Two Foreign Languages?

Sorano

Hi, I'm just wondering how possible it is to do both Spanish and French at HL for the LC?

So in TY I chose Spanish, Chemistry, Physics and Geography, but due to a complete mess up with the timetables, I was given Spanish and Chemistry, but also Art and Biology. Biology I'm grand with because even though I didn't get Phys, Biology was my next choice, plus it's another science. However with Art, they put me in because I got an A at JC, but I really didn't want to do it because of the work I had to put in to get it, which I won't make time for at LC.
The only other class open at the time was French, so I gladly hopped into it - Spanish is my favourite sub and I did an exchange in TY so I'm above LC level, and I did French for Gaisce. However I don't want to risk mixing them up and putting in more effort into my French and terrible Irish at the cost of Spanish. Plus I'm looking for very high points - around 580. I'm worried if I should just see can I be put into a Geography class instead for points or what to do >.< Any advice is gladly welcomed!

dubsli97

I haven't done my leaving yet and probably won't do either of these subjects so I can't give actual insight, but I do know three people who did French and Spanish for the LC and each got A1s in both... so it's definitely plausible.

Sorano

Aye I know that's the thing so few people do it! At least it's a comfort to know people have done it, they've told me I'm the first in the school to ever to do 2 so it's really a case of try to find out anything

dubsli97

Yeah, I imagine it's quite uncommon in schools where you pick between languages. In my school French is mandatory and Spanish is an option subject so if you do Spanish you automatically do both, thus it's more common.

Maybe you could try it for a while and if you find that they're negatively affecting each other see if they'd let you drop French and study a relatively small non-language subject outside of school? Just an idea though, obviously I don't know you so I can't give thoughtful advice.

Best of luck with whatever you end up doing!

Sorano

Ah, see that makes so much more sense to do, here almost everyone despises languages so they have trouble trying to fill up the classes in the first place!

Yeah they did tell me to take a bit to test the waters, just I don't want to leave it too late if it does end up that I can switch it. I was considering taking on Music or App.Maths to fill the hole that is Physics, but I'm not sure if the after school classes have been organised yet. And no honest, they're great suggestions, thank you so much and thank you for the input!

Canard

I'm biased because I love languages (:)), but if you're that good at Spanish then French should be a breeze. It's a harder language, but the exam is more straightforward. In terms of mixing them up, I find when you've lived through them (as you have with Spanish) it happens less because the words have tangible meanings rather than just being two words from two different vocabulary lists, and sure in any case a lot of the words are very similar :P Mixing up two languages (whether similar or not!) is an inevitability. As others have said, give it a try - I think it could work out really well.

Sorano

Haha, I think us language lovers are few and far between :P
I'm definitely hoping for that anyways, and that's a really good point, I never thought about it that way I do feel that now when I read or hear Spanish that the words mean more than just words, if that makes any sense! With French though, I will definitely have a go at least, my teacher thinks that I can do well now. Just a worry to start off an already worrying year, but yeah I hope it'll work out okay! As long as the French doesn't start popping up in the Irish now! xD

And thank you so so much for the sound advice, it goes a long way!