Did anyone have to take an aptitude test before they were allowed to study German or similar?

[Cortina]

I got an A in French O'level, many moons ago. Despite this potential/ability I wasn't allowed to study German, I wasn't deemed clever enough. We had to do an aptitude test I remember aged 11 which seemed like complete gobbledegook as I recall.

With hard work I imagine I could have done similarly well in German but I went through my secondary years assuming I must have no aptitude for languages. Just wondering if this still happens and if others were subject to it? Harks back to my earlier thread on ascribing talent to certain children but not others etc.

Do you mean 'study' German at secondary school or to apply to a German University? Not sure about the former, but I do know that German Unis accept A levels now.

To study O'level, I guess resources were limited so this was a test that was supposed to determine aptitude. Actually, I suspect the decision had already been made. I hope it's more freely offered these days :).

In my day (1970s) those that were deemed good enough at French in the 1st year Secondary took either Latin or German. Those that weren't good enough at French took Greek Literature. When O level options came two years later, very few dropped the second language.

DD1 is in yr9 at an averagish comp. In yr7 they did a term each of French, Spanish and German. They all continued with French in yr8 but had to chose between Spanish and German as a second language. DD did German. Mo aptitude tests or anything. But when they made their GCSE option choices earlier this year, only those with level 6 or above were allowed to continue with German. No such stipulation for French.

Interesting. I wonder why, is German regarded as more difficult than French or Spanish?

Just checked her options booklet and its level 6 for Spanish as well. Not sure how that works as they only get one eoy9 level for MFL overall.

Was it the test where you had to work out the sentences which were in various scandinavian languages? The test was supposed to see if you could understand the different word order that the German language uses?

If so, then I did this back in the 80s and passed, so was able to study for German O Level.

If it makes you feel better, you got a better grade at French O level than I did (B)

Yes, we had 'The Swedish Test' in year 8. Those who passed could choose to study either German or Latin in year 9. Those who failed had to stick with French.

Yep, the Swedish aptitude test was used at my school in the 80's. In my school if you did well you were allowed to do German, if you did quite well then you were offered Latin .

From what I can remember, it was more about logical reasoning and spotting grammar rules.

i did o level french and german at the same time in the early 80s with a welsh french teacher.

i was in the top class at school but didn't get great o level grades in either - i don't remember taking a test think it was just the top class only that were able to take the subject.

We had to get more than a certain percentage in our end of 3rd year Latin exams (which you had to do for the first three years of secondary). You then got to learn German from scratch in 4th and 5th years. Seems strange now as what I remember us doing was learning about ancient civilisations (Egyptians, Romans, Greeks). Don't remember Latin coming into any of that!

We did French and German from Year 7, or 1st year senior as it was then. At the end of that year the top half of the class started Latin, while the bottom half did Classical Studies. French and German GCSE were available to all - Latin only to the "top half of the class". Not sure how they decided that - didn't seem to be purely linguistically based.
I think German and Latin are harder than French and Spanish as the grammar is so much more precise and the word order not natural for an English speaker. Having said that the Latin helped with the German grammar definitely and also with the vocabulary for French and Spanish.

Thanks, I believe it was a Swedish test.

I doubt I did well if it was some sort of logic test. Traditionally I struggled with maths apparently due to 'a lack of logic'. Thing is my brain fires in different ways (family history of severe dyslexia & I've often heard this can be the case for dyslexics)? I imagine I could have done well in German too given the opportunity. Nothing to stop me now of course. I think I may have had some form of learning difficulty as my maths was so poor compared to other subjects - interestingly it was 'ok' until we were set and then dipped dramatically - I was in the bottom set of 6. It assumed my general ability must also be poor so my English set was also low. When I went on to outperform others in other subjects teachers scratched their heads, I was an anomaly.

Anyway, it seems we ascribe high status to 'logic' and see it as what makes you intelligent or otherwise?

That should read 'they assumed my general ability was also low'

Lordy, if logic is what we should aim for, I'm right at the bottom of the heap.
I have a degree, post-grad quals and a child, and my Mum still worries about me setting the house on fire or putting my finger into burning oil.

I am the person who stood with a towel that was on fire (don't ask) with the flames licking my fingers blowing on it. I was, at the time, standing at the kitchen sink, and no, the water supply hadn't been cut off. It just never occured to me to turn the tap on.

I did German O and A level and 1 yr of it at uni though.

I've never been wholly conviced about German and this logic theory.

I was half reasonable at French (B grade) and always good at Maths (A grade) in first year secondary. Went on to do German in 2nd and 3rd Years. Always found French easier, and droppeed German at O'level option time. Acheived the Maths A, but French D.
Class myself as very logical, with languages just not really being my thing.

DD1 reasonably logical, finds French easy, German more difficult, hated Spanish (although did not give it much of a chance). latest prediction A/A* Maths, A French, B Sciences, C English.

I teach German and I don't think it is any more difficult than French - in fact it's much more similar to English than French or Latin is.

In my current school (grammar) all pupils start with French and either Latin, Spanish or German - free choice (ish, manipulated slightly to allow for equal group sizes, but this goes on pupil preference not aptitude).

At the end of year 8 they then continue with at least one language to GCSE and if they don't like either of the ones they have been doing up to then, they can start Chinese - but we do monitor this by ability and try to dissuade pupils who are not the very brightest; GCSE Chinese in 3 yrs from scratch is no mean feat!

Anyway current take up in German is good at GCSE and generally the results are better than for French which was also the case at my two previous schools who worked similar systems. The main problem with teaching German is getting them to choose it before thay arrive as you have no control over possible prejudices. There are always more who pick Spanish cf to German before they arrive in yr7, but the numbers are fairly equal once they've experienced it and are choosing a language for GCSE...

Personally I started German in the third year - was in top set so we all got it for one year. Then carried on to GCSE as I didn't want to do an arty subject and they were in the same options block as German!