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Hmm, the vexed question of native speakers, eh? The following may be a bit rambly, and I apologise in advance.

I was lurking on an interesting discussion of this on an MFL teachers' forum a few months back, actually. There was a wide range of opinions, but there was a broad consensus (even for the teachers who were fed up of high mark boundaries), that they would not be able to run A-level MFL courses without native speakers, due to low class numbers otherwise. Although it wasn't mentioned, I expect the presence of native speakers (who bump up the average grade and balance out students who cannot make the jump from GCSE) is very helpful when management analyse the statistics after results day, looking for courses to cancel altogether. Everything is about Bleeping Results Tables, remember!

My anecdotal experience bears this out. Every extra classmate really counts!

In terms of A-levels, A-level first language and A-level second language has the potential to work. Hypothetically. However, we only have that for Welsh,
a) because it is actually a traditional native language on this island
b) because, more importantly, many Welsh people campaigned like hell to get their own language recognised after centuries of English suppression and oppression!

First-language A-level German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, etc courses would never run, even if they were introduced. Which they absolutely never will be.

The other thing, of course, is: what are A-levels for? If we assume that their only function is as elite entrance tests for university, then perhaps we should be blocking native speakers. But are they?

I admit that is their main use, but people take them for other reasons. An A-level certifies that you have reached a certain level of knowledge. People study for: the learning experience itself; for their CV, regardless of whether they plan to go to university. The native speaker has just as much of a need for a reputable, easily-understood certificate proving they can speak a language when they apply for a job as anyone else.

If we did decide that we wanted to block native speakers from A-levels, how would we do it? Whom would we block?

It can't be done by birth certificate. (There was a nice lady in my GCSE class who was born in Germany, and hardly knew any German!) We'd have to do a pre-A-level test of knowledge, but... It's easy to deliberately fail any exam. I can fail exams standing on my head! Wouldn't it be easier to simply reform the whole cohort-referencing system?

But, for the moment, let's assume we can magically sieve applicants out. Where do we set the bar? People who have an unfair advantage, presumably? Where's that, though? Some children with a qualified MFL teacher parent have more of an advantage than some English/English-born children with a native speaker parent.

I had a classmate who was:
a) one of those irritating creatures known as a natural linguist!
b) had spent a good part of childhood in Germany; and
c) had spent a good part of adult life in Germany.

Unfair advantage, yes? I thought they were guaranteed an A/A* to start with! Their German was lovely to listen to. This person scared one grade higher than me on GCSE- I got an A, because my speaking and listening pulled me down, and they got an A*. On AS German (which wouldn't have run if that person hadn't been there) we got the same overall score. Grade D each. Theirs was a C in speaking + E on the paper, and mine was an E on the speaking and a C on the paper! They just didn't hit the high mark bands on the speaking.

But I guarantee this person would pass the Goethe B2 tests with ease, despite that. Possibly the C1 ones, too.

The other native or nativish Germans over the last couple of years have been getting grades between C and A. Nothing to sneeze at, but they've not been dossing their way to that, either. Native speakers can write terrible essays; they can have bad grammar; they can simply not meet the top criteria for content; they can have sodding awful exam technique.
(edited 10 years ago)
^ C'était long :lol: mais je le viens de lire... Je pense que je suis d'accord :tongue:
Original post by Octopus_Garden
Hmm, the vexed question of native speakers, eh? The following may be a bit rambly, and I apologise in advance.

I was lurking on an interesting discussion of this on an MFL teachers' forum a few months back, actually. There was a wide range of opinions, but there was a broad consensus (even for the teachers who were fed up of high mark boundaries), that they would not be able to run A-level MFL courses without native speakers, due to low class numbers otherwise. Although it wasn't mentioned, I expect the presence of native speakers (who bump up the average grade and balance out students who cannot make the jump from GCSE) is very helpful when management analyse the statistics after results day, looking for courses to cancel altogether. Everything is about Bleeping Results Tables, remember!

My anecdotal experience bears this out. Every extra classmate really counts!

In terms of A-levels, A-level first language and A-level second language has the potential to work. Hypothetically. However, we only have that for Welsh,
a) because it is actually a traditional native language on this island
b) because, more importantly, many Welsh people campaigned like hell to get their own language recognised after centuries of English suppression and oppression!

First-language A-level German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, etc courses would never run, even if they were introduced. Which they absolutely never will be.

The other thing, of course, is: what are A-levels for? If we assume that their only function is as elite entrance tests for university, then perhaps we should be blocking native speakers. But are they?

I admit that is their main use, but people take them for other reasons. The learning experience itself; for their CV, regardless of whether they plan to go to university. The native speaker has just as much of a need for a reputable, easily-understood certificate proving they can speak a language when they apply for a job as anyone else.

If we did decide that we wanted to block native speakers from A-levels, how would we do it? Whom would we block?

It can't be done by birth certificate. (There was a nice lady in my GCSE class who was born in Germany, and hardly knew any German!) We'd have to do a pre-A-level test of knowledge, but... It's easy to deliberately fail any exam. I can fail exams standing on my head! Wouldn't it be easier to simply reform the whole cohort-referencing system?

But, for the moment, let's assume we can magically sieve applicants out. Where do we set the bar? People who have an unfair advantage, presumably? Where's that, though? Some children with a qualified MFL teacher parent have more of an advantage than some English/English-born children with a native speaker parent.

I had a classmate who was:
a) one of those irritating creatures known as a natural linguist!
b) had spent a good part of childhood in Germany; and
c) had spent a good part of adult life in Germany.

Unfair advantage, yes? I thought they were guaranteed an A/A* to start with! Their German was lovely to listen to. This person scared one grade higher than me on GCSE- I got an A, because my speaking and listening pulled me down, and they got an A*. On AS German (which wouldn't have run if that person hadn't been there) we got the same overall score. Grade D each. Theirs was a C in speaking + E on the paper, and mine was an E on the speaking and a C on the paper! They just didn't hit the high mark bands on the speaking.

But I guarantee this person would pass the Goethe B2 tests with ease, despite that. Possibly the C1 ones, too.

The other native or nativish Germans over the last couple of years have been getting grades between C and A. Nothing to sneeze at, but they've not been dossing their way to that, either. Native speakers can write terrible essays; they can have bad grammar; they can simply not meet the top criteria for content; they can have sodding awful exam technique.


Damnnn!! I'm gonna have some lunch and then I'll read your dissertation on the matter! xD lolol


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Octopus_Garden
I can fail exams standing on my head!
This is terrible figurative language. I should have said: "I can fail exams, while sitting comfortably in a well-ventilated room, with a cup of tea."
Original post by Octopus_Garden
x


I agree that it's impossible to properly filter out native speakers, as the spectrum of advantage is just that - a spectrum which can't be split up into distinct sections very easily.

I also agree that 'native' speakers may sometimes be rusty and have poor grammar, and will therefore on average achieve A-B rather than an A*, which they would have to work to perfect their skills for.

Does anyone know how universities might know if someone's native-ish? I'm fairly sure I've seen universities saying they won't count A-levels in native languages, but I don't know how they would implement this effectively.

Someone in my class spent most of his childhood in Germany and is therefore conversationally fluent but rusty, so in terms of exam performance and class tests we'd come roughly equal, despite him having a far larger vocabulary. I believe that his A-level is being counted as part of an offer, for a course which is "with/and German" too.

The B2 test looks pretty easy - it's meant to be comparable to A-level, and I did an hour long assessment and got well above what was needed, so I would expect most A-level students to be able to pass it.

C1 is pretty tough though - I'll need to keen it over the next few months :colonhash:
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by The Polymath
I agree that it's impossible to properly filter out native speakers, as the spectrum of advantage is just that - a spectrum which can't be split up into distinct sections very easily.

I also agree that 'native' speakers may sometimes be rusty and have poor grammar, and will therefore on average achieve A-B rather than an A*, which they would have to work to perfect their skills for.

Does anyone know how universities might know if someone's native-ish? I'm fairly sure I've seen universities saying they won't count A-levels in native languages, but I don't know how they would implement this effectively.

Someone in my class spent most of his childhood in Germany and is therefore conversationally fluent but rusty, so in terms of exam performance and class tests we'd come roughly equal, despite him having a far larger vocabulary. I believe that his A-level is being counted as part of an offer, for a course which is "with/and German" too.

The B2 test looks pretty easy - it's meant to be comparable to A-level, and I did an hour long assessment and got well above what was needed, so I would expect most A-level students to be able to pass it.

C1 is pretty tough though - I'll need to keen it over the next few months :colonhash:
It's a different sphere of vocabulary, isn't it? It's right up my classmate's street, in the way that the German gap-fill exercises on the AS paper weren't.
Agreed with Octopus. Teachers that I know and through other people's experience show that being a native does not always equal a good A Level grade. This is because the A Level, particularly the A2, relies on ones analytical skills much more than in GCSE. You can't just grunt "ouais" or "claro" or 'natürlich" to a question in the active skills, and there have been many cases where native speakers become complacent with what they say and end up not 'ticking the boxes'. Justification is what the examiners require for the best marks, and content is just as, if not more, important than proficiency in some cases.
If I had to take an English exam that was designed using exactly the same model as an GCSE MFL, I would have to work off my grammatical knowledge of German and French to pass. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to work out where the marks were. When I do a German or French essay, I know what will demonstrate a "range of language". I think, "right, time to show I know what a subjunctive is. Now for a comparative".

If I didn't prepare, I can imagine myself getting a C or a D. If I just spoke in "natural fluent English", about my home and local area, I'd get the fluency marks. Possibly lose accent marks. But for grammatical knowledge? *winces* How many tenses do you think I'd use? One: the present tense!
Original post by Octopus_Garden
It's a different sphere of vocabulary, isn't it? It's right up my classmate's street, in the way that the German gap-fill exercises on the AS paper weren't.


It is, yes, and that's why I am able to perform on par with him at A-level, because most of the vocabulary like "nuclear power" for example, is not something he'd have come across during his childhood.

That said, I still found the B2 'mock' (I can't remember what it was, just that it was an hour long and seemed fairly legit) as by this level we do have a decent grasp of basic vocabulary too.
Reply 749
Can someone help me with German?

anglauben = to believe in someone

Ich glaube an + _________ preposition ==> I believe in ____

I want to say I believe in you

Ich glaube an dir is wrong. Why?

An takes the dative case because there is no movement.

So why does it take accusative?
Reply 750
Original post by L'Evil Fish
Does it matter that they're using it to their own advantage?

The German who didn't declare it as a fluent language anyway... He speaks English and German? That's enough in my books. If I was fluent in another language, I'd want the a level to count, it isn't fair that it doesn't count just because you're a native in it...

Although welsh for example, has to separate qualifications for first and second language, maybe that's an idea?

It is fair when the university in question (and most others) won't accept it as part of your offer if they know you're a native speaker...
I'm fluent in English, Croatian, Bosnian and Turkish. - Can anyone use these :P?
Original post by Xx4L3x
Can someone help me with German?

anglauben = to believe in someone

Ich glaube an + _________ preposition ==> I believe in ____

I want to say I believe in you

Ich glaube an dir is wrong. Why?

An takes the dative case because there is no movement.

So why does it take accusative?


It just does :tongue: Prepositions are weird :lol:
Original post by Ronove
It is fair when the university in question (and most others) won't accept it as part of your offer if they know you're a native speaker...


Why? It's not their fault they're fluent
Original post by L'Evil Fish
Why? It's not their fault they're fluent
It doesn't demonstrate their ability to a perform well with a full A-level workload, if you see what I mean?

It's a bit like how the "top" universities have lists of subject combinations they won't accept.

For example, if you take an A-level early, and then end up only taking two A2s in year 13, you've prejudiced your university acceptance chances for some institutions.
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by L'Evil Fish
Why? It's not their fault they're fluent


So? The A Level is way below the level of most native speakers, which negates any value of a native speaker taking it.
Original post by Octopus_Garden
It doesn't test their ability to demonstrate a full A-level workload, if you see what I mean?

It's a bit like how the "top" universities have lists of subject combinations they won't accept.

For example, if you take an A-level early, and then end up only taking two A2s in year 13, you've prejudiced your university acceptance chances for some institutions.

Yeah, I get that... But fluency in a language doesn't guarantee you a grade really...

Which again has been mentioned!
Original post by MangoFreak
So? The A Level is way below the level of most native speakers, which negates any value of a native speaker taking it.



Most native speakers you say, so how do we find them? (which is the above argument)
Reply 757
Original post by Octopus_Garden
If I had to take an English exam that was designed using exactly the same model as an GCSE MFL, I would have to work off my grammatical knowledge of German and French to pass. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to work out where the marks were. When I do a German or French essay, I know what will demonstrate a "range of language". I think, "right, time to show I know what a subjunctive is. Now for a comparative".

If I didn't prepare, I can imagine myself getting a C or a D. If I just spoke in "natural fluent English", about my home and local area, I'd get the fluency marks. Possibly lose accent marks. But for grammatical knowledge? *winces* How many tenses do you think I'd use? One: the present tense!

I understand your point but you would do a hell of a lot better than you seem to think. Your accent, as long as it is some kind of English-speaking country's dialect, would not lose you any marks. If anything, you would gain marks over and above anything you would get in a foreign language exam because of consistency in and authenticity of your accent.

And there is absolutely no way you would only use the present tense. The questions are designed to prompt use of different constructions, including different tenses, and I can assure you that you use the conditional and subjunctive (at the very least) plenty enough when you think you're only using the present tense.

Nowhere did I mention the problem of stopping native speakers from taking the exams - it's just not possible to implement anything. But it should be discouraged, as a morally shady thing to do for anyone who feels like they shouldn't be getting a second-language qualification in a language they're a native speaker of, that puts everyone else at a disadvantage.

If someone needs proof of their ability in a language and are foreign, their primary and secondary education is proof enough (as it will be for me here when Danish universities want to know I'm decent at English), evidenced by the fact that that is policy in many places. If you're a military/diplomat kid who's been moved around a bit but you're completely fluent to the same level as English and so feel it would be shady to do the A-level, there are all the B1/B2/C1/C2 standard tests of the relevant countries - and that is what those tests are for. Not A-levels. But British military/diplomat kids are not who I am thinking of here - it's rarely clear cut with them. Ultimately it's down to the person's conscience, but as evidenced by my examples, that's not always going to be up to the job. I wouldn't sit the equivalent of AS English (as a foreign language) here in Denmark to prove my ability in English. That would be retarded.
Original post by L'Evil Fish
Yeah, I get that... But fluency in a language doesn't guarantee you a grade really...

Which again has been mentioned!


Of course it doesn't guarantee a grade, but it is severely simpler for a native speaker to get an A* in German A2 than a non-native. You appear to be missing the point :colonhash:

Most native speakers you say, so how do we find them? (which is the above argument)


What? :lolwut:

EDIT: If you're saying what I think you're saying, I'm not discussing the practicality of preventing native speakers from taking MFL qualifications in this country. I'm telling you why it's not at all fair for native speakers of foreign languages to be able to access university by taking those qualifications.
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 759
Original post by MangoFreak
It just does :tongue: Prepositions are weird :lol:



wow thanks !!

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