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Secondary education

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Original poster

German or Spanish in Y9?

30 replies

1805 · 22/03/2015 21:58

DS will be given the choice between German and Spanish as a new second language when he starts his new school in sept.
What would you choose? And why?
Thanks

OP posts:
calzone · 22/03/2015 21:58

Ds chose German as his teacher said he was gifted....ShockShockShock

calzone · 22/03/2015 21:59

I wish there was a lol emoticon so you could see I was in disbelief and not showing off! GrinGrin

Nolim · 22/03/2015 22:00

German is probably more useful

titchy · 22/03/2015 22:03

Spanish more widely spoken....

Becles · 22/03/2015 22:05

German much, much easier to learn, no worries about accents, rules fairly similar to English and Germans very supportive of tentative learners.

Spanish has a more universal application, will build on some of the earlier work if he's done French, great for the aspiring romantic in the future.

HermiaDream · 22/03/2015 23:07

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HermiaDream · 22/03/2015 23:07

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Sparklingbrook · 22/03/2015 23:17

DS1 is doing German at GCSE and hopes to go on to do A Level. He really enjoys it, he absolutely hated French so I was surprised he wanted to carry on with a language.

Original poster
1805 · 22/03/2015 23:26

hmmm, maybe there's nothing really in it then. I was wondering (hoping) there would be a barrage of comments declaring one language much more useful/relevant than the other. I'll just let him choose which he fancies then.
He is doing a term of Spanish this year as a taster, so maybe that might influence him.

OP posts:
ChablisTyrant · 22/03/2015 23:26

People who like logic and maths tend to get on well with German. It is a highly structured language with lots of rules. But as others said, an easy accent so you can sound native and lots of shared nouns.

Has he learnt some French? How did he feel about the accent? Similar issues for English people and Spanish accents.

I've used my German throughout my adult life in business and travel. It is the second language for many European countries. But Spanish enormously useful worldwide too.

summerends · 23/03/2015 04:20

1805 assuming your DS has no clear preference.

  1. Try and find out what the reputation of the language teachers for those options are to make the lessons interesting and if the DCs can actually speak some of the language after their GCSE teaching, not just recite phrases parrot fashion. (Most may go for Spanish but that may reflect their experience from their first school)
  2. if he has no strong affinity or aptitude for speaking French, likes structure and logic and may be tending towards sciences then German could be a better fit.
Original poster
1805 · 23/03/2015 07:43

Summerends - thats a good point re the teachers. He may love/hate the particular teachers.
With regard to your second point, and some others have made above, it sounds like German may suit him more naturally.

Well, it doesn't sound like one language is significantly more "useful" than the other, so he can take whichever one he likes then.

OP posts:
Saracen · 23/03/2015 14:36

You know what I wish I had considered long before I got past A-level study?

  1. Which country/countries would I enjoy living in or visiting?
  2. Which people have a culture or national character which means I'd enjoy spending time with them?

If you hope to use a language much, you'll be spending plenty of time with the people who speak it. Do you like their sense of humour and outlook on life?

People differ, obviously, but there is some basis to the national stereotypes. Well, I got lucky with one language and unlucky with the other!

Jackieharris · 23/03/2015 14:42

I'd say Spanish as (I know this sounds awful) but Germans usually speak good English so it's easier to get away with communication in English with native German speakers.

Afaik (but correct me if I'm wrong) Spanish speaking countries don't learn English as much.

For holidays and international travel Spanish is more useful. I found it fairly easy to pick up after doing French for years. German seems very alien to me.

But you should also consider factors like teachers and class sizes.

MistressofIndecision · 23/03/2015 14:51

DS chose Spanish after a lot of deliberating between the 2, at parents evening we found the Spanish teacher a lot more enthusiastic than the German teacher which I think was the deciding factor for DS

Original poster
1805 · 23/03/2015 18:46

some good points for choosing Spanish now!
I should start a sweepstake…..

OP posts:
Original poster
1805 · 23/03/2015 18:47

except there's only a choice of 2!!!! duh.

OP posts:
Saracen · 23/03/2015 23:07

Good point, Mistress: an inspiring teacher trumps everything else!!

AndWhenYouGetThere · 23/03/2015 23:10

Adding on to what everyone else has said, get him to watch some cartoons. in both languages and listen to the sounds

anyquestions · 23/03/2015 23:32

If he might want to do a language at A level, worth checking whether his school offers both languages at A level.

I assume he will have been learning French as his first foreign language. Spanish is more similar to French, which could lead to your son getting confused between the two if he doesn't find languages that easy.

Motivation is key when learning any language, so if your son has a strong preference for one language over another I would definitely go with that.

HermiaDream · 24/03/2015 06:43

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Hoppinggreen · 24/03/2015 14:19

Think about where they speak German ( Germany, Austria)
Where do they speak Spanish ( Spain, South America)
I imagine a lot more people speak Spanish than German!!
I speak French and Spanish but DH is actually German, I seem to get to use my language skills much more than he does but that could be something to do with where we go n holiday!
I would also say that most of the Germans I have met speak excellent English but I couldn't say the same about French and Spanish people.
I think the most important thing is though which one does he fancy?

Hoppinggreen · 24/03/2015 14:21

Oh, and I find that I can understand Portuguese as well if it's written down ( not spoken)
Having said that I can understand quite a bit of spoken German despite not actually speaking it myself

Vicarscat · 24/03/2015 14:23

Spanish is much more likely to be useful, and is also a lot easier. I think it would be much more of a struggle to take GCSE German after only 3 years - don't most schools start it in Yr 7?
NB the German accent is not easy. An English person speaking German sounds great to English ears, but has a very strong English accent to a German.

castlesintheair · 24/03/2015 14:39

I think a lot of it comes down to the teacher. DS has chosen German after some deliberation because he doesn't like the Spanish teacher. DH chose his college at university on the reputation of the German tutor. I had a brilliant French teacher for only (sadly) 2 years at school but during that time my French flourished.

I only think German might be a struggle to take up in Year 9 if you haven't studied any languages already and/or find them difficult and if your DS is planning to take up another in Year 9 it sounds as if he might have quite a flair for them. Fwiw, DH, who speaks 2 additional languages fluently, never learnt Spanish at school but speaks it very well just from travel, work, general annoying ability.