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Two Languages

Hi All,

need a bit of help, currently studying AS Spanish which i got an A in at GCSE, i really want to do a language degree so i might be doing an additional GCSE in French. Thinking about im really worried, should i do two languages at school as well as other a levels? how hard will it be?

is there anyone who studied two languages at once and got top grades? Any help/advice?
I've done French and Spanish simultaneously since Year 9 (now in Y13) and didn't really see a problem. I achieved 2 A*s at GCSE and 2 As at AS. Every so often I end up Spanishifying a French word or vice versa, but generally you get a feeling for which is which.

If it's only because you want to do languages at university though, don't disregard ab initio (from scratch) languages (although I haven't seen ab initio French offered anywhere I don't think as it's considered the "default choice" for an MFL A-level). I've actually decided to leave the Spanish at A-level and have mostly applied for French and ab initio German.
Original post by harry_tb
Hi All,

need a bit of help, currently studying AS Spanish which i got an A in at GCSE, i really want to do a language degree so i might be doing an additional GCSE in French. Thinking about im really worried, should i do two languages at school as well as other a levels? how hard will it be?

is there anyone who studied two languages at once and got top grades? Any help/advice?


I have studied spanish and german since year 7 and I am currently studying them now in year 13. I got 2 A*s doing IGCSE, and got 2 Bs at As. There is a considerable step up from GCSE, but in some ways languages help each other. Once you've got used to learning lots of vocab and the essay structure its just repetition. However, you do need to make sure that you are able to do both and not confuse yourself, because it may hinder your ability.

As for studying spanish at university, just see how it goes this year, but some universities will love that you study french as well!

Hope this has helped..
Original post by harry_tb
Hi All,

need a bit of help, currently studying AS Spanish which i got an A in at GCSE, i really want to do a language degree so i might be doing an additional GCSE in French. Thinking about im really worried, should i do two languages at school as well as other a levels? how hard will it be?

is there anyone who studied two languages at once and got top grades? Any help/advice?


Yes of course, do the two languages!

I'm doing A2 Spanish and German and have been doing both languages since Y7. I got A*A* GCSE & AA AS. Although doing German and Spanish is considerably different to doing French and Spanish, doing two languages really isn't all that bad. I would advise you though that, if you're doing 4 AS subjects, make sure to be really committed!

Two languages really isn't hard, trust me! You eventually get a knack for both languages and can tell which is which. I personally don't get the languages mixed up (probably because German is so different to Spanish) although I do replace 'und' with 'y' sometimes when speaking (by accident of course!). If you're looking to do French at university, you might need an A level in the subject depending on your chosen university. Most unis don't offer French ab-initio, so check that out first. Check out a uni that you'd like to go to for French and check if you need an A level.
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Original post by stewarte
Yes of course, do the two languages!

I'm doing A2 Spanish and German and have been doing both languages since Y7. I got A*A* GCSE & AA AS. Although doing German and Spanish is considerably different to doing French and Spanish, doing two languages really isn't all that bad. I would advise you though that, if you're doing 4 AS subjects, make sure to be really committed!

Two languages really isn't hard, trust me! You eventually get a knack for both languages and can tell which is which. I personally don't get the languages mixed up (probably because German is so different to Spanish) although I do replace 'und' with 'y' sometimes when speaking (by accident of course!). If you're looking to do French at university, you might need an A level in the subject depending on your chosen university. Most unis don't offer French ab-initio, so check that out first. Check out a uni that you'd like to go to for French and check if you need an A level.


Well i have seen some univerisites that allow you to do french from Post-GCSE level. Also i am doing 4 AS; English Lit, Spanish, Psychology and History so therefore i was thinking maybe an additional GCSE may be a bit too much pressure? what do you think?
Original post by harry_tb
Well i have seen some univerisites that allow you to do french from Post-GCSE level. Also i am doing 4 AS; English Lit, Spanish, Psychology and History so therefore i was thinking maybe an additional GCSE may be a bit too much pressure? what do you think?


For me, 4 subjects took up too much of my time and I couldn't be completely devoted and committed. If I were you, I'd do French ab-initio at university as opposed to doing a GCSE in it. Most universities require an A level in French although some do take GCSE French. You can still do GCSE French but do make sure that you put time away for that AND your other 4 subjects!

I'd advise you to go and have a look at universities that you want to go to and see if they take GCSE French first.

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