Y9 choice - one or two foreign languages?

[TigerMa]

Hi all,
I have to help my child decide whether they should continue to study one foreign language or two. They attend a state school and are at the top of all language classes. They studied French, the most common foreign language in most primaries and secondaries around us. In Y8 they were offered to study German as they did well in both English and French and did well on a test designed to test their general abilities in Germanic languages. Not every child in their year was offered this, only those in top sets. It turned out they enjoyed German and preferred it over French.

The school has offered them a choice at the end of Y8 - when in Y9 to continue with both languages, getting 3 hours each every fortnight (so effectively 1,5 hrs each language per week), or if only one language, it will be 4 hours per fortnight (2 hrs per week).

If they choose German only (which is their choice), they will have to switch classes but not sets, and they'll study German with a teacher who is a "German language specialist", as the school has put it. Currently, they are taught German and French by the same teacher (apparently not a German language specialist?)
When choosing GCSEs mid-year, they can state if they want to drop one language (or both), but they will be stuck with their choice of one or two languages until the end of Y9.

My child is bilingual, but they don't read/write as well in our mother tongue as they do in English; they speak both fluently.

I need some perspective. I'm biased because I was taught two foreign languages and I managed them well, studying all through to Y11 and passing with good grades. Languages come easily to me, and it would appear, to my child as well. I did put my second foreign language into better practice; I've further learned a third (EN) and am now learning a fourth but only for fun and mental exercise so I don't have high hopes of learning it properly. But you get my point - to me, languages are good.
I also read an article in the Guardian in June, that 2/3 of private schools offer their pupils two foreign languages as opposed to only 1/3 of state schools, so my child got a good offer.

On the other hand, I have experience with my eldest who only got to study French, didn't quite like it and barely managed to pass their French GCSE. It's not that they are not as good with languages, more that they didn't bother because they didn't like the French language much. Also, I'm aware that unless one has a super motivated child, foreign languages aren't taught at a very high level in secondary school.

I will ultimately follow my child's wish as they must have the biggest say, but I will appreciate your insight, especially if you or your children have studied more than one foreign language in secondary school (regardless if private or state one).

Imo the more the merrier, but would they miss out on another subject if they did a second language class? Or is the language in addition to everything else?

The want to just choose German, I would go with that. Presumably it is because they want to make another choice instead of French?

They are currently missing an English lesson a week I believe - what the school explained was, once a week they skip an English lesson along with the other children doing two foreign languages and are taught German/French. So yes, if they chose only German they would have one more English lesson per week.
Initially when the offer was made it was going to be an additional lesson after school.
They have also been offered a NCFE level 1/2 technical award to do in Y9 which will take place one day a week after school classes, and will be doing DofE Bronze with which the school is quite strict and requires continuous attendance (unlike my eldest's school where DofE was nice but definitely weren't strict with training).
I'm afraid to not be pushing them too much and too far. I was pushed to do as much as possible and as good as possible but this was the case of my whole generation so no one felt bad, it was just the way things were; whereas my child's friends are much more at liberty how much and how well they study and they do compare this between themselves.

They are not yet choosing GSCEs. If they choose German they will get 2 hours per week and that's that, nothing else will be added (other than the additional English lesson they are now skipping for alternate French/German lessons).

A word of caution about choosing only German. In many areas German Alevel is not offered at all and she wouldn’t be able to do French Alevel if she didn’t have French GCSE. We’ve got round that by doing IB instead of Alevels but it’s obviously really limited where she can go.

I'd do both - if they're good at languages it won't be difficult for them, and it only commits them for one more year. You don't need to be a German specialist to teach at Yr9 level.

I haven't thought of this, thank you - I will check with the school.

Hi there. This depends, as stated in a previous post, about where your child’s might like to take their language quals. Often low uptake at a level means post 16 providers won’t run language a levels. It is worth checking this to inform your decision. That said, any passionate Languages teacher would encourage a gifted linguist to study two languages to prepare for university study.

My concern would be that 3hrs a fortnight is really very little. To study languages you really need little and often, so how is this worked out? If eg they are just offering 2 lessons a week then you have to understand that they will be competing with schools that are offering their pupils 4 -5 lessons a week.

At A level things are even worse in that they will be competing with native speakers ( did you say you are a native or are they of these languages?)

It is worrying that they think that a non German specialist can teach it at all! One wonders what they mean by a German Specialist? Is it someone who studied it as part of a General Arts degree or someone who has done an Honours Degree in German and spent a year or more living there or someone who has done A level 20-30 years ago and a few refresher courses ?

You need to ask them what qualifications the teachers of French and German have. They may be very reluctant to tell you though - which would be a red flag in itself. I taught in 4 different schools and none of them were prepared to publish a list of their staff and their qualifications apart from maybe a vague BA or BSc.

I speak as a mother of 2 children who did a ML at GCSE and beyond at an Outstanding School. From the outset the French worksheets they brought home were peppered with grammatical mistakes and correct French was marked wrong because the teachers had very limited knowledge. ( There is an acute shortage of ML teachers.) Another red flag is if they do very little oral work ( a signal that the teacher can't think fast enough in the said language.) Fortunately they both did well because my husband and I both had good Honours degrees in Languages and we visited France often so if you are similarly qualified you will be able to make up for any shortfall and they will do well.

I'd go for two personally because:

• they're currently doing well in English
• exposing them to two languages is good on different levels (linguistics, cultural, even English)
• it's better to expose them to the languages now than in 10 years time
• they can presumably drop them after year 9
• as they already speak another language, language acquisition shouldn't be as 'painful' as for kids who don't.

I think you need to think about their GCSEs and the other subjects they're doing. They normally have to choose these by the second term of Y9. Once you take out the compulsory subjects - 2 or 3 sciences, maths, 2 English - there aren't many n options left. Most schools do 9 or 10, 5/6 compulsory. Then you normally need a humanity - history, geography or RE - and in your DC's case a language. So then they are left with only1or 2 other options, which could be a second language, but there may be other things they want to do too, like music, drama, art, P E, or a second humanity.
This does vary from school to school but worth thinking about.

Yes, I agree 2 hours a week is definitely not enough, even with a "language specialist". I will inquire with the school about qualifications etc.

I have studied in a so called "language school" where for the first year (preparatory) we only had 5 subjects - main foreign language, second foreign language, native language, maths and PE, and after that at least 4-6 hours a week in each of the foreign languages plus the other subjects. It's quite brutal as one is expected to know about 3,000+ new words at the end of the preparatory class. One graduates a year after one's peers from a language school and typically is more or less fluent at least in the main foreign language if not both. Most of my classmates were reasonably fluent in both languages. Usually, the linguistic uptake in uni is made up of young people who have graduated from language school. (Those who come from an ex-communist country will know what I mean).

But no, neither French nor German are languages I speak, other than imitating the tone and a few words but I can't make up a sensible sentence. I learned Spanish and Russian in school and then spent a year in a Russian uni for a different degree; I brushed with German years later but only managed to do the lowest language level, so I could imitate the pronunciation if I knew how the word was spelt/pronounced but that's pretty much it. I won't be of great help to my child other than helping with pronunciation perhaps with the correct Rs etc. Our mother tongue is a Slavic language, my child speaks well, reads and writes a bit slowly and with difficulty but manages.

My child shared that even though they loved French in Y7, they don't like the teacher who taught them in Y8, and is now teaching them in Y9 both languages, so because of this they no longer like the subject. It doesn't seem that the teacher has done anything wrong, they just don't like the teacher's style of teaching and say they struggle to learn this way.

I'm passionate about languages because I think they develop the brain and thinking in a new way, especially if one is good with them. This is the case with other subjects too, of course.
Then again, I have seen how people struggle when they don't want to study a subject and wouldn't want to push my child more than it is worth it.
They don't have any language aspirations for further education, their aspirations lie so far in healthcare, but if they are really focused and persistent with the foreign language, we have discussed the possibility of studying abroad in Germany or Norway (should they want to learn Norse) as the university education seems good and is free (I think).
We have discussed the possibility of learning French or Norse with Duolingo. I use it currently to learn some Greek so I'm well aware it helps with only a very superficial knowledge - but if they are firm they want to ditch French, maybe this is better than nothing.

Thank you all for your thoughts. I will show the thread to my child as well, in case a different perspective helps them to make up their mind.

The problem is that the languages education in UK is not that good. I personally send my son twice a week to French tutor. Like your child my son is bilingual although English is a dominant language. He goes to school on sat where he learns that language.
Can your child take GCSE in his second language? Meaning, if this is one of the languages that one can take GCSE in? If the answer is yes then I would focus on preparing for GCSE in that language + French. In my opinion, it is better to learn two but properly than multitude of languages at a poor level.
Also, I had German for 8 years at school but in my adult life I hardly have opportunity to say anything in German because ...nearly all Germans speak good English.
I use French far more frequently.

>) as the university education seems good and is free

Please research that at depth because in the country where I come from it is free to citizens but since 2026 they added a requirement that it is free to citizens who are residents in the country. Meaning when my son reaches the university age he will not be able to study there unless I move back to that country and start living there, paying taxes.

A bilingual child with aptitude and interest in language? I would definitely encourage doing both German and French. At this point they are not missing anything just gaining variety. I would not be concerned about the missed English lesson or the accelerated learning in German/ French. I would trust the school wouldn't offer this to pupils not able to take the pace.

Thank you, I will research. My child only holds EU passport yet, although by the time they're at an age for university they'll have dual citizenship (EU/UK) same as me.

Vaguely on this topic, just one language for us - Spanish. Has anyone tried the Golingo app? It has a GCSE speaking practise pack for £4.99. Just wondered if anyone had tried them ?

My son also have dual citizenship ( Polish and English, he is half Polish half English) but since 2026 it will not be possible for him to study in Poland without paying fee. Until 2026 it is possible for all citizens regardless of residence status.

Yes they can take the gcse in their native (or second ) language. Sone schools might insist they do the lessons first, but some will just let you sit the exam.

My DS did three, French, German and Italian, at a comprehensive. Uni offers for MFL are low and I think having them at GCSE can also be a help with offers for other subjects.