Second Language

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Cricket
Posts: 28
Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2012 9:10 pm

Re: Second Language

Post by Cricket »

Thanks for the advice -DC is still deciding but between Spanish and Latin!
hermanmunster
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Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: Second Language

Post by hermanmunster »

Really wish I had worked harder at Latin, and I appreciate being given the chance to do it (got a C at O level :oops: )
Wouldn't have wanted to do Spanish.
never could pronounce anything foreign to the satisfaction of my language teachers - Spanish would have been dire, but Latin was OK :lol: :lol:
southbucks3
Posts: 3579
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:59 am

Re: Second Language

Post by southbucks3 »

Herman...a "c" at o level Latin is blooming brilliant....stop putting yourself down. I would even now be well chuffed if ds1 got a c in Latin gcse, it is really tricky to remember it all, sadly I think he may drop it when he has to make his choices next year.

Question is can you be very smug and translate writing on monuments?
aliportico
Posts: 888
Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2007 12:19 pm

Re: Second Language

Post by aliportico »

I'm not convinced that Latin gcse is that fantastic. DD1 said that for the two literature papers, they were so hard to translate on the spot - due to their poetical language, missing out words to make it sound better, etc - that the easiest thing to do was just to learn the English translations off by heart! Then you just work out where you are and regurgitate the required number of lines. Doesn't really sound any more useful than learning monologues about what you do in your free time for MFL assessments.

(Playing devil's advocate a bit, but doing it is not going to turn you into someone who has a pithy Latin phrase for every situation :) )

(And of course, dd1, after a year off from Latin, is going to do Latin AS in y13 because she missed it and is planning on a Classics degree :D )

DD2 is doing French and Spanish gcse's, and will be taking them both to A level. She's definitely past the "two beers" stage, but she clearly has a knack for languages.

DS was doing French and Latin, and then had to choose either German or Spanish to add. He was completely adamant that he was doing German, despite knowing very little about either, and is really enjoying it!
southbucks3
Posts: 3579
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:59 am

Re: Second Language

Post by southbucks3 »

Playing devil's advocate a bit, but doing it is not going to turn you into someone who has a pithy Latin phrase for every situation :) )
:lol: thank goodness, I even hate the film/tv characters in political thrillers that do that, you can always tell they are going to turn out to be a baddy!

I was quite happy when ds1 discreetly told me what some writing above an archway in a stately home meant....but he could have been talking complete rot. :lol:

Shame they feel the need to saturate their knowledge of individual texts to pass the gcse, rather than translate bits and bobs to show their skill. Perhaps it is an area that needs changing?

Gcses are just tasters in all these subjects really arnt they, I mean some of the kids are only 15 when they sit them, plenty if time to get better and better afterwards.
Pumpkin Pie
Posts: 661
Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2012 7:27 pm

Re: Second Language

Post by Pumpkin Pie »

My Year 7 DD is doing French at the moment and has a taster week coming up, to decide which second language to take up - either German, Latin or Spanish. My son keeps telling her to pick Spanish as that's the language he is currently studying. I really don't know if I should be helping her in this decision or will it be left to the best teacher 'selling' their language in the taster week! :roll:
countrymum
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Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2011 10:16 am

Re: Second Language

Post by countrymum »

Talk of languages in DD's school too pumpkin pie. Deep down I would love her to take Latin - she is adamant German is her language to take forward. (I can't persuade her to do anything she doesn't want to these days) She loves it and found a fondness for it at primary. Spanish is being recommended to her by friends/family as is a common language/most useful etc. Can see her taking GCSE German if this likeness for it grows. Is it a useful language to have under your belt?
hermanmunster
Posts: 12815
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: Second Language

Post by hermanmunster »

countrymum wrote: Can see her taking GCSE German if this likeness for it grows. Is it a useful language to have under your belt?
good one and turning into quite a niche subject these days....

southbucks3 wrote:Herman...a "c" at o level Latin is blooming brilliant....stop putting yourself down.
ho ho reckon I got most marks by learning the set book (chunk of Virgil's Aeneid) by heart and hence being able to translate ANY of it ...
Daogroupie
Posts: 11099
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:01 pm
Location: Herts

Re: Second Language

Post by Daogroupie »

Cricket, the answer to this question does depend on your ds and his interests. Where willl he be heading? Arts or Sciences? DG
ginx
Posts: 2151
Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:47 pm
Location: Warwickshire

Re: Second Language

Post by ginx »

Dd2 is doing very well at Latin, but she can memorise things very quickly, and she is only in year 7. It's amazing how useful the Roman Mystery books have been for Latin, I can't recommend them highly enough.

She prefers Spanish to French and Latin, because the teacher is nicer. :roll: She does tend to get Spanish and French mixed up.

I hope my dd2 does Latin and bet she does Spanish. After all, the Latin teacher is male, and rather old. I think he is about 40. :lol:
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