Spanish or Russian GCSE?

[ispecialiseinthis]

My DC GCSE options deadline is coming up and, as with most 14yo, they don’t currently have a career in mind.
The school will let them do a maximum of 10 GCSEs - 6 core subjects (triple science, English language and literature, maths). Doing both languages is not really an option, as it will mean dropping another option.

Any advice how to choose between the two languages? TIA

I guess it would be a similar discussion if you can to choose only one of the sciences or between the humanities, if there wasn’t a clear preference.

Really interesting points and perspectives raised - thanks so much to all.

What kind of school is this , if I can ask? Offering Russian is pretty unusual; is there a reason such as a high population locally of Ukrainians? Or is it simply that there is a Russian teacher at the school? Are these the only MFLs offered at the school?

@clary - it’s an independent school. Not a significant number of Russian or Ukrainians locally at all or within the school. Not a school that attracts wealthy Russians either.
Other MFLs offered are: German, French, Japanese, Mandarin and considering Arabic, if there is enough interest.

(apologies for the ridiculous number of typos in my previous post)

BRICS is on the rise economically so all their language would be useful in 10-20 years

@Ubertomusic
But you have millions of Slavic people in UK who speak Russian at a native level or close to native. How would you imagine that the GCSE level of Russian would compete or compare with it?

Do people not know Russian is also spoken outside of Russia? It’s a lingua franca across Central Asia,

Like the GCSE level will equip anybody with the fluency to travel through Kazakhstan Turkmenistan ? 😅

not to mention it makes learning other Slavic languages easier.

Do you speak Russian or any Slavic language to judge it? You see I do. Many Slavic languages are not cyrylic as Russian.

And that comparison of underfunded grammar with Eton. People are honestly detached from reality. All grammar schools are seriously underfunded. They get less money per pupil than comprehensives. All the time begging parents for money (raising funds). Comparing it with Eton that has superb educational tools and can afford anything is just funny

It’s a well off school in a well off area. Parents + donors are generous and former pupils routinely leave huge amounts (I’m talking multimillions here..) of money in their wills. An article in the Telegraph Good Schools Guide compared it to the likes of Eton - take it up with them if you’re so offended! The grammar system is very different here in NI, renowned for a reason. I can see why you seem to be jealous.

Nonsense. I am a non mortgaged house owner in London Borough of Richmond so next door to Ham/ Kingston in the Designated Area of catchment 1 mile from there. Housing in Richmond Borough is even more expensive than in Borough of Kingston. I don't have a girl to sent to TGS but from this area girls are accepted at TGS. Neither I support any schools of a single gender that raises socially awkward people in their early adult. Sorry never did and never will. My opinion- everybody has a right to have one. Do not rely on some articles in newspapers. Journalists are not omniscient. All grammar schools are underfunded and receive less than pupils in comprehensives. TGS is not a private school to assume that every parent has money. There are kids on Free Meals there too. The grammar schools have a lot of financial challenges.
Most of the Tesla's you see on the streets are coming from leasing. We get car allowance from our jobs.

TGS has great results because of hard hard work of their parents and tutors and capable girls. But St Pauls( private) , Harrow, Westminster etc private schools have even better list of Leavers Destinations.

If you do, then why are you so negative? And knowing Russian does help with other Slavic languages. Perhaps you should learn rather than spout.

One of my sons did Russian and loved it
Its a more unusual language to have at GCSE so maybe your sons CV will stick out more than others.

Because I have more realistic understanding of this topic than you, my dear. I do speak slavic languages ( and not only...) I had many years of compulsory Russian language at school from the age of 12. I am native Polish speaker raised in Poland during communism. Everybody had to learn Russian. And trust me Russian is easier for a Pole than an English person. But Cyrillic writing is not easy at all.

There are around 2 mln slavic people in UK. Many speak fluent Russian. How would that basic level aquired through GCSE could compete with that? you are funny

Spanish at least will be useful during holidays for an English person

Spanish as then its easier to learn portuguese and italian. i am fluent in spanish and also speak catalan now and can manage with both italian and portuguese.

Unless dc is actively interested in Russia I’d actively encourage Spanish

I bet there’s only one Russian teacher. If he/she leaves I think the chances of finding a replacement are very low. I discouraged my ds from choosing German for this reason.

Only if people want to go to Spain
The country of bull fighting and terrible animal rights issues

that’s not to say they’d go to Russia instead, of course

almost the whole of Latin America speaks Spanish!
bullfighting is a concern but has been outlawed in many cities.

Just commenting on the assumption that English people want to holiday in Spain,
Its not for everyone

Fair enough. I think far more people would shun Russia. For starters you can’t even get there without doing a ridiculous detour.

Far more likely to go to Spain than... Russia

I'd rather live in Spain than Russia so I'd go with the former. Plus they speak Spanish in South and Central America. I did Spanish GCSE evening classes in my 20s. It was great. Forgot nearly all of it now but it's about which countries she's most likely to want to go to.

Oo I don’t know I would never visit Spain but Russias on my bucket list.

Agree it’s not for everyone

maybe because you have never been there. I did

Why the need to be so condescending, ‘my dear?’ You obviously have a very small + dim view of the world if the only justification you can find for taking a GCSE language is it might be useful on holidays..

If OP’s DS has an aptitude for languages then it could well end up not being just a GCSE thing. Quite a few non-native speakers from DD’s school have ended up taking the subject right through to degree level

Due to current international sanctions.
Its definitely not recommended at the moment

True. I have never been there simply because it’s not a place I want to.
I wouldn’t ££ risk visiting a country I have no interest in ( apart from other long standing concerns ) when there are so many places I am.

The only thing I can think of that id like to see is the Barcelona Pavillion and possibly some of the buildings by Gaudi.
Each to their own

should have tagged @SmileWhileYouStillHaveTeeth

There is nothing condescending in, my dear. In the English language you hear it from many people from shop assistants to people who want to sound friendly.
And where in your opinion the GCSE level of Russian could be potentially used?

I spent all my life in various international corporations and trust me, everybody speaks English. One does not converse in Russian especially if you have language understand at such basic level as GCSE. As a matter of fact I do not use any languages apart from English at work. Don't call me dim because you read few letters I wrote. I have more international exposure throughout 3 decades of working in the international corporations than most of people here.
I do not use Polish when I have a Ms Teams meeting with the Polish regional office as the language of the corporate world is English. I do not use German, I do not speak in French. It is not appropriate. Please do not fantasise about using Russian at GCSE level at work because it is funny.

In son's school they have 3 hours of French from the year 7. I pay for additional private 2 hours weekly. This is merely 5 hours of French per week for 5 years. That is very little. As a person who learnt in life French 4 years , German 8 years, Russian 8, Latin- 2, English... and I speak Polish as a native speaker, I have understanding how fluent you can be with GCSE level- this is lower intermediate if lucky. The result is a very basic level and a Spanish learner will acquire more in such short time than Russian learner who is a native English speaker.

Are you genuinely having issues re: comprehension? Of course no non-native speaking child is going to achieve any sort of fluency at GCSE level at any language - you’d have to be delusional to suggest the opposite. It’s not an issue unique to Russian for goodness sake. What I was saying if you had actually read my post was that the GCSE can be a bridge to further, more advanced study of Russian - just like it would be for any other language. I know of a number of alumni from DD’s school who have began studying the language at the age of 13 and are now fluent, using it in a professional capacity after taking it to degree level.

Do you seriously think that any child studying GCSE French claims to be fluent by the end of the course? 🤣