How many languages does your child study?

[ClothesOfSand]

DD is starting at our local comprehensive in September. She will only get to study one foreign language. When I was at comprehensive school, everyone did two. I would rather DD did two, but that is not possible. The school teaches two - French to one half of the year and Spanish to the other.

Is it usual for schools to only teach all pupils only one foreign language?

I was also wondering which one was preferable to learn, French or Spanish?

I did French, German and Latin yrs 7-9 which was standard at my (grammar) school. I dont sadly use any of these now.

However I found it extremely useful to learn about how languages are put together, verbs forms, articles and determiners etc. so much so I am now at Uni training to be a SLT, I find the language development lectures a breeze whereas others struggle as they have never encountered the grammar terms.

At dd's school all pupils do Spanish from Y7 right up to GCSE.
The more able pupils get the chance to do Mandarin as an enrichment class (all pupils do1 hour a week compulsory after school activity) and can do this for 2 years. If they stick with it, in Y9 it becomes a timetabled option in normal school hours leading to GCSE.
They can also take French from Y9.

At my DS grammar school (first year) he is doing Latin twice a week and French 3 times. Next year he has to add either Spanish, German or Russian!
I think he can drop the Latin if he wants to.

Not sure what to advise him to choose really.

DS in Y7 at local state comp. All children do French, and half do Spanish and half do German, to the end of Y9. Options are currently being reviewed, but current Y9 are not being required to do a language at GCSE. I am quite surprised as this has clear ramifications for EBacc. We have already planted the thought that Russell Group are likely to want EBacc, but DS seems to be showing an aptitude for languages, so I think he will chose one anyway.

He did French at junior school in Y3and 4, then the whole school switched to Spanish when he was in Y5. He opted to do German when he started secondary school, as he wanted to try something new. (All pupils could express a preference for one of the 3 languages offered - but actually everyone does French)

I think if you have a chance to learn Latin, it's been said to me time and time again by people studying different subjects, just how useful a good grounding in Latin has been. This year it was a first year medic who told me she was at such an advantage over some of her fellow students who hadn't learned latin. I've also been told it by someone who studied languages (now a MFL teacher), a historian, and another scientist.

DS is in year 7 of grammar and is doing French, German and Spanish.

I agree withBackforGood if you get a chance to study Latin grab it.

bog standard comp
French, Spanish and Latin
dropping French at GCSE - will do it at sixth for college later

This thread has made me a bit anxious.

Ds has just picked his GCSE options and has chosen to do French and Spanish (+ he is doing Latin out of school).

From what Renniehorta says it sounds as if it might be wise to play the game and go for the A* in one rather than risk getting lower grades by spreading oneself too thinly. I did French, German and Spanish (ahem, 30 years ago) but that was at a fusty old grammar school.

Perhaps I should go into battle with him and persuade him to set aside the Spanish...

DS isn't doing any .
I hope DD proves to be more of a linguist.

gramercy DD2 did both french and german at GCSE and it was only hard work when she had to do both oral exams at the same time (and then it was very hard work!).

DCs school starts with either French or German in Y7 then add Spanish, French or German in Y8. They can also do Latin or Chinese outside of curriculum time. They can do 2 language GCSEs if they want.

latin, greek, french and russian!

There are lots of ways of approaching this and it varies fro school to school.

I teach at a school where half the year does German and half French - that is then the only language they can do. Advantages are that they really get time to get to grips with that language (this is a good thing for the school as its intake is not overall especially academic); disadv are that you can't refer to the other language when you teach! also obv they only do one language (I studied five in my seocndary school if you include classics).

Schools where you do two lnguages mostly do it by introducing a second in yr 8 but that usually means you drop some lessons of the first one; I did a placement at a school where the brightest yr 10s were doign one lesson a week of German, taking French GCSE in yr 10 and then picking up German again in yr 11 and drpping French completely. They get GCSEs in both but sometimes end up at age 16 speaking neither very well unless they are very able. Oh I see rennihrta says the same thing!

DS1 goes to a school where the brightest pick up a second language in yr 9 tho I think they may be changing that. What we need is a lot more MFL curriculum time but that ain't gonna happen.