What are the benefits of a language GCSE if you’re not going to study languages further?

As the parent of a modern languages university student I would suggest to your daughter that if the subject is easy for her then to consider taking it, my son took German as part of his baccalaureate which was compulsory in his school, he had long term plans to take sciences for A level but something clicked in year 10 and he continued his language into A level and after work experience he decided to follow that path. Like most boys he is exceptionally competent in all computer related issues and therefore he decided that he would find it easier to get a job...'in computers' being able to speak a further language fluently than not. I would obviously suggest your daughter follows her heart but I do think languages become more interesting during Gcse/Alevel studies.

The preferred list is A Levels. And all of them are fine in combination with more traditional subjects.

I think Languages are brilliant, too - but, OP, as for your original question, you could genuinely ask that about almost any subject, really.

My daughter currently does German and Spanish. I am encouraging her to do both as she loves it and is her best grades. I think it could be so useful.

Maybe worth thinking more about degrees - I did Economics and that use history, geography, stats, maths, business studies a little overlap though can be taken up at A Level without any of those.

Is the business studies a GCSE and do the school get good results? Our school have it as a Btech with no high grades obtained. DD takes it now but won't to GCSE as she needs 8s and 9s.

Last two years highest languages grades have been 7s and ours have a lot of teachers covering who speak no French - DD had a year like that and this year its half the year no teacher, sit in library in theory learning German from scratch. When she was at grammar languages where her best subjects but now its gone to maths. it's worth seeing grades by subject if you need high grades as well as predictions.

If the choice is between Business Studies and Spanish, I'd go for the Spanish every time - it's better regarded as a serious GCSE.

DD1 did RE, History and Geography, but under the old syllabus - DD2 wasn't offered RE GCSE because school couldn't hang on to its RE teachers . She did do both History and Geography and loved both, is doing History A level now. They are both content heavy subjects, but your DD sounds very bright. She'll cope if she likes both subjects.

Yes, 3 humanities is too many really with no MFL. I would do the MFL and not Business. Business can be done at A level without the GCSE. History might be better if she prefers English. I have not seen Busniess excluded anywhere but if she did two academic inclined A levels it would be fine for that type of degree.

This is the Add Maths our school do -www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/fsmq/additional-mathematics/

My DD is very mathematical and current plan is for degree in maths and definitely maths and FM at A Level. Obviously degree may change.

Add Maths is only really useful if you plan to take Maths A level. There are a few unis who expect a language gcse (UCL iirc) .

OP, be careful with “Business Studies” as some unis do not include it on their “preferred list”, along with Media Studies, General Studies, etc.

One of my nephews did French GCSE and absolutely hated it.

He then met lots of Spanish speakers through one of the hobbies he did at 16 and decided he wanted to speak to them in their own language.

When he went to university he had a chance to learn Spanish from scratch as an add on to his degree. The uni suggested that you should at least have a language at GCSE or speak another language to make it easier to learn but it wasn't compulsory. Outside his lessons he practiced with every Spanish speaker he met including some people I know. Watched and still watches Spanish speaking TV. He also did a year in Spain as part of his degree.

He doesn't use it officially for work but works with people from all over the world so talks to some of his colleagues in Spanish. When I've talked to him about his job interviews I think the fact he's fluent in Spanish in international facing companies has helped him get the jobs he's gone for.

In regards to doing things like history and geography at GCSE once you gone through university and got your first job, no one cares whether you have done them or not. So it's better to take a range that doesn't cut your options down later in life.

For any DC looking at Oxbridge, they do look at GCSE profile. It’s not compulsory to have a MFL but it does demonstrate a well rounded education pre A level. Top independent schools wouldn’t let Oxbridge candidates drop it unless they were definitely mathematicians and scientists. If it’s a humanities subject it’s an advantage to have it.

From the point of view of understanding other cultures, it’s important that we encourage MFL. We should encourage an all round education prior to A levels and MFL exercises the brain in a way other subjects don’t.

My DDs had to choose between Geography and History at GCSE. The scientists tended to choose Geography as it’s a better fit with sciences. History tended to go with English and MFL and Politics A levels. I would do the language and drop one of these unless her results will be severely compromised due to poor teaching.

I did German to Higher Level at school and 6th year studies French. Didn’t go on to study languages initially but it was useful at university to be able to read untranslated texts and to be able to speak these languages travelling abroad. And you never know where life will take you. I ended up studying German later in life, also learned Russian, moved to continental Europe and now use these languages on a regular basis. Plus it opens up friendships and makes for better relationships with overseas colleagues. Think of how many Spanish speakers there are in the world, it’s a great language to learn!

Yes I’ve got o level French too. Happy to have a go on holiday and fairly reasonable even 40 years later, so she wouldn’t necessarily forget it.

I’ve also got a smattering of Welsh, Latin, Italian and Spanish picked up from school or night classes. The kids are very impressed when I pull out the odd phrase when necessary.

It informs other language learning, including English, and expands knowledge and understanding of other cultures and points of view.

When I was taking my GCSEs I had no plans to use a language in life either. I didn’t know then that I would end up moving to Spain - I wish I’d paid way more attention to languages when I was younger!

I personally think the way we approach foreign languages in this country is a disgrace and makes us look extremely ignorant to the rest of the world.

What is your DD choosing - mine has all academic choices and no practical ones but that's what she prefers. I had to take one practical but the practical one was the most work.

I did 2 languages at GCSE, its useful for holidays but never used it much in employment - they have used native speakers.

We are in the same boat. DD is year 9 and she is very academic and wants to go to Cambridge and is considering not taking a language as the schools results are poor. As she's mathematical and top set do triple science she will have to take 10 or 10.5 GCSEs plus 1 Level 3 Additional Maths so 11 or 11.5 in all which is more than we would like.

She wants Eng x 2, Maths, Triple Science which is basically compulsory for top set, then as 4 options:
Stats which comes with Additional Maths Level 3
Geography
History
RE - if she doesn't take GCSE RE she has to take another option plus compulsory 0.5 RE under school rules.

Some unis eg UCL, ask for a GCSE language, even if you want to study a course that has nothing to do with languages, as they believe it demonstrates the “international outlook” they are trying to foster.

I only did French to O level.

But it was 'good enough' 30 or so years later to help me on holidays in France, and to have helped DD1 with her French GCSE (she did French & Spanish).

For me, it's not just about the language, but the insight into the way others think and live. The opportunity to broaden horizons.

That said, it's amazing how much of an Italian menu you can read with one person's GCSE French, and the others GCSE German!