AIBU to make my son keep learning Spanish after GCSE?

Those who had a second language got the best research placements abroad during Uni. Not sure about engineering, but definitely useful for medicine if he plans to do a research placement in a medical science lab.. Something to think about!

My son did two modern languages A levels, did really well at both of them, had an amazing aptitude for accent and vocabulary and wasn't interested at carrying on with either at university, even as a minor subject.

It seemed a real shame to us, but it's his life and his education.

DSs both got 9s in French and Spanish gcses. There’s one French A level between them… But the boy who didn’t do A level is now abroad and speaking quite a lot of French! Do not force it. Encourage him to watch Moneyheist and holiday in Spain.

You can't 'make' him study anything.

Why are you fixated on this one subject that hasn't captured his interest or his heart?

It's his mind, his life, his future.

If he's looking at medicine or engineering his brain is going to be pummelled with the learning and training he'll have to do over the next decade or so.

I did Spanish and French at A level, used them a bit in one job, but really not since.

Let it go, and support his - HIS - choices.

As an A level teacher, if he wants to study medicine later then he will be needing to more than the recommended hours on independent revision even though he scored highly on his GCSE’s. Adding in weekly Spanish lessons might impact on that especially if he’s not that motivated to do Spanish. As PP have said you can only encourage at this age despite the benefit of having an additional language.

My mum made me do French A Level and I got an E and have regretted but doing something I wanted ever since. Yes, it hasn't caused major issues in my life but I feel resentful that I didn't like the course and found it difficult (it was a combo of business French and French literature).

Let your son make his own choices. You can give him opinions and ideas of how useful it may be but let him decide.

He’ll be too old to be “made”.

I would encourage him to keep the Spanish alive in other ways; watch a Spanish TV series together on Netflix or Walter Presents, take a holiday to a Spanish speaking country, where he can use his language (ie not a place full of Brits!) and remind him that he will be able to work in Spain over summers or a gap year when the youth mobility scheme comes in. I am sure the idea of a hospitality job in Spain using his Spanish would be more attractive to him than plodding on with conversation classes.

How do you intend to make him?

My DS did Maths and Sciences A levels and went on to study physics. However, his first job was with a French company who encouraged him to study the language and live in France. This triggered an interest in languages and he's now fluent in French and Spanish. It's helped his career immensely.

He's thinking of doing engineering but hasn't taken physics A level? If I were you I'd be getting him to add the 4th A level, and forget the Spanish, surely?

YABU. You can't force him to do anything, and if he wants to stop, then let him stop.

I can see why you want this but I don’t think you can force him.

My dd also got ten nines at GCSE (just bragging as it’s not really relevant) including a nine for German. She’s not doing German A level as her school don’t offer it, and the only local school that does had it clashing with her preferred history A Level.

She is going to be doing German classes on Saturdays but the difference is she wants to keep learning.

My exh is bilingual in French simply through determination to learn and spending time there specifically for language learning purposes, so he’s very keen for the kids to learn a second language. And as someone who doesn’t speak one fluently, I agree.

Only just getting a bit concerned that he wants our 11 yo to go on a Spanish exchange in the near future!!

It's his A Levels. You can't force him to take subjects he doesn't want to take. He's the one who has to study them, and A Levels are too hard and intense to be taking subjects you don't want to take. It won't go well, and he'll resent you for it.

Maths is hard. My son loves maths but at A levels it is difficult and becomes even harder later in the year and in the second year as the home study becomes more difficult. Then he has 2 other A levels on top of this. If you push this he will resent you.

He won't lose it though. It'll only take a day or so in Spain and it will come flooding back.
Let him concentrate on his A-levels and he can pick up Spanish again at a later date if he wants to.

I think if he doesn’t want to, he doesn’t want to, so leave it.

But if you have a budget for overseas holiday this year, book Spain. Ideally not all inclusive, so there’s a chance of using his language skills in restaurants etc. ask him to order for you.

When he’s older, it might be something he wants to pick up again.

@SassyBear2 you've made the offer and he doesn't want it, so leave it. If he wants to pick it up later then he will.

My DC dropped Spanish after GCSE, but picked it up in his third year of uni as an optional module (possible with any degree at some unis e.g. UCL), and also used it on a Spanish walking holiday.

My view is that, in addition to academic study, Y12 and Y13 are about facilitating independence, helping DC to make their own decisions, developing social skills and navigating that transition from ‘child’ to ‘adult’.

Your DS will have plenty on his plate at the moment with A-Levels so I’d let him drop the Spanish if that’s what he wants to do. He may come back to it, he may not, but letting him know that you trust him to make the right decision for him is massively important and will probably be a good thing for your relationship with him as you go through the next few years.

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink...

It's pointless trying to force him, he won't learn if he doesn't want to. And he has enough to be going on with already. He can pick it up again later if he wants to.

I'm not the PP but it's pretty obviously maths and chemistry, no?

He can come back to the Spanish at any time in later life, if he decides to do medicine he'd be better spending spare time related to that

I don’t think you can ‘make’ him study anything; he’s almost an adult now and he needs to choose his own path. I think post-GCSE you really need to stop trying to engineer their activities and studies.

Trying to make a late-teenager continue learning an academic subject they’re not especially interested in really isn’t like jollying your eight-year-old off to Cubs. He’s not a little boy any more and he needs some autonomy.

No this is nuts. Use the time to focus on A levels (its a really tricky time and a lot of work). Save energy for his other interests so he has energy to work and do well.

If he ever wants to pick Spanish up later he can! This is such a strange thing to fixate onOP! WHat else do you make your 16 year old do....

Not unreasonable to encourage him, but it sounds like he is saying no so you should listen.