German or Mandarin?

[apricotsorbet]

Ds has to choose between German and Mandarin for GCSE. He has done a year of each and loves both, but it is clear to me that in a year he has learnt a lot more useable German than useable Mandarin. He is struggling to choose?I have no knowledge of Mandarin at all, and the level you are likely to reach. The school gets good results in each, so I think he?ll get a good grade whichever he chooses (provided he works). Has anyone got any experience of GCSE mandarin, is it useful or are you really just scraping the surface at GCSE? Would it be better doing German where you might get further in the language, or better taking the opportunity to do Mandarin as it would be easier to learn German independently later?

I would agree that your ds should continue with whatever language he prefers more or is likely to get better marks at GSCE.

However, having worked in Germany for a number of years, I have to disagree with the statement above that "all Germans he will deal with with speak English and none will expect or be impressed by any ability to speak German."

That is simply not the case. Yes, most Germans have a basic knowlegde of English, but most small & medium sized companies' employees do not understand English well enough to conduct business in, so you will have a strong advantage if you can 'sell' to them in German.

Also, what subjects is your ds interested in? If it is in the area of Science & Technology then again German may be a more useful language for him (he may even want to study at Uni there?).

Great post, Sonnie, I agree with everything you mention.

In addition, Germans are often most appreciative of any effort made to speak their language, which is great for motivation. Everyone is impressed when they notice that someone is making an effort.

pusheed, you'll be delighted to learn that I've just had DD bring me up to speed on ten words of Spanish in preparation for tomorrow. I can read it, but pronounciation is hard!

getting around china you need some basic Mandarin.

large amounts of the population can't read, let alone speak English...

Germany much easier.

which does he enjoy? choose that one.

In the world your son will grow up in, Mandarin will open doors for him that German won't. I have Mandarin-speaking friends throughout China who readily admit that they are mediocre at their high-profile jobs but the main reason they landed those positions is their linguistic ability. If he really loves German, he can learn that for fun. Mandarin will aid his career far better, should he wish it. I hope this helps.

Is he thinking of carrying a language on to A-level or degree? In which case the work prospects and so on can be a factor, but also I would say the choice should depend mainly on which country's culture and history etc he is more interested in.

If he's only planning to do GCSE and then drop the language, it really doesn't matter - he should just choose which one he enjoys more, as a GCSE doesn't really get you up to any useful level for conversation or business - it might just about help if you are going on holiday to the country concerned (I did Russian o-level many aeons ago, and can just about decipher a few words on a menu).

Mandarin is certainly harder for a native English speaker to reach proficiency in than German, particularly in reading/writing, but it's not actually that hard to speak once you get the hang of the tones. (I have a German A-level & have lived/worked in Germany; also have part of a degree in Mandarin and have lived/studied in a Chinese-speaking country, so I am able to compare.)

He needs to chose. Let him have that freedom - he is growing into a young man and needs some independence.

DS did GCSE Mandarin a year early and got an A*. He is a linguist and chose Mandarin over German because it interested him more but regrets being unable to do both.

They will do what they are empowered to do at this age.

Across a career I think it is very difficult to say that this language or that language can help the most.

IMO having an open mind to language & culture can help the most.

Let him chose whichever language he prefers. Is it possible to consider doing the other language as a twilight subject either through the school or independantly?

I was going to say Mandarin of course until I read Tiago's brilliant post.

It was through studying German that I really learned English grammar. Because English doesn't inflect accusative/dative/genitive cases, it's hard to understand their nuances without learning a case-accented language. German is very useful for learning how to write and think very clearly in any language, or how to unpick long sentences and rewrite them in simple ones. Which is a highly sought-after skill these days.

French is the most common language taught in school, but i have never seen a pupil who learn French at school and is able to speak good French at all. So the problem lies in the way school teaches the language, not the language itself.