My name is Jasmine, and I am a Year 12 Student currently studying Chemistry, Physics, Maths and Mandarin at A-level. I’ve really been enjoying all of my subjects, and I think the new environment of Sixth Form really helps me learn really well. 

Learning languages is something I find really interesting, which is part of the reason I chose Mandarin as an option. Although it is a very challenging language to learn, it feels extremely rewarding when you feel yourself start to improve, and at A-level you get to study more about Chinese culture as well as the language, which adds much more depth to the subject. If you are willing to put the work in, Mandarin A-level is a great option, which I highly recommend.

Speaking other languages provides opportunities to connect with more people throughout the school community - for example, I recently participated in a Mandarin Drama workshop with some Year 10 GCSE students, which was very entertaining. We played lots of Drama games in Mandarin, which helped to immerse us all more in the language, whilst also encouraging us to be creative with the ways we learn and have fun with languages.   

Apart from studying Mandarin, I also speak French, which I took for GCSE in Year 9. I’m very thankful to the Modern Foreign Languages department for giving me the chance to take the exam and helping me achieve the best grades I could, even though I wasn’t taking French lessons at school. I’ve also had a great time attending the French breakfasts meetings throughout the years where we’ve played games, discussed current affairs, and of course had some croissants. I’ve been lucky enough to go to summer camp in France a few times, where I could make friends and have fun doing a variety of activities whilst improving my understanding of the language. 

I haven’t yet decided what I would like to study in the future, but if I don’t end up continuing to study languages, I would love to possibly do a year of studying abroad or even work abroad to keep my language skills up. Even though I probably find Mandarin one of the more difficult subjects I study, it’s a super interesting language to learn, and probably one of my favourites! I’m very grateful that the school has provided me with the opportunity to study Mandarin at this level, and hope that other students will consider studying it, or any other foreign language at A-level. 

Written by Jasmine, Year 12