Native language GCSE instead of MFL

[salsa]

I understand that a GCSE in a language is no proof of competency.

But a GCSE in a MFL is still generally considered a worthwhile qualification by universities and employers is it not?

Are we saying that if you happen to have some family connection to the country in question this qualification becomes less valid, because you've possibly had to work slightly less hard to get a good grade?

To give a real life example, DS has a friend at school whose father is English and mother is Spanish. English is generally spoken in the family home (because like most English people, Dad's Spanish is not particularly great). But the children are semi-fluent in spoken Spanish due to their mother and regular contact with their Spanish family etc.

If the child chose to do Spanish GCSE and A level would this be completely disregarded by employers and universities? How would they even know? (His surname is English due to Dad. He happens to have a Spanish first name but could just as well go by his English middle name if he wanted to.)

What if a child has parents who are mathematics professors who've taught them high level maths at home from a young age? Would there be no point the child taking a maths GCSE because they'd find it too easy?

+1. That's what I am trying to say!

Salsa

[Guest55]

If the child chose to do Spanish GCSE and A level would this be completely disregarded by employers and universities? How would they even know? (His surname is English due to Dad. He happens to have a Spanish first name but could just as well go by his English middle name if he wanted to.)

Some unis do indeed ignore native language A levels. When you fill in UCAS it would be noted.

[salsa]

If the child chose to do Spanish GCSE and A level would this be completely disregarded by employers and universities? How would they even know? (His surname is English due to Dad. He happens to have a Spanish first name but could just as well go by his English middle name if he wanted to.)

Some unis do indeed ignore native language A levels. When you fill in UCAS it would be noted.

However, they are not native. These children have been brought up in the UK and if they speak another language is due to the effort put in by themselves and their parents. Why would this not be acknowledged?

Salsa

[Tinkers]

Unis and employers will be looking at these with different reasons.
Unis are usually looking to see students get 3/4 A levels at once and may see doing an A level in a ‘native’ language as an ‘easy’ option not requiring the same level of effort as other A levels, therefore may not count it. Judging by the results at a local school they put in students for langauge exams in their native language as there is a afair few number of langauges in their table where only 1 or 2 have taken that langauge (I remember Polish and a couple of Indian ones being on there plus a few other oddballs). I guess it helps them look good. That is not necessarily a reason to do or not to do them.

Employers looking for particular language skills may or may not look for an A level in that language. What is important to them is that the level of fluency that person has. Whether they speak it because they have learnt it later in life or brought up speaking it is immaterial. If it is important to the employer, they will no doubt test for it. Other students on my degree spent time abroad on placements and came back with excellent all round language skills but no actual qualification. However they will have on their CV that they spent x months working in whatever country.

[salsa]

I knew someone at work who was brought up here. His parents were Spanish and they got him to do the Spanish secondary exams as well as GCSEs and A levels. It seems like a bit much, but is that what would be required? He put on his CV that he was bilingual and although he was a software engineer, he was assigned the projects dealing with Spain and Latin America. On the other hand, we had a lot of engineers whose parents were Latin American/Spanish who could not write an email in Spanish, let alone a software technical specification. It was such a pity as they wanted to be involved.

These engineers were not hired because of their language skills, but got ahead in their jobs because of them.

Salsa

[Surferfish]

Some unis do indeed ignore native language A levels. When you fill in UCAS it would be noted.

How would they know? What degree of family background or previous exposure qualifies as 'native'?

[salsa]

Some unis do indeed ignore native language A levels. When you fill in UCAS it would be noted.

How would they know? What degree of family background or previous exposure qualifies as 'native'?

It seems as if the moral of story is: Deny your heritage! How come you speak Spanish Mr Portillo?

Salsa

[streathammum]

It's a pity if that's what you've taken away from this discussion. What's I've learned is -

Some employers who want language proficiency will expect a formal qualification but some won't (although all will find out if you lie, so the piece of paper is less important than the actual skill).

Some unis will discount "native" languages because if a person has been speaking a language at home from birth the exam in that language does not demonstrate the same ability to learn as if a person has only been exposed to the language in an educational setting.

Children who've learned a native language at home can be bored by classes in that language as they're so far ahead of children who're just beginning, so it may be better for them to study a different language and sit the native language as an extra, if they're confident about their likely mark (noting that, apparently, some fluent native speakers are weaker native writers and a poor exam result would be worse than no exam at all, perhaps).

Not everyone agrees what a native language is, or whether unis or employers would even be able to find out whether an exam in a language relates to a native language or a taught language.

It's obviously a complicated area but an interesting one.

[Surferfish]

It seems as if the moral of story is: Deny your heritage! How come you speak Spanish Mr Portillo? Salsa

Mrs May needs to get her act together and sort out this Brexit business soon as! That should put a stop to all these pesky furriners comin' over 'ere, takin' our language exams!

[mad?]

Back to the OP, I would suggest not necessarily a good idea INSTEAD of an MFL, which is what you asked I believe? But if DC fancies doing it as an extra for fun why not?