Secondary School Third Languages

[Sunbird24]

bayleaves:

My daughter will be taking chinese as 3rd language (CSP) in sec 1. Anyone here who has a child currently doing the CSP ? How are the lessons conducted (i.e is it a fun based way) ?

Hi bayleaves,

I have sent you a private message.
Hope to hear from you soon.Thanks.

[lizawa]

I_love_hci:

daisyt:

[quote=\"darylmummy\"]I heard from one former teacher.. in the MOE 3rd language center that the drop out rate is very high 50% every year.. and the syllabus is tough. So both parent and child need to 'gambette' and perservere.. if selected !

Yes, its very true. Many form teachers would discourage 3rd lang because it is taking into the GPA calculations of the year end final.

But i believe it would be useful if we can cope[/quote]In HCI, you can choose if you want to include 3rd language grade into your school final grade. They call it MSG (Mean Subject Grade) in HCI.

This helps to remove the pressure to quit once you discover it affects your grade.

[Serafiel]

Hi, I am currently a JC1 student.

I took up Japanese as 3rd language since sec 1.
At that time, I really feel that Jap is very hard. Although sec 1-3 is relatively easy, meaning you can get A1 if you work hard, in sec 4 it totally became really hard. All my friends are scoring 50+, barely passing, while I get only 60. It is especially scary when the RGS people still maintains an 89/100 even when faced with extra difficult papers. In the end, I got A2 for japanese.
It is really disappointing because A2 is really unsuitable for H2 jap in JC, you need to score A1 to even pass your H2 jap. Although I wanted to quit jap a lot of times, I decided not to. Because I already spent so much effort on it, quitting is like a cowards choice, to me.
Taking 3rd lang, I faced a lot of difficulties. Firstly, I have to travel to bishan from Clementi, which takes about 1.5 hrs twice a week. Then, lessons end quite late, around 7, which means I don’t get to do much homework when I got back. Jap also requires you to put in a lot of effort. For subjects like math, you just study before exams, can get A1. For jap, even if you study and study, also won’t get A1. Japanese is not similar to chinese at all, the grammar is killer, and now H2 jap is even worse, it’s like KI in another japanese.
For those taking jap, don’t give up! If you only take it because you like anime, please don’t. You won’t have the passion to learn about boring grammar + compre. (Sure, some jap lessons are fun, but it’s only after EOY exams that you get to do fun stuff). You must be prepared to work really really hard, and have a good overall grade. For my school, there used to be 20+ people taking, and now in o levels only 5. 4/5 (including me) got A2, but I would want to clarify that the other 3 were really smart (getting 260+ for PSLE) while I am the "dumbest" one. So again, if you want to take a 3rd lang, Malay would be easiest, though Japanese is the most useful (in my humble opinion).
Thank you!!

[corneyAmber]

Serafiel:

Malay would be easiest, though Japanese is the most useful (in my humble opinion).

Thank you!!

I believe so... I met a lady in China last year and she was a private tour guide for 2 old couples from Japan. I believe the Japanese are affluent enough to hire private tour guides to tour around so learning the language can also allow one to do some holiday work and make some allowances.

[xxjustakidxx]

Serafiel:

though Japanese is the most useful (in my humble opinion).

Thank you!!

I beg to differ, as Japanese usually sell stuff, they don't buy. Japanese can only be used in japan too. IMO, French is the most useful one, as Africans/Canadians do speak french, and English originated from french, so it would be easier that Jap ( if you are not that good in Chinese). Totally IMO only

[Serafiel]

Well, my parents say that french is a dead language anyway, since very few people speak french, even in france. Germany is cool too, but for an Asian country like Singapore, won’t jap be used the most?

I personally think that maybe spanish is more useful than either languages, but we don’t get to learn that -.-
I always feel that french is more romantic than useful.

[ooptimizer]

But French is very hard to learn.

[xxjustakidxx]

Serafiel:

Well, my parents say that french is a dead language anyway, since very few people speak french, even in france. Germany is cool too, but for an Asian country like Singapore, won't jap be used the most?

I personally think that maybe spanish is more useful than either languages, but we don't get to learn that -.-
I always feel that french is more romantic than useful.

Haha, the whole of Africa and Canada speaks french.
I wanted Spanish, quite a number of my friends wanted it too, but don't have what :x

FYI I learn french, and I'm hating it ._.

[xxjustakidxx]

small:

Offered and selected Japanese as 3rd language but rejected by MOE on Sec one registration day.


I wonder how many of our children out there have been rejected for 3rd language option.

:celebrate:

Can appeal what, my friend did

[ooptimizer]

Only some countries in Africa and the state of Quebec in Canada speak French.