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Original poster

How hard is it to do Dutch GCSE outside of school?

35 replies

steppemum · 07/01/2019 16:28

dd is in year 9 and has to chose her options.
She really wants to do 5 things and only has options for 4. The 5 are: German, Geography, 3 sciences (that takes up an option slot as the standard is 2 sciences) Drama (to do the lighting/sound engineering side) and computing. She wants to go into some sort of engineering.

Dh is Dutch. It is important to say that dd is NOT bi-lingual, but she has an everyday understanding of Dutch, so over the meal table, when people say - pass the bread etc, she understands.

I really want her to do a language. She is good at German, but it would be her least favourite option, and the one she would drop in favour of the other 4. She is at a superselective grammar school, and clever, but not super clever, likely to get 7 and 8s I would guess. She has a good attitude and works well, but is quite busy out of school already.

So, one option that has occured to me, is that she could work with a tutor and do Dutch as a GCSE out of school, instead of a language in school. I have a Dutch friend who did this with her neices and nephews living in UK via Skype, and she said the level required was ridiculously easy for a bi-lingual family, but the family she worked with spoke more Dutch at home.
We could easily speak Dutch with her at home and work on it etc. The added bonus is that she learns more Dutch, which will allow her better communication with her cousins.

Is this a nuts idea? At the moment it is just an idea, so don't shoot, me, but please tell me how realistic it is and if it is a stupid plan.

OP posts:
clary · 07/01/2019 18:49

Yeah, what Teentimestwo said, drop the drama, which will be performance anyway and do German GCSE.

Slightly coddled, you talk of an easy level of language for GCSE, but was that summer 2018? Because MFL GCSEs are a lot harder now than they were before 2018.

njs73 · 07/01/2019 18:47

The GCSE course in Dutch no longer exists. The last time it was possible to take a GCSE in the subject was 2018 as the subject has been scrapped by the only exam board offering it (OCR).

Witchend · 07/01/2019 18:27

Having had various friends who have/their dc have sat language exams while being orally bilingual (ie fluent speaking, but very little writing skills), it isn't as easy as all that even from that background. Yes, the oral and listening were pretty easy for them, but they found that the writing side took a heck of a lot of work they weren't expecting-and yes they didn't all get top grades either.
The people I'm talking about had one parent who spoke the language fluently and they'd grown up speaking both languages and spent several weeks each year in that country.

tarheelbaby · 07/01/2019 17:12

As a languages teacher at an independent school, my experience is that this is, at best, fairly inconvenient for the school. We regularly have pupils whose parents want this. It requires a lot of extra organising. Here are some points to consider:
-speaking a language with family/across the dinner table is NOT the same as learning the topics for a GCSE. Skype/online tutoring is great but candidates often do not score as well as if they had learned a language at school.
-you will need to find a human tutor who can come to the school at a time specified by the exam board to participate in the oral exam. That tutor will have to be supervised at all times due to safeguarding regulations. This will be an extra responsibility for your DDs school.
-your DDs school may not be willing to take on the extra responsibility of managing these exams - the HoD is legally responsible for all language exams and if anything goes wrong, the exam board can refuse to work with the whole department or even the whole school.
-you will be asked to pay the exam board fees for this extra subject.
And if, after all this, your DD does not score well, although she hasn't been taught by the school, her mark counts towards their position on the dreaded league tables.

TeenTimesTwo · 07/01/2019 17:09

I kind of don't really understand your logic.
You could have brought her up to be bilingual, but you have chosen not to, but now it is important enough to try to do the GCSE out of school, just so as she has a language GCSE? Why?

An alternative would be to just continue to work on bilingualism at home without the pressure of doing a GCSE.

I'd drop the GCSE drama if she isn't that interested in the performance side, and instead volunteer for the tech team for the school shows. And then do German.

Slightlycoddled · 07/01/2019 16:41

Sounds !Ike a great idea to me! Especially if your DH can support her learning.

As you probably know, Dutch is relatively easy for English speakers, and I'm sure your dd will find certain similarities with German.

Having helped my cousin's DC with their language GCSEs in the UK, I can confirm the level is fairly easy!

PotteringAlong · 07/01/2019 16:36

No, it’s fine. We have this issue all the time with children who have an additional language to English. All I would say is give the school notice because you have to locate the person who will do the oral exams. School will like it too because she will go on their language stats and should do well with minimum input for them!

Waddsup12 · 07/01/2019 16:34

I quite like that idea.

I resat my Chemistry A Level whilst working. All I did was get hold of the syllabus and work through it. Obviously, I'd done the course before but it has changed loads.

It would be more use for her. Maybe get hold of the syllabus and see how onerous it would be...

ArnoldBee · 07/01/2019 16:34

My only concern would be how much pressure there would be as well as her school.subjects. if it's not going to be an issue then fabulous!

BonsoirBonsoir · 07/01/2019 16:31

It sounds like a great idea. Could your DD doa Dutch course in the Netherlands, perhaps staying with relatives, during the summer holidays?