sociology and psychology as much as a language. Because that argument is really really colonialist and borderline racist. Does he really want to be the ignoramus who walks into places and shouts English at bewildered locals? No one likes that bloke.

No unis insist on a language now , not even UCL (except of course if doing a language degree).

Way to write off hundreds of millions of people.

I think learning any second language is good as it gives you the tools to learn a new language when the need or desire arises. I live in Mexico and have met so many Americans who, because they were allowed to opt out of languages, haven't the first clue about how to learn Spanish

It is such a shame that so many Brits dismiss the learning of other language. English being so popular globally has spoiled us as a nation. There are multiple benefits to being able to communicate in other languages.

Some universities insist on a modern foreign language even if you are studying the sciences - UCL springs to mind there may be others

I’d let him choose what he’s best at. Languages are hard if you’re not that interested. Even the children of a language teacher at my school haven’t taken languages because they knew they’d get better grades in other things. One is now at a good RG uni doing History the other has just applied to do Geography at Oxford.

There's a big push atm towards more creative approaches to language teaching. Point out that if he learns French he can work in the Swiss banking system for £££££££££

I'd go for French as a working language of the EU and UN - and a closer neighbour to Britain.

We can do so much better than we're currently doing with language learning. I've used the languages I learned at school in all sorts of ways, even though I only got up to GCSE or thereabouts. I did three at secondary, one at primary (but it was immersive so I learned quite a bit).

They've all come in useful. It's good to be able to make an effort, beyond asking for a beer and paying a bill. People notice and appreciate it.

He's young and has great capacity to learn! Languages can open all sorts of doors that we don't even know exist yet.

If they only studied what they were interested in, my children would only study gaming, pizza and soap-dodging. I'm trying to work out ways they can learn languages since the secondary only offers a choice of French and Spanish. I'm really sad that they have fewer opportunities than I did.

The content oc a GCSE foreign language is not going to be any use in the work place. So unlesshe is likely to have a strong change of mind and study at A level and probably university I wouldnt push it, let him do a GCSE he will enjoy.

Ds school has a language compulsory for most pupils which I think is right (I also think it’s a requirement for the ebac)

ds has been allowed to drop them because he couldn’t cope (autism/ehcp) which is right for the individual but on the whole I agree a language is beneficial

Where does he want to go to uni? If Oxbridge, I'd take a language.
I wish languages were taught better/more interestingly in this country but it is an insight into another culture and that different languages don't directly translate which shows how people from different countries might think or phrase things differently, which would help in international banking.

Unless he’s super passionate, knowing how to ask where the beach is in Spanish isn’t going to open up a whole new world for him

I understand why you want to push it but unless he's going to actually use it then there won't be much benefit anyway.

I got an A* in GCSE Spanish but have barely spoken a word since, just the basics of ordering food on holiday etc. I've forgotten most if it.

I think to be any use then he would need a passion for it.

The process of learning a language is mostly always beneficial, even if a challenge at times.

My preference would be Spanish over French, as it's more interesting and more widely spoken too.

I do not see the point of making a child study a subject at GCSE that they have no interest in (barring English, maths and science). The subjects my kids have done poorest in are the ones they were forced to take when they’d have happily dropped them.

What languages do you speak OP ?

What languages do speak OP ?

Spanish would be the most beneficial. However, there's no point forcing him to do it if he doesn't want to. He could do a crash language course in the future.