GCSE's in Languages

Hello

Well, im only in year 9 but cause I am in a very strict school they are practically forcing us to think about our GCSE's already. I would really like to do French but all the other year 9 people tell me im on my own there - practically no one is going to do it. Im good it at, and bad at all other languages. What is the usefulness of taking French at GCSE, I mean, I know then you can practically speak it fluent but what jobs does it get you? Also, now Irish is an official EU language, the school asked me if I want to take it next year or the year after as a A Level, since its not one many people know. I will be doing that, but what advantages does that have? I looked it up on google and I cant find anything :(.

Please help, and give your views if you have done either for GCSE or want too.

Thanks :)

maybe because yr9 is the year when you choose what you want to do for your GCSE? its got nout 2 do with how strict your school is lol.

Plus, translating for a big company can earn you tons :) so learning a foreign language could be beneficial, all depends what you wanna do when you leave :P

Year 9 is the year before you start your GCSE's so you've got to choose them this year so that is not exactly strict.

Anyway, learning a language will open up opportunites for you in other countries if you get a decent GCSE in the subject, for example if you take Spanish and come out with an A then you could easily get a job in Spain if your other results are good.
That applies for all languages.

Year 9 is kinda important is leading to u for year 10, btw just incase u never know gcse ain't just year 11 it is year 10 aswell :S

I may be taking my Spanish GCSE at the end of year 9. Last year one of the Year 9s who took French got an A*, which none of the Year 11s got.

According to our languages department they look good on CVs in a lot of jobs.

Oh yea I forgot all about options this year! Lol!

Anyway, At the end of this year im dropping German cause I HATE IT SO MUCH and when I joined the school, I joined a year late and they all spoke german and the school I was at before didnt teach it, so I never understood it. I doing Italian instead of German, so to conclude - I think I will do French, Italian and Irish GCSE's. I never thought about being a translator before but actually I would really like to do it if I know them all :D

You need to be really good at a language to do it at GCSE

and dont do it of they do the WJEC board, you have to memorise coursework and do it in class, all mine are like 30 made up words :P

In year 8/9 I hated languages, my memory is so bad. In fact I didn't like my teacher and didn't do hardly any work in year 9. I don't know what made me do it but I took French at GCSE and I came out with a B. Which isn't too bad really. Another language is a good thing to do just for simple things like travelling, it looks pretty good on CVs and it's something different I guess but yeah don't just do subjects because your mates are doing them, do what you want.

I'm doing french in year 11, it's crap and boring.
Of course i'd like to um speak it as it would help on cv's and whatever however I mess around in french lessons. I don't give a toss on what i get in my french gcse's or whatever, an F would do me. I'm not revising for it at all, i'm a rebel!!1

i did german, worked hard and passed. :)

I'm in year 9 and doing my GCSE's already, I did my SAT's last year. We did a practice french GCSE on friday and i've got 33 marks out of 50 or 40 so I think i've got a C atm.
But a GCSE in any language is good because when you're going for a job you will get priority over people who may have the same qualifications as you but not a gcse in a language so you will get the job.

I hated French, it was also my lowest grade. However, if you enjoy it and you are good at it - it's worth carrying it on. Not only does it open up opportunities in other countries it is a qualification that employers like the look of.

I think its pilots get 5grand a year extra or something if they have a gcse in another language or something.

Our school told us that if you choose a language then when your applying for a job, and your up against someone with similar skills etc, the one with the language qualification is more likely to get the job.

Also opens up options for a job if you ever moved abroad.

if you are good at french and enjoy it
do it
even if no one else is
it does really help if can talk another language
when hiring people for jobs its an advantage

The number of people taking languages is quickly slowing down... so it probably will start to stand out on your CV even more. ;) If you like it and/or are remotely decent at a language, you should probably consider it. :)

I worked hard in German at GCSE level, and walked away with an A. The only part I didn't particularly like was the oral exam, but aside from that it was great. My old teacher was really supportive of us all, too.

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Originally Posted by Barmi

I worked hard in German at GCSE level, and walked away with an A. The only part I didn't particularly like was the oral exam, but aside from that it was great. My old teacher was really supportive of us all, too.

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I did GCSE French, and got a C :) It was the Listening that gave me greif, Oral was a piece of cake.

Less people in a class is better. I don't see the big fuss about knowing another language unless you're gonna live in that country but if it looks good then whatever.

French is good. Take it.

I took German.. regret it ever since. It's so much harder then previous years and i just can't remember it.

In year 7/8/9 I was the best in my year at German, I could speak all of the basic phrases so fluently that sometimes I'd accidentally start speaking German in the middle of a normal conversation.
I chose not to pick it at GCSE just because of the teacher that I had at the time, which I realise now was a big mistake.
I'd think everyone should choose a language at GCSE because it will definitely be useful in later life, not just the language, but the skills you pick up by studying language and other cultures.
I agree with Virgin Mary, less people in a class is a lot better, you get a more personal and direct education.

Yep, In my school it's the same.
It's not the school strictness.
But also in my school, we write down what we are going to put in the essay and the teacher translates it to french for us, all we have to do is learn it for the exam. Yeah baby!
Trust me there are harder subjects at GCSE, such as.. History! ]:

x

French is quite good at our school.
We have these french assisstants come in from france to learn english and teach us french, it's well cool and then every wednesday we have someone from the university come in a teach us a bit of french
Overall its a good subject to take.

Well i speak fluent Spanish and live there and translate alot. Which earns me a good amount for something i find easy.
I am also learning french and soon will be doing Italian. I want to speak these as i want to be a chef and they are the most spoken languages in restaraunts. So i highly advise people to learn languages.

I took 3 Languages at GCSE [French, German, Spanish], and got an A in all of them. I took French for A level and i'm now basically fluent. I did a business competence course in Russian that i passed, and did a Level 1 Qualification in Japanese [thats hard] and passed. I'm currently doing sign language after school on mondays :D
I cannot stress how good languages look on CV's. And how good they are in real life. You never know who you're going to meet, and if you can speak to them in their language, its really nice. Also helps you out if ur in that country and ur lost ;) LOL
But seriously, i recommend you take as many languages as possible. You don't even have to do a language based career, i know im not, but it's useful to have them :D
i love learning languages tho :D Its my 'thing'
xx

don't be influenced by others, chose what you want to. i agree with the fact it's better being in a smaller group too, as you can get more assistance from teachers. there's like 10 people in my french and latin class and it's great, you can get much more done.