How useful is a GCSE in French?

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Wondering which GCSEs to take?

While studying a language at GCSE level isn’t compulsory, many schools mandate that their students choose at least one language, and with good reason. Learning a language opens up new opportunities in life, including career and travel prospects, and even new ways of thinking.

Did you know that there are nineteen GCSEs for different modern languages - from Spanish and Mandarin Chinese to Turkish and Gujarati? These are all useful languages to learn in their own right, but many of them aren’t available as subjects to study in most UK schools. The reason why languages such as French, Spanish and German are taught in tens of thousands of schools across the UK is because educators recognise them as being among the most useful languages for young people to study - as well as among the easiest for students whose first language is English.

You may hear people saying that advances in artificial technology, including devices like headphones that can automatically translate from language to another, render learning a language pointless - but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Languages are organic and nebulous by nature, which means that technology will always have serious limitations, although it can make learning a language easier. And as more people opt for the convenience of AI translation services, real, actual knowledge of a second language will make your skills more desirable.

French is one of the most spoken languages in the world

France has a population of nearly 70 million people, but did you know that French is spoken far and wide beyond France itself? From Canada and Switzerland to Madagascar and Vanuatu, there are twenty-six nations in the world where French is an official language - and that doesn't include French overseas departments, like French Guiana and Guadeloupe. Furthermore, many of these countries are predicted to experience rapid population growth in the near future, meaning the number of French speakers worldwide is expected to be around 700 million in 2050.

French is also incredibly popular as a second language around the world, especially in Europe, where more than a hundred thousand people can speak it as a second language - nearly as many as can speak English. It goes without saying that French is one of the most internationally useful languages you can learn.

French is useful for improving your English

If English isn’t your strong suit, you may be surprised to learn that a knowledge of French can actually help with that! For instance, around a third of English words actually come from French originally, and as you study French you’ll encounter a range of that words that can either be used in English as loanwords - crème brûlée, bouquet and RSVP (répondez s'il vous plaît) are just a few you probably know already - or which can help you to work out the meanings of some of the trickier words you’re likely to encounter in English. For example, words such as ‘avowal’ or 'reconnaissance' or 'raconteur' may look intimidating at first, but make sense when you already know the common French words ‘avouer’ (to confess), 'reconnaître' (to recognise) and 'raconter' (to retell).

French is great for employment prospects

According to a report by CBI/Pearson, 54% of British employers cited knowledge of French as a useful skill for employees to have, ahead of knowledge of German, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese and Arabic. Being able to speak French really helps your CV stand out, and will set you apart from other candidates in the job market who may not have the ability to converse in more than one language.

Why do employees value French in particular? Well, it's partly because - as mentioned above - French is a very international language. It's also an official language of some of the most important organisations in the world, including the UN, WTO and EU. It's little wonder that people who can speak French in the UK get paid higher on average than those who don't.

For essential French GCSE revision tips, practice exercises and video lessons on all aspects of the exam, look no further than Alexa's GCSE Preparation Course.

The course is designed to help students get the best grades they can on all the French GCSE exams. It follows the AQA syllabus and provides extensive resources across six sections in the form of over 80 video lessons, as well as support guides, quizzes, gap fill exercises and much more.