High School Guide: Admissions, reviews, and advice

Of course, you'll find elementary schools offering French as an elective, just like they do with German or Spanish.
But when we're talking about high school foreign language tracks, there's this tendency where a bunch of students—mostly just because they want an easy A on their transcript🤦🤦🤦—try to sign up for a language they've already been studying for five years straight.🙂
Thankfully, more and more school districts aren't allowing that anymore, though I suppose it really ought to be officially banned in the district regulations once and for all.☕

So we're looking at maybe 2-3% (which is basically just a statistical margin of error at that point). Thanks, I actually had no idea, especially since I've met people from tons of different elementary schools. In that case, what urbantinker8 is saying makes total sense. If she went to one of those rare middle schools where you get elective options, and then in high school the only mandatory electives were basic German or French, I guess I see why they just automatically pushed her toward German. Thanks 👍

@Fruppy

I don't really see why it's weird that kids want a gamified system? Kids are like electricity. They just follow the path of least resistance. Plus, we've been drilling it into everyone's heads since they were little that getting good grades is the only thing that matters.

They write down an elective, and then suddenly you aren't even given the choice despite the option being right there on paper—and apparently, that’s all considered acceptable 🤦

Thankfully, my daughter's transcript doesn't mention any second language, so even though she studied it for seven and a half years, she can just enroll in it as a beginner if she wants to. That way, nobody can lecture her about what she "should" or "shouldn't" be able to do based on their own narrow opinions 😁 Just another little win for dodging the mandatory foreign language requirement in school...

I suppose kids might want to gamify their schoolwork, but they’re just children, after all, so I guess they tend to care more about the grade on the paper than actually absorbing the material.
though parents probably ought to be a bit more discerning about that approach.☕

thankfully, various educational seminars have been highlighting this specific issue where students struggle to truly grasp a second language even after five years of study, and I'm hopeful that some sort of standard will be implemented soon to address it.🎉

Look, I’m telling you—here’s how this plays out. They won't even bother putting it on his record in elementary school just so he doesn't end up having to deal with anything more than the bare minimum once he hits high school...

edit:
I mean, I’ve seen a few cases where kids were placed in advanced tracks after spending five years struggling with the basics. They basically spent the first two years of high school sleeping through class and somehow coasted with a B, which felt fine at first—but then everything falls apart. Seriously, by junior year, they start hitting you with actual concepts that weren't even remotely touched upon back in middle school! 😲 And there you are, still sleeping through class and expecting an easy A. Well, guess what? That's when the state steps in and hands you a D. 😛

I honestly don't know... back in high school, my classmates never really reached the level I hit after seven years of studying 🎉
I was never even close to getting a passing grade, but man, I had a blast watching everyone else struggle while having absolutely no clue what was going on 😬

Anyway, like I mentioned before, switching my focus to English was easily the smartest move I ever made; that basic German I picked up was really just a nice little bonus 😁

A few people in my class had actually studied German back in middle school—my school didn't even offer it as an option at the time.
I have to admit, I never really noticed much of a difference between us, except maybe during those first few weeks of freshman year.
Mind you, one of my old classmates ended up majoring in German studies later on—not in Chicago, mind you—and she’s working as a translator now, whereas after four years of classes, I still couldn't manage to order a sandwich in German if my life depended on it. 🤣

@urbantinker8

I wonder who actually thinks grades are the most important thing? It’s usually parents. Even you should have seen enough of that working in education.

@Sarah Hall53

They might struggle from first grade onward if they move to an advanced program. They've just had two years of easy A's. I guess the only ones enrolling will be those with wealthy parents who can afford private language academies just so their kids can pick up another language.

Adam Diaz67 said:@urbantinker8

I wonder who actually thinks grades are the most important thing? It’s usually parents. Even you should have seen enough of that working in education.

@Sarah Hall53

They might struggle from first grade onward if they move to an advanced program. They've just had two years of easy A's. I guess the only ones enrolling will be those with wealthy parents who can afford private language academies just so their kids can pick up another language.

I don't think so—I know these families, and they really did have a solid foundation. They weren't my students, obviously, but since we're talking about relatives and friends' kids, I've stayed in the loop. If they had just stuck with the advanced track, they would've had that learning continuity, and I guarantee they wouldn't be hitting this massive slump right now.

urbantinker8 said:I suppose kids might want to gamify their schoolwork, but they’re just children, after all, so I guess they tend to care more about the grade on the paper than actually absorbing the material.
though parents probably ought to be a bit more discerning about that approach.☕

thankfully, various educational seminars have been highlighting this specific issue where students struggle to truly grasp a second language even after five years of study, and I'm hopeful that some sort of standard will be implemented soon to address it.🎉

That’s exactly why some parents decide it’s better to have their kid learn a language through private tutoring outside the American school system—dealing with all its flaws—while they just scrape by in class to meet the bare minimum requirements.

urbantinker8 said:I suppose kids might want to gamify their schoolwork, but they’re just children, after all, so I guess they tend to care more about the grade on the paper than actually absorbing the material.
though parents probably ought to be a bit more discerning about that approach.☕

thankfully, various educational seminars have been highlighting this specific issue where students struggle to truly grasp a second language even after five years of study, and I'm hopeful that some sort of standard will be implemented soon to address it.🎉

That approach would actually make sense if learning a second language provided extra credit for school admissions—something that gives those continuing their studies a real edge over everyone else. Forcing kids into advanced tracks feels wrong; I think the best move is what Michelle Nelson4 and Sarah Hall53 are suggesting: simply reducing the number of kids required to take a second language in elementary school.

I truly believe we should give kids a real reason to stick with a language. Maybe offer extra points for a certificate from a private language academy, or include it as an elective credit on their transcripts. Even having them take an entrance exam to earn bonus points for advanced placement would create a meaningful advantage over the crowd of students sitting right at that 78-80% grade threshold.

I remember an instance where the German teacher's schedule was the deciding factor. It just happened to coincide with a generation of students who didn't prioritize German. Or perhaps they just couldn't justify increasing the hours for the French or Spanish teachers, depending on how you look at it.
In any case, there was some specific logic used to fill those first 28 spots in the French class, leaving everyone else out. Learning a language from 4th through 8th grade was a tough spot because there weren't enough students who had stuck with it to sustain the higher levels, yet priority was given to those who hadn't studied it at all. To me, that doesn't make much sense when there were plenty of interested students (and by the way, this was a group where both languages only started being taught in 4th grade). It’s especially strange because in that German class, you had students who had been studying German since 4th grade starting all over again, alongside students who had been studying French—yet everyone was forced into German... it just feels unfair. As I mentioned, it likely came down to the German teacher's availability (or maybe they just didn't want to overload the French teacher; I don't want to sound like I'm taking sides here...).

We shouldn't forget that elective options are limited by what the school can actually provide. Those choices are shaped by the specific credentials and certifications held by the staff on their diplomas.🤷
I'm not saying whether that's good or bad; it's just the reality of the situation. I honestly don't know how it could work any other way, since schools can't fulfill every single wish, and it's probably better if kids choose schools based on the languages actually offered... even if it means a slightly longer commute.

urbantinker8 said:Which specific school are you even referring to?
A lot of American high schools require two mandatory foreign languages. (And thanks a lot for that, because without foreign languages, we're all just totally unremarkable peasants, right?)
So, it isn't really an elective.
And, I mean, schools are slowly starting to realize this, so if you already studied a second language in middle school, maybe you should stick with it, rather than just picking something easy at the start just to secure a guaranteed A.
That's probably one of the weakest arguments I've ever heard.

Is there a list somewhere of high schools that offer German as a primary language?
Basically, if kids have been learning German since first grade—either because their parents chose it or the district assigned it (hard to say which)—can they continue those studies through high school?

Assuming it's not one of those specialized language academies in Chicago.
Maybe something more vocational like a 🤔

Sarah Hall53 said:They exist. I can't say there's a ton of them out there—honestly, my memory is a bit fuzzy—but I could probably rattle off four or five right now if I had to. Maybe two or three over in New York City (could be more, who knows?), one down in Miami, and one in Seattle...

The elementary school my girls attend here in San Francisco offers Italian, German, and French as elective languages. My eldest chose German and seems to really thrive with it, while my younger daughter opted for Italian.

Since some schools require a second language even if a student has zero interest in it—and honestly, I could have easily navigated my entire life without ever knowing a lick of German—it makes perfect sense that they’d opt for an introductory level. If you're forced to take a course that counts toward your GPA, why not pick the one that makes life a little easier? Maybe they also know that the teacher for the last five years has been handing out A's like candy just to fill the schedule, regardless of actual proficiency. Or perhaps their knowledge isn't bad, but they've simply hit a wall and don't want to deal with that specific language anymore. It's enough.

Personally, I would be the first person to support a kid who, after years of studying, decides they aren't going to kill themselves over advanced grammar and a million vocabulary words in a language that isn't even their native tongue. If there's an alternative like a beginner course available, let them take it.

They'll still graduate with some foundational knowledge, and if they ever change their mind later on, there are always plenty of community college courses or private language academies out there. And if they really don't care? Well, they've got English, and they've got Google Translate.😁

Michelle Nelson4 said:Since some schools require a second language even if a student has zero interest in it—and honestly, I could have easily navigated my entire life without ever knowing a lick of German—it makes perfect sense that they’d opt for an introductory level. If you're forced to take a course that counts toward your GPA, why not pick the one that makes life a little easier? Maybe they also know that the teacher for the last five years has been handing out A's like candy just to fill the schedule, regardless of actual proficiency. Or perhaps their knowledge isn't bad, but they've simply hit a wall and don't want to deal with that specific language anymore. It's enough.

Personally, I would be the first person to support a kid who, after years of studying, decides they aren't going to kill themselves over advanced grammar and a million vocabulary words in a language that isn't even their native tongue. If there's an alternative like a beginner course available, let them take it.

They'll still graduate with some foundational knowledge, and if they ever change their mind later on, there are always plenty of community college courses or private language academies out there. And if they really don't care? Well, they've got English, and they've got Google Translate.😁

Signed.
The reality is that school language offerings are often based on what the staff is certified in and how to fit everything into a standard bell schedule, so kids don't really have much of a choice (even if they call it an "elective").
By forcing those who already have a language on their transcript into advanced classes, you end up with a mix in the classroom: students who are totally lost because they were given easy grades just so the school could keep its class numbers up, mixed with beginners who might have actually studied the language at home or have a native speaker in the family 😬—kids who will just sit there yawning and coasting to an easy A.

It’s quite interesting how Mad writes, isn't it? In one post, she claims that lazy kids just want to enroll in a program where they only learn the bare absolute minimum of a language. But then, in another thread, she's talking about how much her child struggled to pull off a C grade in third grade, even though the kid supposedly had a solid grasp of German throughout elementary school—which, let's face it, involves way more than five years of study at that stage.

I really wish people would just pick a side and stick to their own logic instead of constantly shifting their story to fit whatever specific situation happens to be unfolding at the moment.😁

I’m honestly not sure if there’s an official federal registry or some kind of database listing schools where the primary language isn't English. But those institutions definitely exist, and I really hope we see more of them popping up in the future.
It’s a bit unfortunate that we seem to be starting from such different premises here. It feels like everyone else (both in this thread and in the real world, I suppose) is hyper-focused on nothing but GPA and taking the path of least resistance, whereas what I’m actually talking about is the mastery of two distinct languages. In my opinion, being truly bilingual is infinitely more vital for the average person navigating today's world than being able to solve linear equations, understanding limits, redox reactions, or vectors—not to mention memorizing the dates of every major battle in history, recognizing Bach fugues, or knowing how to perform a fantastic leap from a standstill.
To be honest, I couldn't care less about a grade on a transcript. I'm talking about actual knowledge. But then again, I am fully aware of the era we're living in, so I realize that this whole perspective of mine probably isn't anything groundbreaking to you all.

urbantinker8 said:I suppose kids might want to gamify their schoolwork, but they’re just children, after all, so I guess they tend to care more about the grade on the paper than actually absorbing the material.
though parents probably ought to be a bit more discerning about that approach.☕

thankfully, various educational seminars have been highlighting this specific issue where students struggle to truly grasp a second language even after five years of study, and I'm hopeful that some sort of standard will be implemented soon to address it.🎉

Exactly. I’m certain any sensible parent wouldn't view "just scraping by with a B" as the goal of their child's education, regardless of the subject. I actually encouraged my oldest son to drop elective classes where he wasn't making any real progress, even if he was getting decent grades. On the flip side, he stuck with one specific elective where he barely managed a B once in middle school. Now, in eighth grade, he’s still sitting somewhere between a B and an A in that subject, but he actually knows his stuff—he even went to a competition and did incredibly well.

Susan James said:Is there a list somewhere of high schools that offer German as a primary language?
Basically, if kids have been learning German since first grade—either because their parents chose it or the district assigned it (hard to say which)—can they continue those studies through high school?

Assuming it's not one of those specialized language academies in Chicago.
Maybe something more vocational like a 🤔

They exist. 😉

I've been grinding away at German for four years now and I’m still barely scraping by with the basics. It feels like nobody puts in the work; most people I know are just coasting with a 2.0 GPA.

Michelle Nelson4 said:It’s quite interesting how Mad writes, isn't it? In one post, she claims that lazy kids just want to enroll in a program where they only learn the bare absolute minimum of a language. But then, in another thread, she's talking about how much her child struggled to pull off a C grade in third grade, even though the kid supposedly had a solid grasp of German throughout elementary school—which, let's face it, involves way more than five years of study at that stage.

I really wish people would just pick a side and stick to their own logic instead of constantly shifting their story to fit whatever specific situation happens to be unfolding at the moment.😁

First off, I wasn't "reveling" in it. You're only throwing that at me because you have this habit of twisting everything the local "experts" on this forum say—as if we’re all just monsters who somehow hate kids and parents.☕

Look, I said it and I still believe it: taking an introductory language course after five years of study is just taking the path of least resistance—it's laziness. If we weren't talking about a language but math, and someone finished Pythagoras, squares, and square roots, then decided to skip ahead and just learn multiplication tables from scratch, wouldn't you call that lazy too?

And thirdly—yes, the old curriculum for a second foreign language in high school was designed so that you'd hit A2 level by the middle of junior year, and then, magically, jump to B1 within another year and a half. Basically, things that were NOT being covered in elementary school.
It’s the same logic as if you studied German from first through third grade, then switched to an elective in fourth, slept through fifth and sixth based on what you learned when you were little, and then got a massive, uncomfortable wake-up call in seventh grade.