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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

he is still only ten! yet i have to give his GCSE choices for languages in by tuesday

29 replies

pukkapatch · 13/03/2008 11:58

wtf?
he's done a tiny bit of french this year , which he hates. how is he supposed to choose between french germand and spanish for his main ones. and japanes, mandrin chinese, spanish and something else for his secondary ones? all by tuesday? he wont be eleven for at least another month.

OP posts:

ScienceTeacher · 14/03/2008 17:34

Just pick the languages you want him to learn. If you have no preference, then say so - or toss a coin.

The only time we have been asked to make a choice was between German and Spanish (French was a given). We were torn - German would be good because it was further from French. In the end, we opted for Spanish, because the DCs are American and that is the second language in the USA, should they want to live there and get a maid. However, they both dropped it after only one year.

mimsum · 14/03/2008 16:24

aha - have posted on education with exactly the same dilemma (and same school ) and yes they are gcse choices although if they're good at languages they get the chance to add greek or italian at 13

think ds is going for spanish and chinese ...

Peapodlovescuddles · 13/03/2008 15:48

Dcs state grammar has a system quite similar, in the summer of y6 they have to choose a primary european language (french, german, italian, spanish), world language (Arabic, Mandarin, Urdu, Japanese) and subsidary language (off the top of my head French, Spanish, Mandarin, Polish, Latin or Greek)
I'm so pleased they have had such a wide selection to choose from BUT it would be worth finding out if which ones have more than one qualified full time member of staff teaching them because dd's subsidary polish was taught by a local woman with a TA supervising, it wasn't ideal. Also would some of the languages be dominated by chilodren who speak them at home? DS's arabic was but he didn't seem to mind and it has dragged him up to speed pretty quick but he did find it quite hard at first.

southeastastra · 13/03/2008 13:55

that's mad, my ds(14) is picking his now. they change so much surely.

Original poster

pukkapatch · 13/03/2008 13:53

he still has a term and a half left at his primary school!

OP posts:

snorkle · 13/03/2008 13:52

I agree spanish & latin sounds good . It's madness if it really is GCSE choices at that age though!

Kathyis6incheshigh · 13/03/2008 13:48

Yes, make him do Latin, it's great.

Anna8888 · 13/03/2008 13:46

Yes, Spanish and Latin sounds like a very good idea to me.

Banish the French he hasn't got on with and start afresh with (easier) Spanish. Latin for the reasons others have stated.

Original poster

pukkapatch · 13/03/2008 13:39

latin is one of the options for the second choice. and i like the idea of him not having to listen speak to it.
so spanish and latin then?

OP posts:

LadyMuck · 13/03/2008 12:27

Strictly Latin wouldn't be classed as a language.

snorkle · 13/03/2008 12:26

I'd be tempted to go for German & Spanish as the secondary as he already hates French.

Japanese and Mandarin sound a bit difficult. With European languages there's more of a chance of exchange trips (not too expensive) and more similarities with English.

LadyMuck · 13/03/2008 12:26

These won't be his GCSE choices - he can pick up new languages at 13. You're just picking his language options for the next couple of years (unless this is a radical change

There will be a lot of trips on offer, so it might be tempting to stick withEuropean languages..

TotalChaos · 13/03/2008 12:23

is Latin or Italian an option for 2nd language? I'ld give serious thought to Latin, it's good for general grammar/history and he won't have to do speaking/listening to it.

Original poster

pukkapatch · 13/03/2008 12:21

spanish it is then, for the first.
what about hte second?

OP posts:

princessosyth · 13/03/2008 12:21

It is so early to have to decide, if he doesn't have any preferences I would speak to parents with older children and get their views on the teachers and look at pass rates.

Lazylou · 13/03/2008 12:20

I hated French at school even though I chose to do it for GCSE. Was made to do German which I actually loved as much of it was similar to English. Always wanted to learn Spanish too and am considering doing so at evening school when I have finished my degree.

Anna8888 · 13/03/2008 12:20

Then, since there is nothing in your background to particularly orientate you or your DS to any language, take the easiest one (Spanish).

Original poster

pukkapatch · 13/03/2008 12:18

no. definitlyl not changing schools as an opiton. [weary smile]
yes, day school in croydon. do you know it?

OP posts:

TotalChaos · 13/03/2008 12:18

if he's not particularly into languages, choose a european one rather than japanese or chinese for 2nd lang, as japanese and chinese are v. difficult.

Anna8888 · 13/03/2008 12:17

Hmm. Culturally there's not exactly much of a match between the languages offered at your child's school and the languages in your family... Change school?

LadyMuck · 13/03/2008 12:14

Is this a day school in Croydon by any chance?

Original poster

pukkapatch · 13/03/2008 12:08

we speak english.
dh speaks bengali, but not to the kids, and i speak urdu, but not to anyone at all anymore, (livingin england, hardly anyone to speak it to anymore )
we dont take european holidays either. and deifintly wont once we start paying his tuitiion fees.

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Anna8888 · 13/03/2008 12:05

What languages do you and your DH speak?

Get your children on to the same ones, it will greatly increase their chances of learning something.

Original poster

pukkapatch · 13/03/2008 12:05

thanks ladymuck
yes, i doubt if they are set in stone either, and should speak to the school. but the tone of the letter, and the fact that he hasnte4ven started there yet, have me all hot and bothered.
plus, i was under the impression he could do arabic, but they havent listed that.

OP posts:

ladette · 13/03/2008 12:04

My DS got no choice. They were put into a form when they went to secondary and that dictated whether they did French, German or Spanish. I've got French and German, so of course he got put into Spanish! That said, we spend as much time in Spain as anywhere else so not an issue. If you've nothing else to go on for the main choice, perhaps think about where you're likely to spend your holidays over the next few years or which ofthe 3 countries you might like to spend time in. I do find that spending time in the country does help their interest. My DS hates Spanish, but got a buzz out of knowing more than we did when we were on holiday there.

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