Can you request a language?

[Buttonface9]

Hi. Looking at applying for primary schools and the school we are interested in for DD teaches french. We are very keen for DD to only learn Spanish for afew reasons (myself and family are learning, parents live in Spain, we may relocate to Spain) I found languages difficult at school and feel it's because I was taught so many and had no chance to use them. If I school doesn't teach a language is there any other options? Thanks 😊

Do you mean can you request that the primary school change to a different language?

Is this your first child?!
Unlikely they'll change the language they teach at a parent's request.

Most primary schools don't teach a different language. It's quite unusual.
Edit : sorry misread - they teach French already.
They won't change it. They probably will have one teacher teaching French to all the year groups. They aren't going to employ a Spanish teacher just for the Reception class (whose French lessons are probably 25 minutes in the week - if that cos 4 year old attention spans are teeny tiny)

If the school doesn't teach Spanish there are often classes either after school or in Saturdays for other languages.

They are usually paid classes.

My kids did French from 5, one really enjoyed it and speaks it reasonably well the other tolerated it and says he remembers no French at all except ordering a beer.

Only option really is to learn French at school (if that is what they teach) and find Spanish lessons outside of school or teach her yourselves. They probably won't start French until age 7 and it will be fairly minimal in most schools, so I wouldn't worry about it being confusing!

A primary school can't just change the language taught to suit one family - for a start, there might be several different conflicting requests.

I had this same issue when I was at secondary school. My mum sent me to private lessons to learn Spanish as there's no other way.

Paid off though as am now fluent.

Are you hoping they'll change the whole system and teach all the children Spanish or that thel provide your child with 121 learning?

Most teach French as standard. They won’t change it. If you want Spanish you’ll have to pay for classes

Schools are set up for the majority not the minority... unfortunately they can't tailor things to every specific child. They can't teach Spanish, French, German, Mandarin etc simultaneously.

There are private tutors and language clubs where your child can learn another language in small groups with other children. It’s not something you ask for from a state school.

I used to teach MFL in primary schools. Most don't have an actual MFL teacher - they just rely on the normal class teacher teaching them a bit of whatever language she did at school! And in any case you can't guarantee that the language they do at primary will be the same one they start with at secondary, so they pretty much have to start from the beginning again anyway. Many primaries do Spanish now.

Either way, you absolutely can't request a language!

I'm baffled by this. Are you expecting a primary school to change the language they teach to suit you? Can you honestly not understand how this won't happen and if you want your child to learn a different language you send them to private lessons?

Do you mean you would teach your daughter Spanish outside of school but you would request she not learn French in school, as to not learn too many languages at once?

If so I don't think it would be too much of an issue, the language she learns at school will likely be slow paced, DD's first year she learnt basics like hello, goodbye, how are you, colours, days of the week etc. no real full sentences or fluency.

The other option if the school doesn’t teach it is that you pay for private Spanish lessons!

you cannot request that the school teach Spanish instead of French.

Sorry think I should of been clearer! I obviously do not expect the school to change the language for my child! But if she could sit out and I arrange private or if there was any other options I hadn't thought of.

Thank you all!

😂 of course they won’t change it just cos you want them to! They will have invested time and money in training and resources for the language they’ve already picked.
If Spanish is that important to you you’ll have to find a private tutor. I’d be surprised if they’re teaching any MFL until they reach year 3 anyway. It’s not statutory curriculum until KS2.

Our city has numerous language activity clubs run evenings and weekends for different expat communities to bring up their bilingual children with contact with other speakers outside their immediate family. The kiddy classes are just singing nursery rhymes in the language and sharing simple sentences. The school isn't going to start teaching Spanish. Look for an out-of-school option and if it doesn't exist, post on your local Facebook group to find 2 or 3 other families who would be interested and get something started.

That’s a no . She can do it extra curricular . My friends children have done them after school .

I wish I had been exposed to more languages at school, and am now learning one main second language and have dabbled in others. Learning French with the rest of the class might actually be fun for your child, and stimulate their desire to learn other languages. Sitting out would seem rather odd, and there is no real reason for the child not to take part. If you want the child to learn Spanish, or indeed any other language that isn't taught, then get some classes, sign up to a learning App for fun (e.g. Duolingo), and speak Spanish at home when you get a chance, so that words and phrases are picked up naturally.

I cant imagine they will let her sit out as that causes an issue with supervision. She will be fine, the tiny bit of basic French they do in Primary school won't affect her learning another language privately and may even help.

No you can’t sit out. It’s part of the curriculum.

But if she could sit out and I arrange private or if there was any other options I hadn't thought of.

No, they almost certainly wouldn't let her sit out. That would mean somebody would have to supervise her, and with little reason tbh. Is she going into Reception or is she older and moving to a new primary? Private tuition seems excessive at that age. If I were you I'd let her do French and then check out which languages your local secondaries do. They learn so little language at primary, and you may find that she starts straight away with Spanish at secondary, in which case a foundation of French will help with Spanish anyway.

Why would you want her to sit out of French? If you really want her to learn Spanish then you’re perfectly within your rights to try and find a tutor or Spanish group as an extra curricular bur I don’t see the benefit of her sitting out of French. They don’t learn much in primary MFL anyway and when they get to secondary, they start again from the very beginning due to different schools teaching different languages.