What next?

The end is in sight and the world’s your oyster! Take a minute and see where your language GCSE adventure can get take you next.

GCSEs are nearing the end and the last few weeks at school are quickly flying past you. Life is a whirlwind of revision, last minute learning and doing endless mock exams. But wait! Take a minute and see where your language GCSE adventure can get take you next.

Even basic language skills that you gain from learning a language at GCSE can be really handy in all types of jobs. There are endless, exciting opportunities at your fingertips. You have skills and talent which stand out to employers. You don’t need to specialise in a language in order to continue with them after GCSE; you could enter the world of work, volunteer, travel abroad, and continue to study at college or sixth form. It really was a useful subject, after all.

Top tip:

“You don’t need to specialise in a language in order to continue with them after GCSE; you could enter the world of work, volunteer, travel abroad or study at college or sixth form.”

College or sixth form

With college and sixth form you have the chance to study for A-levels and more vocational qualifications such as NVQs or evening classes. The best thing about further study is that you can take languages in any of these qualifications to suit your future career prospects.

A-levels

A-levels are the logical next step for those who are thinking of going to university. There is a big difference between GCSE and A-level...but don't let this put you off. The classes are just as fun, exciting and varied as they were for GCSE. Classes are more relaxed and smaller so it feels more like a gathering of mates rather than a lesson and you see a normal side to your teacher too. This is a perfect environment for feeling confident and learning new things without feeling lost. You learn more about the language and how to use it in different situations. The pace is stepped up a notch or two but there’s a buzz and a bit of a je ne sais quoi. 

If you're thinking of continuing a language onto A-level then read why it's a great subject and get the inside scoop on what it's really like.

Look through our videos of students chatting about how they found the transition from GCSE to A-level, and they’re honest about it too!

NVQs

Maybe A-levels aren’t for you but this qualification might just tickle your fancy. This is a perfect qualification if you want to use a foreign language in your daily work, because your job takes you abroad or brings you closer to different languages and nationalities right here in the UK. A language NVQ is perfect if you fancy working in hotels, catering, travel and tourism, airline cabin list goes on. In all these jobs you will need to know a foreign language.

Evening classes

If you are torn between wanting to enter the world of work but crave to continue learning a foreign language don’t fret...why not do both? Evening classes at a local school or college are a fantastic way to work in the day and learn in your spare time. You can gain great qualifications that are equivalent to GCSE and A-level standards or just learn for fun.

Employment

If you decide that full time work is the best option for you for now then you can still use your language knowledge. You never know when your language skills may save the day! Your ability to speak to a client will certainly impress your boss and colleagues. Having another language makes you a huge asset to any employer, so it’s in your best interest really to keep your skill level up to help you get further in the future.

Volunteering abroad

If you are still unsure on what to do when school is finally over you could always volunteer abroad for a few weeks over the summer through a volunteer organisation. Students and adults alike love to travel, explore and give something back to those who need it. There a plenty of great volunteer companies around - and what's more there are volunteer placements aimed especially at 16-18 year olds - so you can be with people who are in similar situations where you can share ideas and get tonnes of inspiration from them on what to do next. Volunteering abroad is not only perfect for boosting your CV but you can go to so many different countries all over the world and put your language skills to very good use. You’ll need them to talk to those you are working with, to explore of the beaten track on weekends or for getting you out of any sticky situations.

University

This may seem like a long way away, but it’s worth bearing in mind that at uni there are plenty of opportunities to continue learning languages. These are detailed on our  Studying languages at university website but just to give you a quick idea, at uni you can:

  • Study a language as the main part of your degree.
  • Study something else and combine it with a language.
  • Start a completely new language from scratch.
  • Just take a module in a foreign language.
  • Further your language in a lunchtime or evening class, completely separate from your degree.