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

Because she might change her mind and do a language at A level.

Universities still like it.

Because she will be able to pick it up again more easily.

She might want to work abroad and spanish is an excellent language.

Academically you never know. DD chose to go to uni in Ireland and her uni insisted on GCSE language.

I agree it's absolutely something cumulative too, so even if she doesn't think it's useful until her thirties, she would be able to build on what she did for gcse. My Dh is fluent in Spanish now (he had to be, through work) and he thought it was impossible to learn a language as an adult but somehow, the french gcse he had from years back gave him enough of a jump start.

Secondly, the fact you need to SPEAK to learn a language does really develop that "wing it" confidence that you need to go to job interviews or give a talk in public.

I think a mix of GCSE subjects is taken to show an ability to learn in different ways. So a mix of sciences, humanities, languages and arts subjects might suggest a child has more flexibility than one who restricts those choices.

Not saying that this is actually true - just that this is what might be perceived by future educational establishments.

I speak loads of languages but none of them fluently (although I'd like to!) but just having that core base in many European languages makes my life so much easier and nicer when travelling. People are friendlier if you greet them in their language, menus are translated so awfully into English that food sounds disgusting whereas in its original it sounds delicious.

Also you understand English so much more when you've learnt how another language works. Your innate knowledge of grammatical structures and suffixes improves and your English writing becomes much richer.

When you travel, you realise how normal bilingualism is to so many people that it's hard to understand why so many Brits claim not to be able to do it. I think it's because we approach it as a chore rather than a pleasure, sadly, and a lot of schools doing rote grammar doesn't help this (although they're desperately trying to get kids to a certain level in no time).

It's brilliant being a polyglot! Spanish is also my favourite of my languages so I'd wholeheartedly recommend it. So much wonderful media available in Spanish language!

I've got one child who took a language and doesn't enjoy it at all. He's not great at it, therefore doesn't work, and so for him I think the experience has been an utter waste of time.

It makes me really sad, I have travelled a lot and learned a few languages to varying degrees, and I've gained so much from those experiences that I'm quite evangelical about the benefits! I just think the simple act of attempting to speak a foreign language in a foreign country is contributing to a better world. I say that as a Brit who is obviously aware of how shitty the UK has been towards colonised nations and how shitty we continue to be, expecting everyone to give us special treatment because ours is a lingua franca and because we civilises the world (don't make me laugh).

Also, Spanish: how many countries can you use it in?! It would be so useful when travelling!

Do you mean education steps wise or in life?

Education wise not a great deal.

Life I would think quite a lot.

• once you know one language it is easier to learn another
• holidays
• work trips abroad
• possibly jobs
• confidence to 'have a go'

My DD has a little Spanish flag on her name badge showing she can speak Spanish!

Geography & History are both quite content heavy. As is Combined Science (and Triple even more so).
Spanish is more cumulative, learn as you go along, so even under the new spec (which I'm not familiar with) I would have thought it would have less final revision load than Hist/Geog.