How hard is doing a language for A-Level (specifically Irish)?

Currently I'm planning on studying A-Level Irish in September although I'm having second thoughts about it. I got an A* in it at GCSE however I only got 1 A and 1 B (was very close to an A) in my reading and listening exams and the fact that I got 100% in my controlled assessments pulled it up to an A* overall. Over the summer I seem to have forgotten almost everything, from verbs to grammar rules.
I'm just looking for advice from people who have been in a similar position to me and took a language on for A-Level, was it really that hard? Should I drop it if I'm about to start the school year having forgot a lot of the rules etc?
I know not many people study Irish for A-Level so I'm just asking for advice from people who have taken on any language.

Reply 1

TSR Jessica

19

Sorry you've not had any responses about this. :frown:

Are you sure you've posted in the right place? :smile:

Here's a link to our subject forum which should help get you more responses if you post there. :redface:

You can also find the Exam Thread list for A-levels here and GCSE here. :dumbells:

Just quoting in Fox Corner so she can move the thread if needed :h:

Spoiler

Reply 2

Asolare

20

Original post by illmatics

Currently I'm planning on studying A-Level Irish in September although I'm having second thoughts about it. I got an A* in it at GCSE however I only got 1 A and 1 B (was very close to an A) in my reading and listening exams and the fact that I got 100% in my controlled assessments pulled it up to an A* overall. Over the summer I seem to have forgotten almost everything, from verbs to grammar rules.
I'm just looking for advice from people who have been in a similar position to me and took a language on for A-Level, was it really that hard? Should I drop it if I'm about to start the school year having forgot a lot of the rules etc?
I know not many people study Irish for A-Level so I'm just asking for advice from people who have taken on any language.

Hey to put your mind at ease about having forgotten everything over Summer, I had a 3 year gap between my German GCSE and when I took German AS Level and I managed to go from a D at GCSE to A at AS Level despite my lack of remembrance of anything.

They are obviously astep up from GCSE and it's more about being spontaneous and not just rote learning everything, but as long as you are determined you can absolutely do well. Just be prepared to put a lot more time and effort in than you did at GCSE :smile:

Reply 3

student2312

12

Tá mé ag déanamh Gaeilge A Level fosta. Ar mhaith leat do chuid Gaeilge a cleachtadh liom?
Send me a PM if you feel like it :smile:

Reply 4

LNíCathain

9

How did you get to choose Irish? I can't find any exam board that offers it!

Reply 5

student2312

12

Original post by LNíCathain

How did you get to choose Irish? I can't find any exam board that offers it!

CCEA is the only board that offers it at GCSE/A Level. Most catholic schools in the north of Ireland will offer it and a number of other places will offer it through night classes.

Are you still in school or looking to take it on as a night class?

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 6

markova21

21

Original post by student2312

CCEA is the only board that offers it at GCSE/A Level. Most catholic schools in the north of Ireland will offer it and a number of other places will offer it through night classes.

Are you still in school or looking to take it on as a night class?

We live in Newry and my son attended Bunscoil an Iuir. They all had the opportunity to take GCSE Irish at the age of 10, my son included. But he didn't want to and said he would wait until secondary school and take it then. Even the most academically challenged of children who took GCSE got an A grade. Everyone who took it did. Fast forward my son being at secondary school and by this time he hated the language and refused to take it for one of his GCSE subjects. It's such a shame. He's forgotten every word of it now, despite having an aunty who is an Irish language teacher in a primary school in Ballina,Co.Mayo, and despite him doing a placement in an Irish language Nursery and spending a week before the placement started having to swot up on the basics for speaking it to 3 and 4 year olds. It was such a shame to let it go though I think. [ Says she, who used to speak fluent French and has since forgotten it all] !!

Reply 7

student2312

12

Original post by markova21

We live in Newry and my son attended Bunscoil an Iuir. They all had the opportunity to take GCSE Irish at the age of 10, my son included. But he didn't want to and said he would wait until secondary school and take it then. Even the most academically challenged of children who took GCSE got an A grade. Everyone who took it did. Fast forward my son being at secondary school and by this time he hated the language and refused to take it for one of his GCSE subjects. It's such a shame. He's forgotten every word of it now, despite having an aunty who is an Irish language teacher in a primary school in Ballina,Co.Mayo, and despite him doing a placement in an Irish language Nursery and spending a week before the placement started having to swot up on the basics for speaking it to 3 and 4 year olds. It was such a shame to let it go though I think. [ Says she, who used to speak fluent French and has since forgotten it all] !!

That's a shame, myself and a number of my friends did Irish GCSE and A level because it was an easy grade and still counted towards our UCAS/ university offers. I spend some time each week helping in my local Gaelscoil and honestly even from a young age some kids will just reply in English when given the choice/not pushed.

From personal experience the pupils most likely to speak Irish by choice/to keep it up later where the pupils who also spoke it at home with their parents or who attended youth clubs/summer schemes through Irish, hence why the funding to keep these services running is so vital! Giving Irish a life outside of the school gates helps massively in creating a community that children want to be able to access which in turn increases their likeliness to keep it up

Who knows, maybe later down the line he'll discover his love of our native language, for a few people I know it was having friend's speaking Irish and being slightly jealous/wanting to understand that pushed them into taking it on again in later life. It's strange how quickly you can lose a language when you don't use it.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 8

markova21

21

Original post by student2312

That's a shame, myself and a number of my friends did Irish GCSE and A level because it was an easy grade and still counted towards our UCAS/ university offers. I spend some time each week helping in my local Gaelscoil and honestly even from a young age some kids will just reply in English when given the choice/not pushed.

From personal experience the pupils most likely to speak Irish by choice/to keep it up later where the pupils who also spoke it at home with their parents or who attended youth clubs/summer schemes through Irish, hence why the funding to keep these services running is so vital! Giving Irish a life outside of the school gates helps massively in creating a community that children want to be able to access which in turn increases their likeliness to keep it up

Who knows, maybe later down the line he'll discover his love of our native language, for a few people I know it was having friend's speaking Irish and being slightly jealous/wanting to understand that pushed them into taking it on again in later life. It's strange how quickly you can lose a language when you don't use it.

I tried to reason with him, telling him he had spoken in it in school all day every day since he was 3 until 11 and it would be almost guaranteed he would get grade A, and why on earth would he not want that? But he was having none of it. As it transpires it would have been the one and only A grade he would have had as well, as his secondary school placed him in the lower tier for everything where the maximum [ highest] grade at GCSE was a C. So he got a grade C for everything. FFS.

Reply 9

student2312

12

Original post by markova21

I tried to reason with him, telling him he had spoken in it in school all day every day since he was 3 until 11 and it would be almost guaranteed he would get grade A, and why on earth would he not want that? But he was having none of it. As it transpires it would have been the one and only A grade he would have had as well, as his secondary school placed him in the lower tier for everything where the maximum [ highest] grade at GCSE was a C. So he got a grade C for everything. FFS.

Honestly there wasn't a lot you could have done. With some Gaelscoileanna (definitely not all) the language is very much pushed to a degree where some children do tire of it or rebel against it, If he didn't want to take the GCSE you couldn't really force him to, even if you got him in the room there's no guaranteeing he would have written a thing.

Can I ask what is he doing now? A levels and GCSE's aren't the only way to move forward in life, I did a BTEC for my level 3 qualification and am currently in uni training to be a teacher.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 10

markova21

21

Original post by student2312

Honestly there wasn't a lot you could have done. With some Gaelscoileanna (definitely not all) the language is very much pushed to a degree where some children do tire of it or rebel against it, If he didn't want to take the GCSE you couldn't really force him to, even if you got him in the room there's no guaranteeing he would have written a thing.

Can I ask what is he doing now? A levels and GCSE's aren't the only way to move forward in life, I did a BTEC for my level 3 qualification and am currently in uni training to be a teacher.

He's 20. He did a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care, then the HND Level 5. Realised halfway through the HND he doesn't want to work in H+SC in any capacity. But applied to some unis to enter directly into year 2 and was due to start in the second year at Man Met in September, but turned down his place. Yesterday he enrolled back at his local college to study a Level 3 course which you specifically need if you want to become a classroom assistant. But we now don't know if we'll be able to afford it as we will have to pay the fees ourselves, as he's already studied one Level 3 course. He want to be a primary school teacher and knows if he is to have a chance , he needs to finish this Health and Social Care degree to a v.high standard and try and get on a Primary PGCE. This Teaching Assistant course [ he has over 300 hours experience in a primary school over a two year period, working with P2,3 and 5 classes] sounds great. But he will never be able to even apply for a TA job unless he not only has a full driving licence but a car as well. He hasn't even applied for his provisional licence, and there is no way in hell he will be able to afford to take lessons. So I wonder what's the point of studying the Level 3 course. Personally I think he would be far better off studying a PT A Level instead. A good few of them at his college don't ask for a GCSE in the subject, or any previous knowledge, just that you have a minimum of 5 GCSEs at Grade C. Well he has 7, so should be allowed to do one. He could study A Level Government and Politics, which is a subject he is interested in. Or perhaps Business Studies or History. All of those and others don't ask for any previous subject knowledge for the A level. It's only one evening a week for 4 hours so he could still be looking for a PT job. If he eventually wants to have a chance at teaching then an A level, along with his other qualifications would certainly be more beneficial that a Teaching Assistant qualification. Oh and all A Levels only cost £50 a year to do. This course he has just enrolled on , even with a concession, is £260. Seems like a no brainer to me.