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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

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Original poster

Gcse modern languages

18 replies

sharpenyourknives · 02/02/2022 09:36

Hi
My DS wants to study economics at university. He is about to take his GCSEs and majority of predicted grades are very good 7/8/9s. He's studying 10 subjects and is failing German and would like to drop it. School are saying he can't as it is a requirement for university entry - I've had a look and I can't see that it is? Anyone have any insight? Thanks

OP posts:

SeasonFinale · 02/02/2022 09:46

The school is incorrect. The only uni that prefers a gsce language is UCL. even they will allow you take to take a language module alongside your degree if you don't have gcse.

The school is simply wrong.

Original poster

sharpenyourknives · 02/02/2022 09:51

Thanks. That's what I suspected.

OP posts:

foodledoff · 02/02/2022 10:13

This is incorrect and even UCL has now dropped its GCSE language requirement:

www.ucl.ac.uk/srs/news/2021/mar/suspension-modern-foreign-language-mfl-requirement

Original poster

sharpenyourknives · 02/02/2022 10:20

Thanks for the info!! Good to know.

OP posts:

Parker231 · 02/02/2022 10:24

I think it would be a pity if he dropped a language. IMO - it should be compulsory to take at least one. Language skills in the U.K. are appalling.

What career is he thinking of - being able to communicate with colleagues, clients and customers can be vital and not everyone is fluent in English.

ErrolTheDragon · 02/02/2022 10:32

@Parker231

I think it would be a pity if he dropped a language. IMO - it should be compulsory to take at least one. Language skills in the U.K. are appalling. What career is he thinking of - being able to communicate with colleagues, clients and customers can be vital and not everyone is fluent in English.

But if he's 'failing' at gcse German, for whatever reason, he's unlikely to have acquired language skills worth the time and stress if he persists. It might be more productive for him to do some other type of non examined language learning.

SeasonFinale · 02/02/2022 10:36

The reality is even all those required to take an MFL to gcse and then don't use it are not able to communicate with people in that language later. The standard simply isn't high enough and is soon forgotten if not used.

The reality is at this stage of his education he may be better dropping it and ensuring he does as well as he can in his other subjects
For an economics degree he needs Maths A level. It is better he hones those skills than struggles through a language.

I very much suspect the school says this in the belief that the parent won't know and to try to avoid a floodgates situation of others wanting to drop it too.

SisterGabriel · 02/02/2022 10:37

How on earth is he failing German when he’s getting such good grades in his other subjects? He’s clearly intelligent and/or hardworking. Learn the vocab and apply the grammar rules…

BitcherOfBlakiven · 02/02/2022 10:38

@SisterGabriel

How on earth is he failing German when he’s getting such good grades in his other subjects? He’s clearly intelligent and/or hardworking. Learn the vocab and apply the grammar rules…

I had straight As and failed French. Languages are difficult if not impossible for some people. It’s really not that hard to believe..;

chopc · 02/02/2022 10:52

Schools do make a language compulsory so not sure how you will persuade them that he needs to drop it.

However whenever I go to Europe I am ashamed that everyone can speak English whereas we struggle to say more than a word or two .........

Dancingdreamer · 02/02/2022 11:01

@SisterGabriel

How on earth is he failing German when he’s getting such good grades in his other subjects? He’s clearly intelligent and/or hardworking. Learn the vocab and apply the grammar rules…

I think it is often the way languages are taught in UK schools with a focus on learning lists of vocabulary and grammar rules. The immersive approach to language learning where you see and hear language in context is a far better method for many students. The immersive approach means you learn grammar because it sounds right and pick up vocabulary by learning it in context. It’s how children learn a first, native, language.

NoNotHimTheOtherOne · 02/02/2022 11:30

Schools do make a language compulsory so not sure how you will persuade them that he needs to drop it.

The school has made a rod for its own back by lying about the reason for making a modern language GCSE compulsory. If they had just said modern foreign languages are part of the ethos of the school and they won't let pupils opt out of them, it's difficult to argue with that. Because they said it is a requirement for university entry, which is demonstrably untrue, their insistence on a modern foreign language can very easily be challenged.

SeasonFinale · 02/02/2022 11:55

@chopc

Schools do make a language compulsory so not sure how you will persuade them that he needs to drop it.

However whenever I go to Europe I am ashamed that everyone can speak English whereas we struggle to say more than a word or two .........

Some schools do and some schools don't.

As regards how can he fail at German and have higher other grades - 2 of my kids were dyslexic. One was diagnosed and looked by his school to drop his MFL. On e was not diagnosed to 6th form as was more academic and had worked out coping strategies but ended up with a lower language grade. Once diagnosed and reading around his specific spld the lower language grade made sense. If only he had been diagnosed earlier..

BellatrixOnABadDay · 02/02/2022 12:09

Well German is only going to be of use if he goes to Germany isn't it, not much use if you've gone for a weekend in Venice.

I did German at school, hated it. Got a B. I literally cannot remember a sentence of it now. And have never ever had the need to speak German.

All I can think of is what an utter waste of time it was, time that would have been spent better doing extra maths so I could have passed that.

NandorTheRelentlessCleaner · 02/02/2022 12:13

My son was allowed to drop languages , for his GCSE

school want kids yo do the Ebac, I think it's called, but good schools are a bit more flexible

My son did Maths, further maths, physics, Chemistry, Biology (triple science), computing, English language, English lit and Music for GCSE at his Comprehensive, and got into a good university

NandorTheRelentlessCleaner · 02/02/2022 12:14

He had offers from Bristol, Loughborough and Cardiff so clearly it's not essential for all uni's

Original poster

sharpenyourknives · 02/02/2022 19:47

He's a bright boy and a hard worker. He finds German very dull and clearly hasn't learnt the vocab or grammar.

I do value language learning - I did languages at uni and speak French every day at work. But I was useless at maths and he's brilliant at it. We're all different!

OP posts:

BellatrixOnABadDay · 02/02/2022 19:52

If someone enjoys learning a language it's great but pretty pointless if not.

Yes, we're pretty hopeless in the UK at learning other languages- but everywhere speaks English. How many different countries will German be useful in?

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