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Are languages REALLY that tough?

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Reply 60
Avatar for JT_888
JT_888
20
Original post by dizzdizzie
Thank you:h:! That duolingo bird though... menacing..

No worries. :smile:
Original post by dizzdizzie
I LOVE languages, absolutely adore them but I have been quite put off them when choosing my GCSEs because of how strikingly notorious they are for being difficult. I did pretty well in our yr10 (sorry, I don't know the English equivalent) Spanish, the language I favour, transfer but my confidence has been knocked by the warnings and such online. I either do geography GCSE or Spanish GCSE, but I can't figure out which one.
My "plan of action" at the moment is to do Geography, and if I find it brain-numbingly boring to switch to Spanish, and in the case that I enjoy Geography- to just do Spanish as a hobby/in a course. (I'm not doing a career which would 100% require Spanish).


If you adore languages, I'd highly recommend studying them. I did French, Spanish and Japanese at the University of Edinburgh and had an absolutely wonderful time. Languages at high school can be a little tough if your teacher isn't great, but please don't let that stop you from studying them - they're eternally rewarding and not as difficult as everyone makes them out to be.

I think in the UK it's become somewhat fashionable to consider them impossible or to not be good at them somewhat like how many people treat Maths these days.
Original post by dizzdizzie
Aww I've heard things about art being really demanding in workload, I wish you the best! I seem to be ok at learning large amounts of information but it does make me panic sometimes (I get pretty bad test anxiety). However the way that my new school does geog is (idk if this is done the same in every school) they do 1 exam for geography in yr11 for 60% and then another in yr12 for 40%. Maybe that would help a wee bit?


thanks but i got my art score and i pretty much failed according to last year's boundaries lol. can i ask, are you from northern ireland?
Original post by Coolkitkat23
i do german, but my friend does spanish and german, she'd much rather do spanish o o f, because the writing and translating are apparently easier with less tenses


i'd rather not do german only cus you finish later than everyone else lmao
I do French and it's really good if u have an interest in languages. It's not that hard to learn in my opinion either, and French music is pretty good too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAMWdvo71ls
Oohhhh fellow French music listener!
Who else do you listen to?
Original post by ririroo
I do French and it's really good if u have an interest in languages. It's not that hard to learn in my opinion either, and French music is pretty good too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAMWdvo71ls
Original post by hello_shawn
Language learning has dropped significantly in the UK over the past few years...


-Government no longer making GCSE in language compulsory


When was a foreign language every compulsory by law? I know it was and still is compulsory in some schools, but the government never made it a law for kids to learn a foreign language at KS4, not that I remember anyway.
(edited 4 years ago)
Reply 67
Avatar for dizzdizzie
dizzdizzie
OP
9
Thank you guys so much for all of the help! <3
I have chosen to do Spanish!
Woooh yay Spanish gang 😂
You will enjoy it :smile:
Wish you the best of luck x
Original post by dizzdizzie
Thank you guys so much for all of the help! <3
I have chosen to do Spanish!
Reply 69
Avatar for dizzdizzie
dizzdizzie
OP
9
ahh!! sorry for the late reply!! Yeah, I'm so excited to do it and I've even been reading over yr10 vocab in my free time to refresh my memory a bit before "big school"- I think it was the right choice- tysm for the help!! :h:
Original post by watershower
Woooh yay Spanish gang 😂
You will enjoy it :smile:
Wish you the best of luck x
Reply 70
Avatar for dizzdizzie
dizzdizzie
OP
9
Original post by NetNeutrality
thanks but i got my art score and i pretty much failed according to last year's boundaries lol. can i ask, are you from northern ireland?


sorry for my HORRIFICALLY late reply, but yeah I'm from Norn Iron!
Sorry to hear about your art score!
Original post by dizzdizzie
sorry for my HORRIFICALLY late reply, but yeah I'm from Norn Iron!
Sorry to hear about your art score!


thanks i'll probs get over it eventually. Might go to Ireland to escape results day tbh, join the IRA or something lol
Reply 72
Avatar for dizzdizzie
dizzdizzie
OP
9
join us we're all suffering
Original post by NetNeutrality
thanks i'll probs get over it eventually. Might go to Ireland to escape results day tbh, join the IRA or something lol
Original post by dizzdizzie
join us we're all suffering

yayyy :tongue:
I think that one foreign language should be a required GCSE and you should not be able to opt out at 14. Just because something is difficult does not make it worthwhile. The lack of language skills amongst those of UK heritage is awful.
Original post by barnetlad
I think that one foreign language should be a required GCSE and you should not be able to opt out at 14. Just because something is difficult does not make it worthwhile. The lack of language skills amongst those of UK heritage is awful.


I also do feel like languages have falsely assumed the image of being exceedingly difficult and impossible to get a good grade in. I just don't think they're as hard as people imagine them to be - it's just become this new trend. First it was Maths and people would show off how bad they were at the subject, and now it's languages and how people wouldn't be caught dead doing them because they're apparently impossible.

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