French or German?
Posted: Sat May 02, 2009 10:47 am
I have a Y9 boy who is choosing his options. We've just had his report and he's done really well in his core subjects and the subjects he wants to take to GCSE (Music and History) ...... but not in French and German. He has zero interest in languages but has to take one at GCSE level. He said he'd wait and see which one he got the highest mark for in his end of year test but got 62% for both of them. He only achieved a level 5 in both overall for the year based on his classwork, homework and general attitude.
The only difference in the reports for each is that the school also gives a mark 1-5 for effort/application and ability to cope. He got two 4s (some concern) for French but two 3s for German (Satisfactory). However his target in French was higher (7) than in German (6) so maybe the French teacher thinks him capable of more?
French would, I am sure, be more useful than German, but he's clearly never going to be a linguist so I just want him to do the one he is most likely to be able to pass. The speaking element of both exams is 30% and a teacher told me that he thinks a lot of boys don't like French because they don't like doing the French accent and they feel less self-conscious with German. However, I think my son's dislike of languages goes beyond the accent! He did Mandarin for a year then dropped it like a hot brick. He wanted to give Spanish or Italian a go but these options are for those boys who have shown some aptitute in languages.
Does anybody have any thoughts on which of these a language-hating boy might get through more easily? The composition of both exams is identical.
We get to talk to the subject teachers at parents evening in a couple of weeks, but the option forms have to be returned the next day so I'm trying to think it through before then.
Any advice greatly appreciated.
The only difference in the reports for each is that the school also gives a mark 1-5 for effort/application and ability to cope. He got two 4s (some concern) for French but two 3s for German (Satisfactory). However his target in French was higher (7) than in German (6) so maybe the French teacher thinks him capable of more?
French would, I am sure, be more useful than German, but he's clearly never going to be a linguist so I just want him to do the one he is most likely to be able to pass. The speaking element of both exams is 30% and a teacher told me that he thinks a lot of boys don't like French because they don't like doing the French accent and they feel less self-conscious with German. However, I think my son's dislike of languages goes beyond the accent! He did Mandarin for a year then dropped it like a hot brick. He wanted to give Spanish or Italian a go but these options are for those boys who have shown some aptitute in languages.
Does anybody have any thoughts on which of these a language-hating boy might get through more easily? The composition of both exams is identical.
We get to talk to the subject teachers at parents evening in a couple of weeks, but the option forms have to be returned the next day so I'm trying to think it through before then.
Any advice greatly appreciated.