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Original poster

Take-up of language A-levels at local comp

28 replies

PollyGlott · 10/10/2008 19:21

Should I be worried? We have recently received the prospectus for our local comp in advance of our daughter's application process for 2009. It's all very glossy and impressive-looking, but closer inspection reveals that - out of a sixth form year group of over 100 students - not one of them studied French A-level! And only one did German. This suggests a number of things to me - either the problem of attracting suitably qualified teachers, or that languages are simply considered too difficult and students are being steered into "easier" subjects. Whatever the reason, it appears that a subject which has shaped my own life and career (I am a languages graduate and now work as a professional linguist) is very low down on the list of priorities for this particular school.

I find this situation quite disheartening. Admittedly, take-up of languages at GCSE was not too bad, but not as high as might be expected for a school with year-groups of 220.

So am I expecting too much?

OP posts:
ecoworrier · 10/10/2008 20:16

I don't think it's necessarily a problem, nor does it mean the language dept is appalling.

I am a languages graduate and linguist too, and I have to say the situation was the same in my day, and I'm talking over 20 years ago - only 3 of us did French at A level and only 2 of us took German.

Languages have always been perceived as difficult or just haven't appealed to as wide a grouping. So it's not always a case of students being steered towards easier subjects, just that languages are more of a minority interest.

By all means ask the school about their provision and support for languages. Also, you say take-up at GCSE isn't 'too bad', but does that mean it is optional? At my children's school it is still compulsory for all but the really unacademic children to take a foreign language up to GCSE, but unfortunately many schools dropped this requirement like a hot cake the minute the government allowed them too.

I think you'll find at A level there is a huge gap between the popular subjects and the less common ones - at my children's school some subjects are hugely popular, while others attract less than 5 students at A level. Interestingly though, the ones that do choose 'minority' subjects seem to always do very well, so I'm not sure it's a case of poor teaching.

duckyfuzz · 10/10/2008 19:24

as you know, languages at A level are extremely hard in relation to GCSE and to most other a levels - it may have just been a year group with no decent linguists and lots of medics, or may have something to do with the timetabling of the various options, it doesn't necessarily reflect badly on the school or the MFL department

Anna8888 · 10/10/2008 19:22

I expect the school has appalling language departments. Why don't you ask to meet the head of the languages department and see what she/he is like?

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