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Original poster

Dd has been told she can take a second language but she's not keen

38 replies

VivaLeBeaver · 27/10/2012 10:43

She's in year 7 and already does French. She's had a letter sayi g she's been identified as someone who could cope with a second language which would be German.

It would mean dropping one dt class and one PE class a week, she likes dt but would still get to do a dt class every week.

I think German would better for her, a German gcse would surely be better than a dt gcse. She says she doesn't like German but she's never done it so she's been daft. Am I right to push her into doing the German? She'll do it without argument if I tell her I really think its in her best interest.

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LIZS · 29/10/2012 10:25

I don't think it is too early to establish a motivation for doing a speciifc subject. dd has chosen German because she was born in a German speakign area and woudl like to return someday. Sadly the tradeoff is dropping Latin and Spanish. However languages are actually one of the easiest courses to find as an adult so can be taken up again later.

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 29/10/2012 10:25

She's not learning Chinese at the minute, did it for a couple of terms in year 6 and liked it. Her secondary school do offer it but not till either yr8 or yr9, can't remember which.

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ZZZenAgain · 29/10/2012 10:12

if she is already learning both Chinese and French, maybe she really doesn't need German as well; but I see you and your dd have already made your decision. I hope she gets on with German and likes it. As you say, until you do start learning it, you really cannot know if you will like it or not.

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 29/10/2012 09:55

I don't think it's too early to consider what might be useful. I do think German would be of more benefit than dt, especially when it's a second dt lesson. She will still get to do dt, just one lesson a week.

I can't make a decision about whether she does it or not based on whether or not she enjoys German as she hasn't done any German.

She does however enjoy French and Chinese and seems to be good at languages.

I'm sure if she started german and hated it then the school would let her drop it and go back to doing two dt lessons a week. On that basis she's agreed to do German.

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happygardening · 29/10/2012 09:51

My DS learnt French from prep school he has never shown any interest in it or any particular flare although he is capable and is very good at Latin. When he went to senior school he had to choose a third language after seeking the views of MNers (thank you) he choose German. He absolutely loves it is planning to keep in up till 6 th form and probably university. Apparently it's very logical.

wordfactory · 29/10/2012 09:22

At 11 it's quite silly to consider what will be potentially useful.

Your DD should do another language for the love of it and the way it will make her brain work.

bigbluebump · 28/10/2012 22:30

Agree that German has more use in many professions (not just engineering) than Spanish. Also, whilst French and Spanish are very similar (both being latin derived languages), German is very different and therefore is a great complement to either French or Spanish.
I use my German both at work and when skiing in Austria Smile.

LIZS · 28/10/2012 15:07

Even if she takes it now she isn't obliged to do GCSE/O level but would still have the basics and an awareness of how English evolved. At this stage I'd be saying she needs to keep her options open as far as possible.

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 28/10/2012 12:43

Dd is in the top sets for all subjects. There's no way she wouldn't try, she's not that sort of kid. I think she will enjoy German, she's just a bit disappointed about dropping one dt lesson. But she'll still have one dt session a week.

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motherinferior · 28/10/2012 12:34

I too think that (a) no way should she be thinking in any way about the future - this is about getting her as broad a base as possible for specialising later (b) she should go for it.

DD1 is doing three languages in Y7 (school has offered them - it's actually not a language specialist school) and I am v chuffed.

doobeedee · 28/10/2012 12:27

Be careful though. If she decides not to try it she might end up in a lower set. At my school a second language is only offered to the top sets.

Kez100 · 28/10/2012 11:01

I did French in year 7 (in the olden days) and did well, then took up German in Year 8 as a second language and had to stop after a while because I was mixing the two.

I actually did quite well in the end, with a C Grade 'O' level and can still speak French - with some revision of verbs - 30 years later.

I don't suppose this is very common but it does happen. It wasn't the end of the world though - I quickly caught up whatever it was I was moved to.

NamingOfParts · 28/10/2012 10:36

I dont think that you can second guess which language will be more useful. You dont know at the age of 13/14 where your career may take you.

Who would have been able to guess that the Russian I learned for O level was useful 20 years later on a business trip to Moscow?

If your DD has a facility for languages then I would think that learning a very different language - germanic rather than romanse would give her a different perspective.

muminlondon · 28/10/2012 08:16

I've been robbed in both Spain and Italy and had to report at police stations for the insurance. I still got by with French, guesswork and arm flapping. I also associate using German with efficient boutique hotels and nice beer.

JessePinkman · 28/10/2012 01:44

In my opinion Spanish is shit. I am completely blindsided by that when I arrived at Valencia I was robbed.

And in German speaking countries I have not only not been robbbed but have also have my phone returned to me.

I love our teutonic neighbours.

I would also say that if the child has good skills she could perform well in any MFL offered at secondary school.

busymummy3 · 28/10/2012 00:27

Thanks Clary was beginning to think DT was a weak GCSE! in my DC's school they have to take DT as an option-but would have taken it anyway as I said before really enjoys it. Is predicted A*/A in all GCSE's which are all "academic" subjects so we believe DT shows creativity strengths.
muminlondon DC is studying French and Spanish GCSE. Did French from Y7 and is in a small group of students who opted for a second language to study Spanish is not finding this confusing at all in fact the opposite - says can often "guess" Spanish from knowledge of French .

Clary · 28/10/2012 00:11

BTW roseforme German is actually a valued MFL as it is spoken by a lot of the people who are involved in engineering, so if you are thinking of a career in any such area then it might have an advantage over Spanish in terms of employment prospects tbh.

muminlondon · 28/10/2012 00:10

I think French and German really complement each other because they are different. If you've mastered German then Russian case systems are easier to understand. Much more confusing to do French and Spanish. I also find the argument that 'more people speak Spanish or Mandarin' a bit unconvincing. More people speak German in Europe than Spanish, and in more countries. And German/French have influenced the English language more than any other. I can't think of any Spanish philosophers or composers either...

Clary · 28/10/2012 00:09

Nothing wrong with DT as a GCSE option IMO, it's obligatory to do some kind of tech subject to GCSE at my school and actually I think it's a good thing.

I gave up all that stuff in year 9 to do Greek (!) tho, but I was rubbish at art and nothing like DT was offered at my school .

busymummy3 · 28/10/2012 00:04

Why is DT not a "good" GCSE ? My DC is in Y11 and does 2 MFL - French and Spanish - predicted A in both and also does DT Product Design ,sat written exam in Y10 and achieved an A and is predicted an A* in practical course work. DC loves DT and we think it gives an option to show creativity.
DC also loves MFL's and is planning to continue with French and Spanish to A level and beyond.

BackforGood · 27/10/2012 23:39

My dd much prefer German to French - she says it's more logical. She also likes maths and science subjects and has quite a methodical, logical type of mind I guess. She find French "stupid" (to use 13 yr old phrasing) because "there's no sensible reasoning as to if something is feminine or masculine", but she tells me that German follows all the rules correctly. I never did German myself so will have to take her word for that. Smile

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 27/10/2012 23:18

The school does Spanish as well but it's pot luck which language you're offered. Dd is lucky she got French as her first language as she really wanted French. I think she'd have preferred Spanish for a second language but has only been offered German.

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HeathRobinson · 27/10/2012 22:52

If she's not keen, I wouldn't force her. Some people never get on with the cases in German. Does she like how German sounds? You could try her on some German (Bitesize, maybe?) to see if she likes how it sounds.

And yes, some people do get confused between French and German. One of my classmates, in a French class, ended her sentences occasionally with German and couldn't hear what was wrong, until someone pointed it out.

I would say if her heart's not in it, then she won't enjoy or possibly be good at two lots of vocab learning, two lots of grammar learning, two orals etc etc.

My dd did French and Spanish at GCSE. It was very hard work and the orals/practice orals often seemed to be arranged at times when other exams were due. I seem to remember a clash with orals at the mock GCSEs in November. A lot of work in a short space of time. Shudder.

Roseformeplease · 27/10/2012 22:45

I hated German. If you look at the global population, hardly anyone speaks it. Second language, definitely, but not German. Not really sure why schools still offer it. Spanish or Mandarin would be far more useful.

NamingOfParts · 27/10/2012 22:42

There is a lot to be said for taking MFL to A level. The class sizes are often so small that they are close to individual tuition.

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