The consequences of not taking a MFL GCSE

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We have received the letter today, from DD's school, confirming her GCSE choices. They are:

Art (she is arty and enjoys it)
Graphics (to support her art)
History (has done remarkably well in this subject)
Geography (another very good set of grades to date)

She is an equal mix of arty and academic but I am concerned that, by omitting either French or Spanish, she might be hampering her chances later down the line.

Do the better universities really use lack of a MFL as a screening process? I've has several chats with DD and she is adamant she will not reconsider. I'm writing this here, in the hope we might receive some feedback (either way) that I can show to her. She thinks I'm talking rubbish and I could very well be.

Bruffin Obviously a different board, since what gave DD the B was applying solid learning of grammar and vocabulary, that was the strategy the school supported her with. Clearly marks were going to be lost in speaking and listening, but could be made up in the other areas.

So why do you think the indies make a MFL obligatory, if it doesn't give their pupils breadth, and an advantage?

Certainly with the courses my DD is about to apply to, which has a language component, her MFL will give her an advantage. She only just decided that was what she wanted to study so thankfully she didn't give up on an MFL at GCSE. I also know that (I am an academic), given her dyslexia and dyspraxia will be flagged in her application as contextual information, that that B in French and her success in essay based subjects, gives the universities proof that she has overcome adversity. Of course she could have got an A* in media studies (and I am no downer on media studies since I see the media as no less worthy of study than any other part of society, it is just not a demanding GCSE, and unis know that) but I am sure a B in French is certainly more of an advantage.

I really worry, as a dyslexic myself, that schools are discouraging students with SpLDs from MFLs and essay based subjects. Yes, they need to understand the challenges they represent. Yes, they need to be equipped with strategies to overcome those challenges, but if that is where their interests and motivations lie then they should be encouraged. In essay based subjects the particular strengths of Dyslexics, holistic thinking etc. really become an advantage the higher the level you study them at. Many of our leading Historians are dyslexic.

BTW I failed French O level too, retook it and passed it, and I have certainly used the vocabulary I learned then throughout my life. In fact with the possible exception of Maths I can't think of an O level in which the learning and regurgitating of stuff you had to do then, has been more useful to me in real life.

Honestly you have been fooled all the boards are the same. You are given the question before hand and write The answer beforehand then regurgitate it for the exam.I have just looked at a comprehension paper. It is very short passages and short questions and answers in English. Its nothing like the olevel German I did which involved long texts of translation. Oral exam infront of external examiners with no idea of the questions beforehand and writing an essay in German.
My ds is very intelligent and gets As in humanities His teachers rave about his analytical abilities and has tken Philosophy for A2.He is looking to take Mechanical Engineering at uni. He has just spent the week at Imperial on an engineering course. He is not letting dyslexia defeat him but all his German gcse shows is that he cant remember long passages, nothing else about his intellect.
My dd had a problem with her timetable. She wanted to take Italian but everything clashed, so she dropped it. Im sure she can take it later if she wants to.

My dd hasnt bothered

Bruffin My yr11 DD has recently completed French GCSE - Edexcel.

Certainly the 2 speaking CAs worth 30% were like you say, not much more than a memory test. To some extent the 2 written CAs too, worth the same.

But the reading and listening exam components, were on anything in the syllabus, no knowledge of the questions in advance. DD said the listening was more difficult that any of the practice papers they had done, which were all more difficult than any past papers.

She struggles with essay subjects, but enjoys French, and hopes to take A llevel.

She has been told by some of the admissions officers that a language A level is an advantage for a Music degree.

Copthall. Are you talking about iGCSE. Taken by most indies I know of in part because it is seen as a better preparation for AS and A level. I dont wamt to start a debate but there is a belief that it is harder. However it suits my dyslexic daughter fine. She quite likes decoding grammar and has a reasonable ear. And would choose a MFL over an essay subject any day.

I think she would struggle learning and regurgitating text.

Needmore No, neither did IGCSE in their MFLs, and I completely stand by my assertion that a dyslexic can get a GCSE in a MFL, with encouragement and the right support. I'm not saying it is easy but it is a useful and advantageous part of their education. I am fully aware that those of us with SpLDs vary, I am from a whole family of people with SpLDs, my DB left school barely able to read with one CSE in woodwork ,labelled stupid, but he did an apprenticeship, went back to college and ended up with a degree and now is on the Board of a European company, speaking and writing, yes, fluent French. I can't spell for toffee so I have to use spellcheck, ask a friend whatever, but I have learnt and passed exams in a MFL in the past few years because I need it for my academic studies. It wasn't easy, if I needed demonstration of what a learning difficulty means I had it in how far behind the rest of the class I was in picking up vocab and pronunciation BUT I worked hard outside class to learn it all by rote.That is the point, I am all for levelling the playing field in exams (and furious about the latest Gove inspired tilting by the exam boards, fought furiously to get my DD her extra time back) and for making teaching in schools more inclusive of different learning styles but equally I don't think that being dyslexic, or having any other learning difficulty means you can't do anything, just that it is harder, and if you want to prepare your DC for life in the real world then it is important they know that and learn to rise to that challenge

mum your daughter has clearly achieved against the odds and I am sorry that you seem to have taken this personally, it was not intended so. This thread is about whether having an MFL is an advantage. It is, that is why the indies make it compulsory. I think there are two issues here, firstly that the state sector doesn't match the independent sector in encouraging pupils to take languages and equip themselves with that advantage, secondly too often those with learning difficulties are advised not to study languages, again leaving them without the opportunity to gain that advantage, when with the right support the indies enable them to succeed. I am sure your daughter will go on to achieve great things, coping with adversity gives you those life skills but I was arguing the general principle.