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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.

OP posts:
Moominmammacat · 27/10/2012 16:16

Do it ... I think only 5,000 students did A level German last year which makes them rare and good unis like languages. My DS did Span/Germ/Fr at GSCE, with Spanish in one year in Y10. There's not that much to it with good teaching

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 27/10/2012 15:10

Yes, two lessons a week.

We've had a chat and though her initial reaction was to take the easier option when I've pointed out that she might like German more than French, etc. that if she did like it a German gcse would probably be better than a dt gcse she says she'll give German a go.

If she'd been adamant she didn't want to do it I wouldn't have forced her.

Thanks everyone.

OP posts:
Clary · 27/10/2012 13:59

I think it's a great idea to do extra languages but then I would as I teach MFL.

Dual linguists to GCSE level or beyond are becoming ever more rare it seems which makes me Sad.

Would that be 2 lessons of German a week? Probably enough to make a good start in learning it.
Don't really think you should push her into it tho...

muminlondon · 27/10/2012 13:44

I think it would be a great opportunity. It's a harder language to pick up later, because it requires effort, while the grammar is good brain training in memory and being able to analyse structure (compared with e.g. Latin, lots more practical). Really useful for someone who wants to travel, be a scientist, etc. Two languages also look impressive on a CV. Hard to force her if she is unwilling though - especially if it means missing PE.

BackforGood · 27/10/2012 12:52

My dd had this at the end of Yr7. She doesn't like French much. She did take the German however and absolutely loves it. I think it they are capable, it can only ever be an asset to have mastered two MFLs, whatever job you are going in to.
dh is a scientist - all collaborative work is done in English, across the globe, but he still has to travel - say in Germany - from the airport, into the accomodation, then into the University, then socialising in the evening etc. - he wishes he had a bit of spoken Germna, even though you wouldn't think it would be related to his job in any way. Another friend is an accountant - again, you wouldn't think a linguists job, but his French got him a fab job auditing for a global company, where he could travel around to bases in several countires.
As Deputy says - if she finds she doesn't like it in Yr8, I'm sure she will be able to look again before GCSE options

DeputyChiefJohnson · 27/10/2012 12:40

If your DD tries it in Year 8 I would have thought she could choose to drop it before GCSEs if she doesn't enjoy it?

Both of mine took a second language in Year 9, in their case it was Spanish. So they had a taster before they chose their options. In the end they both chose to do only one language to GCSE (French).

diddlediddledumpling · 27/10/2012 11:28

Don't think you should push her into anything! If she has an aptitude for languages, she'll be able to pick another one up in the future. I'd be asking her what she enjoys doing most, learning a new language or doing dt (both of which she has experience of) and going with that. She''s more likely to thtive if she's doing something she enjoys and that she chose.

ZZZenAgain · 27/10/2012 11:17

I would say either option is ok. She won't confuse German and French, learning them at the same time shouldn't be a problem. If she can do German for two years and then drop it, what has she lost by trying it? It could be that she warms to the language once she makes some progress with it. It is a difficult language to master to native speaker proficiency both orally and in written work. It is a reasonably easy language to obtain GCSE level in IMO.

There are some degree courses where she would need German to read secondary literature, for example art history or archaeology. If she might go on to do something like that, leaving school with the ability to read German would be an advantage. It would save her a bit of time. She is young and she may well change her mind a few times about what she wants to do with her life.

I think she would be fine picking up German when she has left school, if she wants or needs it. I also think she will manage fine learning both French and German at school. It is probably all the learning off by heart which puts her off - the vocab lists and the grammar tables, the conjugations and declinations. German is one of those languages best acquired via many, many written exercises and you have just got to learn all the tables off by heart. THat is how you get the endings to sink in IMO. It is highly structured but when you learn the forms and practise them enough, it is entirely do-able.

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 27/10/2012 11:11

Maybe she'd be better off concentrating on French then? Can learning two languages at the same time be confusing? If she doesn't like it she could drop it in year 9 and if she really hated it I'm sure she could drop it earlier and go back to dt.

OP posts:
ZZZenAgain · 27/10/2012 10:59

it wouldn't harm for a ski instructor to speak German. However I think a 3 month intensive course in a German speaking country, followed by living there and having to use it would suffice for the needs of the job tbh. After a year, she'd be fluent anyway.

I can't see any harm in learning German now alongside French but I doubt she would be at any kind of disadvantage later if she did not do it. I suppose she just doesn't have any kind of connection to the language, German speaking countries atm and is probably not keen on all the grammar and vocab learning for a second language.

Original poster
VivaLeBeaver · 27/10/2012 10:55

She alternates between wanting to work with animals, run a craft shop or be a ski instructor. She is very good at skiing so German would be a benefit for her there, though she says she wants to work in val d'isere so only needs French!

OP posts:
ZZZenAgain · 27/10/2012 10:50

does she have any idea what she would like to do with her life? I think if she has French and is doing well at it but has no interest in learning German, I would not insist on her doing it. If you have learnt one foreign language to a good level, you know how it works and it is easy enough to learn German as an adult if she develops a need or interest in the language, or any other language for that matter.

Ploom · 27/10/2012 10:47

I was in exactly the same situation at school (many moons ago!). I chose to do German as well as French in my 2nd year at secondary school and altho I really enjoyed it, I dropped it again at the end of that year to do computer studies instead (which I turned out to be rubbish at).

I'd really advise her to go for it - languages are such an asset to have. Turns out I now live in Germany - wish I'd stuck at German after all Grin.

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