[thatitootoo]

If so..was this A-level in your mother tongue?
& What grade did you get??

I'm doing an A-level in Dutch which is my 2nd to native language...though I'm by no means fluent

[jamiepango]

What do you mean by "less common"? As in, French, German, Spanish etc...?

I did Chinese A level and got an A after a remark

My native language is English.

[thatitootoo]

(Original post by jamiepango)
What do you mean by "less common"? As in, French, German, Spanish etc...?

I did Chinese A level and got an A after a remark

My native language is English.

Yes as in not the popular ones such as the languages you mentioned...but damn! wow that is impressive! and just too lucky..I take it your marks went up by a lot?
How did you learn to speak the language to such a high standard though!?
do you speak mandirin at home or something? what's your secret?

[caiitlinz]

Yep, I also did Mandarin, but to Advanced Higher instead of A Level.

Also got an A, also not native... High five XD

[jamiepango]

(Original post by thatitootoo)
Yes as in not the popular ones such as the languages you mentioned...but damn! wow that is impressive! and just too lucky..I take it your marks went up by a lot?
How did you learn to speak the language to such a high standard though!?
do you speak mandirin at home or something? what's your secret?

Missed an A originally by one mark, but luckily it went up by 4 after a remark

I do speak Cantonese at home to my parents from since I was born. When I went to nursery I knew no English at all., but English became my main language. I kept up my Cantonese by watching Hong Kong dramas at home

I want to learn Mandarin as well, but no time...

How is your Dutch going?

(Original post by caiitlinz)
Yep, I also did Mandarin, but to Advanced Higher instead of A Level.

Also got an A, also not native... High five XD

Didn't do Mandarin, did Cantonese But high five anyway xD

[Garam Masala]

(Original post by jamiepango)
What do you mean by "less common"? As in, French, German, Spanish etc...?

I did Chinese A level and got an A after a remark

My native language is English.

Technically Chinese is the 2nd most commonly spoken language in the world, but I know what you mean..

[jamiepango]

(Original post by Garam Masala)
Technically Chinese is the 2nd most commonly spoken language in the world, but I know what you mean..

Yeah yeah, I was thinking about that too when I typed it

[thatitootoo]

(Original post by caiitlinz)
Yep, I also did Mandarin, but to Advanced Higher instead of A Level.

Also got an A, also not native... High five XD

This! Why is everyone so damn smart on here?
I bet your university was really impressed...

[caiitlinz]

(Original post by thatitootoo)
This! Why is everyone so damn smart on here?
I bet your university was really impressed...

Less smart, more lots of hard work
To be honest, I'm doing art so they weren't overly impressed. Job interviewers tend to regard it quite highly, though xD

[thatitootoo]

(Original post by jamiepango)
Missed an A originally by one mark, went up by 4

My standard isn't that high, but I do speak Cantonese at home to my parents from since I was born so I guess that helped. When I then went to nursery I would know no English at all but you quickly pick it up. Then it's a case of keeping up your Cantonese by watching Hong Kong dramas at home which I guess is the "secret" haha.

I want to learn Mandarin as well, but no time...

How is your Dutch going?


Didn't do Mandarin, did Cantonese But high five anyway xD

Ohh i see, well you must have been happy with an A! Though that really makes me wonder why examiners can't get it right the first time round! But even languages can be subjective I guess
Did your uni count your grade though? seeing they can be a bit prejudiced at times... but wow evidently all that early exposure served your language skills very well! But wow even if you speak it at home..how did you learn the cantonese writing system!?

Hmm dramas! That's definately an appealing way to master a language

And well there really arent a lot of Dutch resources about...but i'm getting by!

Though I have found that this English program: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCa7Xif3pXg has improved my Dutch reading by a lot!

[Dusty12]

Well, I suppose Welsh counts. I got an A at AS, but I find that the papers are simply more difficult than my other subjects. I think subjects that few people choose are often more challenging.

[ChocolatePearl]

MEEEEEEE Im doing Dutch too

[thatitootoo]

(Original post by ChocolatePearl)
MEEEEEEE Im doing Dutch too

WOOP! een ander kaaskopje op TSR!! Geweldig So how are finding it? Have you started revising yet? or are you a real kaaskopje?

[thatitootoo]

(Original post by Dusty12)
Well, I suppose Welsh counts. I got an A at AS, but I find that the papers are simply more difficult than my other subjects. I think subjects that few people choose are often more challenging.

Woohoo congrats on the A! Have you got your A2 results back yet? Tell me about it! I know for a fact that Dutch (which has less than 300 people taking the A-level) has much higher grade boundaries than French or something... Maybe a lot of the people doing these less popular languages are just really good at them to begin with and consequently drag the boundaries up..

[TattyBoJangles]

My friend did her Russian A-Level last year and got an A*. I was unbelievably impressed until I remembered she's Russian and it's her native language. Sort of cheating, really.

I don't do any languages at A-Level, unfortunately, and my school only offers Spanish, French and German. I'd have loved to have learnt a more "obscure" language, even if only at GCSE.

[Obsolescence]

(Original post by thatitootoo)
Woohoo congrats on the A! Have you got your A2 results back yet? Tell me about it! I know for a fact that Dutch (which has less than 300 people taking the A-level) has much higher grade boundaries than French or something... Maybe a lot of the people doing these less popular languages are just really good at them to begin with and consequently drag the boundaries up..

Peopple doing less popular languages tend to be native speakers.

[thatitootoo]

(Original post by TattyBoJangles)
My friend did her Russian A-Level last year and got an A*. I was unbelievably impressed until I remembered she's Russian and it's her native language. Sort of cheating, really.

I don't do any languages at A-Level, unfortunately, and my school only offers Spanish, French and German. I'd have loved to have learnt a more "obscure" language, even if only at GCSE.

That is kind of cheating How long has this friend lived in the UK? And well good knowledge of english and a good understanding of German grammar would almost certaintly make GCSE Dutch *doable* for anyone! lol

[thatitootoo]

(Original post by Obsolescence)
Peopple doing less popular languages tend to be native speakers.

Now that explains the suicidal boundaries non natives have to meet...
Are you doing any languages??

[Obsolescence]

(Original post by thatitootoo)
Now that explains the suicidal boundaries non natives have to meet...
Are you doing any languages??

No

[TattyBoJangles]

(Original post by thatitootoo)
That is kind of cheating How long has this friend lived in the UK? And well good knowledge of english and a good understanding of German grammar would almost certaintly make GCSE Dutch *doable* for anyone! lol

She first came to England when we were in Year 3, but has moved to Russia and back twice since then Her mum also only speaks to her in Russian, and as a consequence her little sister (who's never lived in Russia) is bilingual. Lucky little thing.

Ah, I've forgotten most of my GCSE German Definitely want to pick it - and another language - up again at some point.