Any of you done an a-level in a 'less common' language?

I took the AS and A2 exams at the same time.
If you do your exams through the school you're not a private candidate, so I wasn't a private candidate. The school just put on some extra exams for me. I was still officially taking my exams through school.

If you do exams as a private candidate you'll have to find a centre (school/college/private testing centre) that holds the Japanese exams. That might be very difficult depending on where you're living as it's not a commonly taken exam. You'll have to pay for each unit you do, with the cost per unit varying from the ~£15 per unit it officially costs to £100+ per unit that many places demand from private candidates, just because they can.

Edit: If it's a subject that requires coursework you will also need to do things slightly differently. There are organisations that offer A-levels via distance learning. Some coursework subjects can be done through these (eg A-level Biology) because they use work submission and phone contact to verify your coursework. If you don't need anything else they provide for the cost, though, this is a very expensive route. And it's pretty much the only route for a coursework subject. Thankfully languages aren't usually coursework subjects. There's just the issue of finding somewhere that holds the speaking exams.

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

I'm doing an A Level in Japanese and it's not my mother tongue.

yeah that's probably why And well it's all about how much work you think you can handle & How much your college believes in you! :P In september I'll start German, Geography & Business x 2 & Dutch (if I screw up this year)

I think taking Geography would make your life at college just a bit more bareable tbh! :P

You must have been really good at Spanish to take both AS and A2 exam in year 13. I was very confused about the coursework stuff and after reading your advice, i was like "phewwww.. What a relief!". So if I take A-level Japanese, I'll only need to sit an exam for each unit at the testing centre right? And the speaking test too. Thanks a lot

Oh you are my first friend . I'm from Vietnam. I am planning to take Maths, Further Maths, Economics, and another language ^^. I love English, but my Japanese is so so ( I have just taken the N3 test, wonder if you know it or not haha). Everything about the UK and A-level seems very new to me. From what you said, I need to have GCSE French in order to start A-level French? And this is the first time I've heard of "private candidate" *Google quickly* Thanks a lot for your advice. Are you studying A-level too?

It seems like you have a flair for languages. How many languages do you know ( or can use). Let me try: English, Dutch, German ( Did you learn German GCSE?), ermmm sorry but what is your mother tongue? Hahaha this is so funny.

wow this is the first time I've heard of a Punjabi A-level! I'm guessing your parents are fluent Punjabi speakers... Have you ever lived in a Punjabi speaking country? It seems like a really hard exam to do for a non-native...

80? huh I thought the AS was out of 160??
Full marks huh that's pretty good, even for a native speaker...as the 40 mark essay question at the end can pretty much be about anythinng
How long have you lived in the UK?

Ahh I see... and ohh yess it is indeed! I believe even Dutch is more commonly spoken in Aruba!

I'm doing an A Level in Japanese and it's not my mother tongue.

Hmm judging by the responces so far, Russian is definately the most common - less common language of choice! So did you start learning Russian from year 10 or did you cover some russian before?

My school offered French and German, not Spanish. I did Spanish via one of my French teachers helping me with it once or twice a week after school during Year 11. I didn't take it further during Year 12 and realised how much I missed it, so decided to take on the A-level by myself. Languages at A-level really aren't difficult if you're any good at languages already and you really care about the language you're trying to pick up. Especially when you're doing two other foreign language A-levels on the same exam board at the same time. You know what you need to cover and how good you need to be. I found that just reading a couple of news articles in the language online a few times a week for a while made my vocab and fluency shoot right up. It's all about putting in a little of your own time. Find a radio station, a newspaper and subtitled films in the language and you're set. I've just always been able to absorb stuff. I had some periods at uni where I couldn't absorb anything and noticed as much, I think it may have been due to medication or illness though.

en de Fries taal?

Actually, I'm doing it as a one year course that ends with a GCSE in year 12. (but I did do a year of beginners at brasshouse language centre. )

It seems like you have a flair for languages. How many languages do you know ( or can use). Let me try: English, Dutch, German ( Did you learn German GCSE?), ermmm sorry but what is your mother tongue? Hahaha this is so funny.

Only in academic and formal settings. Arubans are very fond of their mother tongue. The schooling system is completely in Dutch though, their 2nd language.
(American) English is typically their 3rd and (Venezuelan) Spanish their 4th, all to fluency. Many add a 5th and 6th.

Only in academic and formal settings. Arubans are very fond of their mother tongue. The schooling system is completely in Dutch though, their 2nd language.
(American) English is typically their 3rd and (Venezuelan) Spanish their 4th, all to fluency. Many add a 5th and 6th.

omg en dat zeker niet! Maar ik heb een teidje in Rotterdam gewoond hoor!
Spreek jij de Fries taal?