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Original poster

Son been randomised to German in Y7 despite me requesting french

57 replies

whataboutbob · 20/07/2018 18:42

As background, I am a French speaker , my gran was french and I grew up in a French speaking country. The language is important to me. I tried teaching my kids but was unsuccessful, for various reasons including DS1 ‘s resistance and various heavy family responsibilities elsewhere. DH does not speak french. Anyway , DS2 has been positive toward the language and so in advance of him staring in September I have been communicating with secondary school since March and requesting that he be assigned to French as MFL. So today they tell me he’s been assigned to German ( as was DS1). I am very disappointed .
After being upset about it, I’m trying to think of ways to ensure he gains some linguistic skills. I’m thinking of booking him on an immersive course in French next summer, while we holiday in France . I know I can speak french with him but it usually goes wrong, he reverts to English very quickly and it just feels artificial if I insist. Any ideas?

OP posts:
Imchlibob · 20/07/2018 19:21

Stick with the status-quo. If he turns out to have a spark for languages then learning German will eventually trigger his interest in French and he will still have you and other relatives to give him opportunities - result, he ends up with 3 languages. If he doesn't have a spark for languages then it doesn't much matter which he fails to get anywhere with.

Whynotnowbaby · 20/07/2018 19:19

It is unfortunate your dh didn’t read the email but not the school’s fault. They will have had tens of conflicting things to consider when allocating children to groups and someone involved in sorting this did try to get a steer from you as to how imperative it was that he did French. Even now they have said they can resolve it but that it has knock on implications - which is often inevitable in these situations. I think all you can do is decide what is more important to you (and it seems you have already done so!)

UnderHerEye · 20/07/2018 19:13

Ah OP your title is somewhat misleading I think!
I work in education and was going to suggest a chat with the head of year initially however after seeing that you were told DS would be doing German unless you objected and you didn’t object then I think any request to change to French now would be entirely unreasonable.

Is DS keen to learn French? It sounds as though he may be saying he is to please you (which is lovely) but his heart isn’t really in it which is why he isn’t really making any progress.

He may be more interested when he gets a little older and wants to learn more about other cultures etc.

Iamagreyhoundhearmeroar · 20/07/2018 19:03

and he didn't even read it Confused. Maybe he should have. It must have been very clear who it was from.

Original poster
whataboutbob · 20/07/2018 19:00

I have been exchanging emails with school which culminated with them telling me today it’s going to be German. To wash their hands of any responsibility for this they referred me to an email they sent on the 12th of July ( to my husband) informing us he’d be in the German group unless they heard from us. Unfortunately he did not pass it on to me. The email had no subject and he didn’t even read it.
They said they could put him in the French group but he’d have to go into another tutor group where he knows none of the other kids, I just don’t have the heart to make him choose between french or being with friends 😕.

OP posts:
Pommes · 20/07/2018 18:45

Speak to the school, OP. A parent so eager for their child to take a language will result in better parental support at home. Win, win.

honeysucklejasmine · 20/07/2018 18:44

Have you spoken to the school since allocation? It may be a genuine error.