Languages stupid question.

[gillybeanz]

Right I know that subjects like French German and Spanish can be taught at KS3 and in some cases even KS2.

However, could a child around Y8/9 pick up a GCSE with no prior knowledge. Obviously, I know they'd have to work and study, goes without saying.

If it was a language they hadn't studied earlier like Russian, Welsh, Italian.

Why stop French? A linguist can do an initio Italian and Russian so why not continue with French. It's useful for Italian anyway! Being so prescriptive so early is not such a good idea.

I just meant she stops it at school and is unable to choose 2 languages to GCSE unless she drops a humanity, which I think she should continue to GCSE.
I suppose it sounds prescriptive but she has her courses planned right up to post grad. She follows some current students and teachers on social media.

I'm with bojo really - there are very few UK universities (dd's is one of them) where you can do ab initio French, so I'd be wary of narrowing options at this stage if she knows she wants to pick up several languages. I don't think she needs to get too hung up on actual GCSEs though - exposure is more important than qualifications.

Her chosen course includes lots of different languages - intriguing!

My youngest is studying Spanish and Italian at Russell Group.
She started Spanish at Y9 as a second language with no prior knowledge or experience. We didn't do tutoring. She got A* relatively easily. She then studied IB and got a 7 at higher (top possible grade). She did French from early age and was reasonably fluent from out of school activities but we'd not so much as had a holiday in Spain. She chose not to take French to GCSE.

bojo

She won't stop French, not sure she'll manage a GCSE though as school will stop lessons after y9 so she'd be on her own with it until college.

She will have to study languages as an undergrad and they have lots of lessons, according to a good source. I'm sure French, German and Italian are the main ones.

Atia It's Opera at a conservatoire

It would be possible but it would be fairly difficult to begin a gcse in Year 10 if the rest of the class had studied the language in KS3.

At ds's school students are given the option to start a completely new language in year 9 but they are in a class comprising all beginners & they have a double timetable slot for that year (they have to drop an arts subject if they choose that option.

Back when I did my GCSE's French clashed with music so I dropped French. However I took it up again in 6th form & got GCSE grade B in one year.

Dh has a similar background to your dd (except he started later). He did quite a bit of self study Italian using a book & cassette tape. He doesn't know what much means but his pronunciation is perfect & he felt no need to learn German when he'd got Leider Line By Line!

Dd was disapointed not to have German on offer at her school as there are lots of jobs in Germany. They only offer French, the language of ballet.

It's definitely possible. Back when I was at school everyone in my school started French at year seven and German at year nine. German then became an option for gcse in year ten (so everyone did a year of it then you could choose if you wanted to continue). 30/150 did and plenty of us got As at gcse.

DS's school offers a challenge language in Y11 as they all sit French in Y10. They have one year to learn Russian or Italian to GCSE standard. Last years results were Russian 12A & 8A, Italian 56A and 4A. I was shocked at how little of a language you need to know to get a top grade in a language GCSE. It is nowhere near the standard required for IGCSE languages which the school sits for other languages studied for a minimum of 3 years, and would be very poor preparation for A level.
This makes me cross because the number taking languages at A level has dropped because of the huge jump to A level and we are doomed to be forever seen as a little Island race who can only speak English. Sorry for ranting.

Alexander

Similar here, German is more widely used in music than French
Perhaps we should get together and swop resources.

Oh gilly that makes sense then!

Linguists tend to be able to learn most languages if taught well or immersed in the language. For people who truly like languages they should study two at GCSE and then two at A level if possible to give the best choice from them on. They have a track record which means they can adapt well at university be it ab initio or not.