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Leaving Cert French/Spanish

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  • 14-04-2016 6:19pm
    #1
    boy1234
    Registered Users Posts: 24 ✭


    Anybody that has done French and/or Spanish for leaving cert can ye please offer me a hand.Stuck between doing French or Spanish for leaving cert.Currently in TY and have to choose a language.My school offers Spanish for only 5th and 6th year and I have almost no Spanish but the Spanish teacher is very very good.Got a B in French but the teachers aren't great and I have forgot a lot of 1st-3rd year French.Any advice on which would be the better choice?


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    #2
    Bazinga_N
    Registered Users Posts: 3,232 ✭✭✭Bazinga_N


    boy1234 wrote: »
    Anybody that has done French and/or Spanish for leaving cert can ye please offer me a hand.Stuck between doing French or Spanish for leaving cert.Currently in TY and have to choose a language.My school offers Spanish for only 5th and 6th year and I have almost no Spanish but the Spanish teacher is very very good.Got a B in French but the teachers aren't great and I have forgot a lot of 1st-3rd year French.Any advice on which would be the better choice?

    If it's any constellation a friend of mine took up French in 4th year with no previous experience and is sitting the Higher Level paper this yea. He's aiming for a B1 and tbh he'll probably get it. If you're willing to put a good bit of effort into Spanish I think it'd definitely be an option for Leaving Cert! Best of luck with it! :)


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    #3
    Acciaccatura
    Registered Users Posts: 428 ✭✭Acciaccatura


    Would you have a passion or even just a personal preference for one of them? If you know you'll be more motivated to work for one of them, like even if you go on holidays to either France or Spain regularly and have always wanted to speak it, I say go for it. I met one of my friends through sitting our interviews for Disneyland Paris together and she told me she had done French from 1st to 6th year with average-crap teachers and ended up with a D1 at honours level. However, she became really motivated to learn Spanish because some her friends did it and she took it in September of 6th year, totally immersed herself in it and got a B1 at honours level. Just shows what you can do when you're motivated.

    If by a "good" Spanish teacher you mean that most people in the Spanish class get the grades you're hoping for, then if you've no preference in particular I'd advise going with that. If people are able to achieve As and Bs through that teacher by only doing it for 2 years then you have just as good a chance as anybody. I've heard Spanish is very easy to learn too, French I've heard mixed reviews about but I personally found it quite easy. The French should come back to you fairly quickly, but ultimately, no matter what you pick, it looks like you'll have to work hard at both of them, given the bad teacher disadvantage with French and the lack of experience with Spanish. Good luck with whatever you choose! :)


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    #4
    boy1234
    Registered Users Posts: 24 ✭boy1234


    Well the Spanish teacher is a very very good teacher and has helped students win national competitions to go to study in Spain with the teacher.I would probably have a preference toward Spanish but my big worry is if taking Spanish would affect my leaving cert by not having it done before if that makes sense.That I could do worse in Spanish than in French,as I've barely no Spanish but a B level of French.


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    #5
    Acciaccatura
    Registered Users Posts: 428 ✭✭Acciaccatura


    The great thing about languages as a school subject is that absolutely everything you learn about the language will count towards your grade, making the subject more doable (if I became an expert on Chinese dynasties, it would still do nothing for my history grade, because it's not on the course, whereas you don't have those kind of limitations with language subjects). There are so many language resources available, that if you were motivated enough to learn you could do very well. The Spanish teacher sounds amazing, especially if those students they've helped win national competitions would also only have had 5th and 6th year Spanish experience. I had a quick look through last year's LC honours Spanish paper - it seems to take a similar format to French, except there are some questions on your "Prescribed Literature" - whether that's a whole book or a chapter I don't know, but they give you the extract you're answering on. However, you don't have to do that option and can choose to answer on a Journalistic text that you'll have only seen on the paper (much like French). The only other difference I can spot between the two subjects is that Spanish has roleplays for the oral (kind of like Sraith Pictiúir), worth 25/100 marks, whereas French doesn't.

    I think you're in a good enough position to choose either with little difference in outcome. If you'd probably prefer Spanish, I'd say go for it, but only if you know you'll put the extra work in. This teacher must be used to teaching a novice class and getting good results. Don't rely completely on him/her, work hard for them because you know you've a bit of catching up to do, but trust me when I say it is doable. My advice would be to start now and get ahead while you've the time - even something like signing up free to Duolingo and working on that between now and September would be of huge benefit. If you know you'd prefer Spanish, chances are you'd be more motivated to work at it and do well. I really think you can do it, but it's entirely up to you. Good luck! :)


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