Is taking 3 foreign languages at a level ridiculous?
French is the only language I study at GCSE and it is my only subject that I enjoy, I got a 9 (236/240) in my French Y10 mock and I didn’t do anywhere near as well in any other subject.
The 6th form I’m going to offers a French, Spanish and German a-level course. I know that I’m taking French and I’ll be taking German from scratch too. I want to do languages at a good university, specifically French and another language (That other one might be one I study at a level but I’m also interested in Asian and middle eastern languages as well). I’m certain that I want to teach languages as a job.
So, should I take all 3 languages at A level?
- I did Spanish throughout the entirety of primary school but otherwise I have no knowledge of Spanish or German
- I don’t want to take Spanish instead of German, I am obsessed with German culture and I would love to live in Germany someday
- Like I said earlier, I don’t really like any other subject I do aside from French
- People have told me to do History or/and English Lit.
- I did fairly well in my history mocks but I don’t like the subject very much
- With English Lit, I think it’s the subject I should take, it’s very good for uni applications and I enjoy it more than most subjects at GCSE, however I do not like the texts studied at all and I didn’t do well in my mocks
- The only other subject I’d think of taking is religious studies, it is my favourite subject aside from languages and I did well in my mocks, however, the part I like about the subject is learning about the various religions, and not so much the philosophical and ethics side of it, which is most of the course seems to be about
I could take 3 languages and an extra 4th one as a backup and drop it after AS however this is rarely done in my 6th form and isn’t really recommended. I just need some advice on what to take, thanks!
The 6th form I’m going to offers a French, Spanish and German a-level course. I know that I’m taking French and I’ll be taking German from scratch too. I want to do languages at a good university, specifically French and another language (That other one might be one I study at a level but I’m also interested in Asian and middle eastern languages as well). I’m certain that I want to teach languages as a job.
So, should I take all 3 languages at A level?
- I did Spanish throughout the entirety of primary school but otherwise I have no knowledge of Spanish or German
- I don’t want to take Spanish instead of German, I am obsessed with German culture and I would love to live in Germany someday
- Like I said earlier, I don’t really like any other subject I do aside from French
- People have told me to do History or/and English Lit.
- I did fairly well in my history mocks but I don’t like the subject very much
- With English Lit, I think it’s the subject I should take, it’s very good for uni applications and I enjoy it more than most subjects at GCSE, however I do not like the texts studied at all and I didn’t do well in my mocks
- The only other subject I’d think of taking is religious studies, it is my favourite subject aside from languages and I did well in my mocks, however, the part I like about the subject is learning about the various religions, and not so much the philosophical and ethics side of it, which is most of the course seems to be about
I could take 3 languages and an extra 4th one as a backup and drop it after AS however this is rarely done in my 6th form and isn’t really recommended. I just need some advice on what to take, thanks!
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by CrystalViolet10
French is the only language I study at GCSE and it is my only subject that I enjoy, I got a 9 (236/240) in my French Y10 mock and I didn’t do anywhere near as well in any other subject.
The 6th form I’m going to offers a French, Spanish and German a-level course. I know that I’m taking French and I’ll be taking German from scratch too. I want to do languages at a good university, specifically French and another language (That other one might be one I study at a level but I’m also interested in Asian and middle eastern languages as well). I’m certain that I want to teach languages as a job.
So, should I take all 3 languages at A level?
- I did Spanish throughout the entirety of primary school but otherwise I have no knowledge of Spanish or German
- I don’t want to take Spanish instead of German, I am obsessed with German culture and I would love to live in Germany someday
- Like I said earlier, I don’t really like any other subject I do aside from French
- People have told me to do History or/and English Lit.
- I did fairly well in my history mocks but I don’t like the subject very much
- With English Lit, I think it’s the subject I should take, it’s very good for uni applications and I enjoy it more than most subjects at GCSE, however I do not like the texts studied at all and I didn’t do well in my mocks
- The only other subject I’d think of taking is religious studies, it is my favourite subject aside from languages and I did well in my mocks, however, the part I like about the subject is learning about the various religions, and not so much the philosophical and ethics side of it, which is most of the course seems to be about
I could take 3 languages and an extra 4th one as a backup and drop it after AS however this is rarely done in my 6th form and isn’t really recommended. I just need some advice on what to take, thanks!
The 6th form I’m going to offers a French, Spanish and German a-level course. I know that I’m taking French and I’ll be taking German from scratch too. I want to do languages at a good university, specifically French and another language (That other one might be one I study at a level but I’m also interested in Asian and middle eastern languages as well). I’m certain that I want to teach languages as a job.
So, should I take all 3 languages at A level?
- I did Spanish throughout the entirety of primary school but otherwise I have no knowledge of Spanish or German
- I don’t want to take Spanish instead of German, I am obsessed with German culture and I would love to live in Germany someday
- Like I said earlier, I don’t really like any other subject I do aside from French
- People have told me to do History or/and English Lit.
- I did fairly well in my history mocks but I don’t like the subject very much
- With English Lit, I think it’s the subject I should take, it’s very good for uni applications and I enjoy it more than most subjects at GCSE, however I do not like the texts studied at all and I didn’t do well in my mocks
- The only other subject I’d think of taking is religious studies, it is my favourite subject aside from languages and I did well in my mocks, however, the part I like about the subject is learning about the various religions, and not so much the philosophical and ethics side of it, which is most of the course seems to be about
I could take 3 languages and an extra 4th one as a backup and drop it after AS however this is rarely done in my 6th form and isn’t really recommended. I just need some advice on what to take, thanks!
Sorry to burst your bubble but check the entry requirements at that sixth form carefully
For example at https://www.esher.ac.uk/course/german-a-level/
To study A Level German, ‘In addition to the general criteria that the college requires, you will need a minimum of:
Grade 6 in GCSE German, including the Higher Writing Paper
Grade 4 in GCSE English Language’
What is the name of the sixth form?
Original post by BankaiGintoki
Sorry to burst your bubble but check the entry requirements at that sixth form carefully
For example at https://www.esher.ac.uk/course/german-a-level/
To study A Level German, ‘In addition to the general criteria that the college requires, you will need a minimum of:
Grade 6 in GCSE German, including the Higher Writing Paper
Grade 4 in GCSE English Language’
What is the name of the sixth form?
For example at https://www.esher.ac.uk/course/german-a-level/
To study A Level German, ‘In addition to the general criteria that the college requires, you will need a minimum of:
Grade 6 in GCSE German, including the Higher Writing Paper
Grade 4 in GCSE English Language’
What is the name of the sixth form?
Hi! The 6th form I'm going to is really nice about this, this is what they say:
Can I take A-level German without a GCSE?
A-level builds on the knowledge you have acquired in your GCSE classes. It is not a class for beginners. However, if you have not had the opportunity to study German to GCSE level and really want to take it, you can do this and we will support you. You need strong motivation and enough time and energy to work hard at it.
Obviously this is just for German but It's the same for Spanish, If we do it from scratch we get an hour extra of the language per week in order to give us extra support
Original post by CrystalViolet10
Hi! The 6th form I'm going to is really nice about this, this is what they say:
Can I take A-level German without a GCSE?
A-level builds on the knowledge you have acquired in your GCSE classes. It is not a class for beginners. However, if you have not had the opportunity to study German to GCSE level and really want to take it, you can do this and we will support you. You need strong motivation and enough time and energy to work hard at it.
Obviously this is just for German but It's the same for Spanish, If we do it from scratch we get an hour extra of the language per week in order to give us extra support
Can I take A-level German without a GCSE?
A-level builds on the knowledge you have acquired in your GCSE classes. It is not a class for beginners. However, if you have not had the opportunity to study German to GCSE level and really want to take it, you can do this and we will support you. You need strong motivation and enough time and energy to work hard at it.
Obviously this is just for German but It's the same for Spanish, If we do it from scratch we get an hour extra of the language per week in order to give us extra support
Than make sure after your gcse’s, in the summer holidays, you immerse yourself in german, to learn the basics
Original post by CrystalViolet10
French is the only language I study at GCSE and it is my only subject that I enjoy, I got a 9 (236/240) in my French Y10 mock and I didn’t do anywhere near as well in any other subject.
The 6th form I’m going to offers a French, Spanish and German a-level course. I know that I’m taking French and I’ll be taking German from scratch too. I want to do languages at a good university, specifically French and another language (That other one might be one I study at a level but I’m also interested in Asian and middle eastern languages as well). I’m certain that I want to teach languages as a job.
So, should I take all 3 languages at A level?
- I did Spanish throughout the entirety of primary school but otherwise I have no knowledge of Spanish or German
- I don’t want to take Spanish instead of German, I am obsessed with German culture and I would love to live in Germany someday
- Like I said earlier, I don’t really like any other subject I do aside from French
- People have told me to do History or/and English Lit.
- I did fairly well in my history mocks but I don’t like the subject very much
- With English Lit, I think it’s the subject I should take, it’s very good for uni applications and I enjoy it more than most subjects at GCSE, however I do not like the texts studied at all and I didn’t do well in my mocks
- The only other subject I’d think of taking is religious studies, it is my favourite subject aside from languages and I did well in my mocks, however, the part I like about the subject is learning about the various religions, and not so much the philosophical and ethics side of it, which is most of the course seems to be about
I could take 3 languages and an extra 4th one as a backup and drop it after AS however this is rarely done in my 6th form and isn’t really recommended. I just need some advice on what to take, thanks!
The 6th form I’m going to offers a French, Spanish and German a-level course. I know that I’m taking French and I’ll be taking German from scratch too. I want to do languages at a good university, specifically French and another language (That other one might be one I study at a level but I’m also interested in Asian and middle eastern languages as well). I’m certain that I want to teach languages as a job.
So, should I take all 3 languages at A level?
- I did Spanish throughout the entirety of primary school but otherwise I have no knowledge of Spanish or German
- I don’t want to take Spanish instead of German, I am obsessed with German culture and I would love to live in Germany someday
- Like I said earlier, I don’t really like any other subject I do aside from French
- People have told me to do History or/and English Lit.
- I did fairly well in my history mocks but I don’t like the subject very much
- With English Lit, I think it’s the subject I should take, it’s very good for uni applications and I enjoy it more than most subjects at GCSE, however I do not like the texts studied at all and I didn’t do well in my mocks
- The only other subject I’d think of taking is religious studies, it is my favourite subject aside from languages and I did well in my mocks, however, the part I like about the subject is learning about the various religions, and not so much the philosophical and ethics side of it, which is most of the course seems to be about
I could take 3 languages and an extra 4th one as a backup and drop it after AS however this is rarely done in my 6th form and isn’t really recommended. I just need some advice on what to take, thanks!
Yes it does seem a little silly to do 3 languages. Far better in my opinion to do 1 or 2 languages with say Eng lit, RS, or maybe a social science like psychology, sociology, politics, law etc.
It’s potentially going to limit your options at undergrad. You sound quite focussed at this point but remember it’s two years away at least.
Have you spoken to your school whether they would actually support you doing two languages from scratc? It sounds like one new one is a bit of an exception, so they might not be willing to do two. There’s also potential timetabling issues as this is likely to be a very uncommon combination.
Have you spoken to your school whether they would actually support you doing two languages from scratc? It sounds like one new one is a bit of an exception, so they might not be willing to do two. There’s also potential timetabling issues as this is likely to be a very uncommon combination.
As someone who has a second language at a level getting on for fluency, i do not see why not.
People take 3 sciences or maths, further maths and physics.
However i do really think you need the relevant GCSE`s, A level foreign languages are a high level!
I went from scratch to grade A GCSE Italian in 15 months but i was a decent French speaker at the time.
You would be setting yourself a hell of a target but you have shown your ability in French.
It is of course true to say that you are narrowing your degree choices.
I remember my first year at Grammar school, the head boy took French, German and Latin.
On receipt of what amounted to almost an unconditional offer from a top university, the lady teacher who
helped run the boarding house and taught Physics and had know him since year 7 was so pleased for him
she gave him a massive hug when next seeing him!
Those were different days.
He got 3 A`s.
People take 3 sciences or maths, further maths and physics.
However i do really think you need the relevant GCSE`s, A level foreign languages are a high level!
I went from scratch to grade A GCSE Italian in 15 months but i was a decent French speaker at the time.
You would be setting yourself a hell of a target but you have shown your ability in French.
It is of course true to say that you are narrowing your degree choices.
I remember my first year at Grammar school, the head boy took French, German and Latin.
On receipt of what amounted to almost an unconditional offer from a top university, the lady teacher who
helped run the boarding house and taught Physics and had know him since year 7 was so pleased for him
she gave him a massive hug when next seeing him!
Those were different days.
He got 3 A`s.
Original post by CrystalViolet10
French is the only language I study at GCSE and it is my only subject that I enjoy, I got a 9 (236/240) in my French Y10 mock and I didn’t do anywhere near as well in any other subject.
The 6th form I’m going to offers a French, Spanish and German a-level course. I know that I’m taking French and I’ll be taking German from scratch too. I want to do languages at a good university, specifically French and another language (That other one might be one I study at a level but I’m also interested in Asian and middle eastern languages as well). I’m certain that I want to teach languages as a job.
So, should I take all 3 languages at A level?
- I did Spanish throughout the entirety of primary school but otherwise I have no knowledge of Spanish or German
- I don’t want to take Spanish instead of German, I am obsessed with German culture and I would love to live in Germany someday
- Like I said earlier, I don’t really like any other subject I do aside from French
- People have told me to do History or/and English Lit.
- I did fairly well in my history mocks but I don’t like the subject very much
- With English Lit, I think it’s the subject I should take, it’s very good for uni applications and I enjoy it more than most subjects at GCSE, however I do not like the texts studied at all and I didn’t do well in my mocks
- The only other subject I’d think of taking is religious studies, it is my favourite subject aside from languages and I did well in my mocks, however, the part I like about the subject is learning about the various religions, and not so much the philosophical and ethics side of it, which is most of the course seems to be about
I could take 3 languages and an extra 4th one as a backup and drop it after AS however this is rarely done in my 6th form and isn’t really recommended. I just need some advice on what to take, thanks!
The 6th form I’m going to offers a French, Spanish and German a-level course. I know that I’m taking French and I’ll be taking German from scratch too. I want to do languages at a good university, specifically French and another language (That other one might be one I study at a level but I’m also interested in Asian and middle eastern languages as well). I’m certain that I want to teach languages as a job.
So, should I take all 3 languages at A level?
- I did Spanish throughout the entirety of primary school but otherwise I have no knowledge of Spanish or German
- I don’t want to take Spanish instead of German, I am obsessed with German culture and I would love to live in Germany someday
- Like I said earlier, I don’t really like any other subject I do aside from French
- People have told me to do History or/and English Lit.
- I did fairly well in my history mocks but I don’t like the subject very much
- With English Lit, I think it’s the subject I should take, it’s very good for uni applications and I enjoy it more than most subjects at GCSE, however I do not like the texts studied at all and I didn’t do well in my mocks
- The only other subject I’d think of taking is religious studies, it is my favourite subject aside from languages and I did well in my mocks, however, the part I like about the subject is learning about the various religions, and not so much the philosophical and ethics side of it, which is most of the course seems to be about
I could take 3 languages and an extra 4th one as a backup and drop it after AS however this is rarely done in my 6th form and isn’t really recommended. I just need some advice on what to take, thanks!
Could you do french and german at a-level, then either religion or english lit or something as your 3rd subject. Then learn spanish on the side (for example online/an online course/an EPQ at 6th form or whatever.
I think 2 languages from scratch is quite a lot at the same time. I do know people who did that at uni, and they mainly found the workload tricky, even if it was worth it.
I also think doing 3 languages (and nothing else) might get a bit boring - and I say this as someone who did three languages for their degree!
I did two languages plus English at A-level, and I definitely appreciated the variety of doing English as well. All A-level languages follow a similar syllabus to each other, and language teachers often have similar teaching styles, so doing multiple languages can be a bit repetitive. At uni it's different because (at least at my uni) each language offered very different modules.
One solution might be to take French and German (or Spanish) at A-level, and then add a third language at university. That way you're not starting two at the same time.
I also think doing 3 languages (and nothing else) might get a bit boring - and I say this as someone who did three languages for their degree!
I did two languages plus English at A-level, and I definitely appreciated the variety of doing English as well. All A-level languages follow a similar syllabus to each other, and language teachers often have similar teaching styles, so doing multiple languages can be a bit repetitive. At uni it's different because (at least at my uni) each language offered very different modules.
One solution might be to take French and German (or Spanish) at A-level, and then add a third language at university. That way you're not starting two at the same time.
Original post by CrystalViolet10
French is the only language I study at GCSE and it is my only subject that I enjoy, I got a 9 (236/240) in my French Y10 mock and I didn’t do anywhere near as well in any other subject.
The 6th form I’m going to offers a French, Spanish and German a-level course. I know that I’m taking French and I’ll be taking German from scratch too. I want to do languages at a good university, specifically French and another language (That other one might be one I study at a level but I’m also interested in Asian and middle eastern languages as well). I’m certain that I want to teach languages as a job.
So, should I take all 3 languages at A level?
- I did Spanish throughout the entirety of primary school but otherwise I have no knowledge of Spanish or German
- I don’t want to take Spanish instead of German, I am obsessed with German culture and I would love to live in Germany someday
- Like I said earlier, I don’t really like any other subject I do aside from French
- People have told me to do History or/and English Lit.
- I did fairly well in my history mocks but I don’t like the subject very much
- With English Lit, I think it’s the subject I should take, it’s very good for uni applications and I enjoy it more than most subjects at GCSE, however I do not like the texts studied at all and I didn’t do well in my mocks
- The only other subject I’d think of taking is religious studies, it is my favourite subject aside from languages and I did well in my mocks, however, the part I like about the subject is learning about the various religions, and not so much the philosophical and ethics side of it, which is most of the course seems to be about
I could take 3 languages and an extra 4th one as a backup and drop it after AS however this is rarely done in my 6th form and isn’t really recommended. I just need some advice on what to take, thanks!
The 6th form I’m going to offers a French, Spanish and German a-level course. I know that I’m taking French and I’ll be taking German from scratch too. I want to do languages at a good university, specifically French and another language (That other one might be one I study at a level but I’m also interested in Asian and middle eastern languages as well). I’m certain that I want to teach languages as a job.
So, should I take all 3 languages at A level?
- I did Spanish throughout the entirety of primary school but otherwise I have no knowledge of Spanish or German
- I don’t want to take Spanish instead of German, I am obsessed with German culture and I would love to live in Germany someday
- Like I said earlier, I don’t really like any other subject I do aside from French
- People have told me to do History or/and English Lit.
- I did fairly well in my history mocks but I don’t like the subject very much
- With English Lit, I think it’s the subject I should take, it’s very good for uni applications and I enjoy it more than most subjects at GCSE, however I do not like the texts studied at all and I didn’t do well in my mocks
- The only other subject I’d think of taking is religious studies, it is my favourite subject aside from languages and I did well in my mocks, however, the part I like about the subject is learning about the various religions, and not so much the philosophical and ethics side of it, which is most of the course seems to be about
I could take 3 languages and an extra 4th one as a backup and drop it after AS however this is rarely done in my 6th form and isn’t really recommended. I just need some advice on what to take, thanks!
i would recommend do french and german and then maybe do something like english lang? or another similar subject like that because i think 3 languages is a bit much and also might limit u for uni
you can always learn spanish on the side but not take it as an a-level
Original post by CrystalViolet10
French is the only language I study at GCSE and it is my only subject that I enjoy, I got a 9 (236/240) in my French Y10 mock and I didn’t do anywhere near as well in any other subject.
The 6th form I’m going to offers a French, Spanish and German a-level course. I know that I’m taking French and I’ll be taking German from scratch too. I want to do languages at a good university, specifically French and another language (That other one might be one I study at a level but I’m also interested in Asian and middle eastern languages as well). I’m certain that I want to teach languages as a job.
So, should I take all 3 languages at A level?
- I did Spanish throughout the entirety of primary school but otherwise I have no knowledge of Spanish or German
- I don’t want to take Spanish instead of German, I am obsessed with German culture and I would love to live in Germany someday
- Like I said earlier, I don’t really like any other subject I do aside from French
- People have told me to do History or/and English Lit.
- I did fairly well in my history mocks but I don’t like the subject very much
- With English Lit, I think it’s the subject I should take, it’s very good for uni applications and I enjoy it more than most subjects at GCSE, however I do not like the texts studied at all and I didn’t do well in my mocks
- The only other subject I’d think of taking is religious studies, it is my favourite subject aside from languages and I did well in my mocks, however, the part I like about the subject is learning about the various religions, and not so much the philosophical and ethics side of it, which is most of the course seems to be about
I could take 3 languages and an extra 4th one as a backup and drop it after AS however this is rarely done in my 6th form and isn’t really recommended. I just need some advice on what to take, thanks!
The 6th form I’m going to offers a French, Spanish and German a-level course. I know that I’m taking French and I’ll be taking German from scratch too. I want to do languages at a good university, specifically French and another language (That other one might be one I study at a level but I’m also interested in Asian and middle eastern languages as well). I’m certain that I want to teach languages as a job.
So, should I take all 3 languages at A level?
- I did Spanish throughout the entirety of primary school but otherwise I have no knowledge of Spanish or German
- I don’t want to take Spanish instead of German, I am obsessed with German culture and I would love to live in Germany someday
- Like I said earlier, I don’t really like any other subject I do aside from French
- People have told me to do History or/and English Lit.
- I did fairly well in my history mocks but I don’t like the subject very much
- With English Lit, I think it’s the subject I should take, it’s very good for uni applications and I enjoy it more than most subjects at GCSE, however I do not like the texts studied at all and I didn’t do well in my mocks
- The only other subject I’d think of taking is religious studies, it is my favourite subject aside from languages and I did well in my mocks, however, the part I like about the subject is learning about the various religions, and not so much the philosophical and ethics side of it, which is most of the course seems to be about
I could take 3 languages and an extra 4th one as a backup and drop it after AS however this is rarely done in my 6th form and isn’t really recommended. I just need some advice on what to take, thanks!
This is a little late but many Unis offer courses for a language done up to A-level in combination with 1-2 beginner-level languages. Esp for ones (like Arabic, Polish etc) that many schools don't offer at GCSE unless you're a native speaker- so ignoring A-levels you could end up doing three languages at Uni with only one or two at A-level. Whatever you do though, good luck!
if you really love them i don't find it ridiculous. i'm sort of making the same choice in taking 3 sciences (including earth sciences) and i keep getting really paranoid about limiting my job/uni options.
if you are really certain that you want to do languages then honestly just take another a level that you enjoy. if you're doing languages then getting a B in that one other thing and As in the others shouldn't make all too much of a difference.
wouldn't trust me though i don't know about the workload aha
if you are really certain that you want to do languages then honestly just take another a level that you enjoy. if you're doing languages then getting a B in that one other thing and As in the others shouldn't make all too much of a difference.
wouldn't trust me though i don't know about the workload aha
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