Sarah decided to study GCSE French with NEC at the same time that her son was also taking his GCSEs at school. She wanted a structure to her language learning, and a course that would keep her motivated to stay focused on harder topics such as grammar. 

Studying with NEC was not Sarah’s first experience of studying with a distance learning provider, having also done a non-examined French course and a law masters. She chose to study with NEC this time because of our reputation: 

I wanted flexible distance learning from a reputable academic provider.

As a result of working as a freelancer, Sarah found that the flexibility of NEC’s course made it the perfect choice for her and her “juggling” lifestyle. Sarah’s son who also took GCSE French this summer achieving a grade 9, and she enjoyed studying at the same time as him: 

A little friendly competition helps to keep us motivated!

Sarah enjoyed her GCSE French course so much that she has enrolled with NEC for an AS Level as well. She plans to improve her French for travelling but through studying has also discovered an interest in French literature. She is currently reading L’Etranger by Albert Camus. She supplements her studying with conversational practise via Italki which she uses to talk to a French student and practise her speaking skills, nicely complementing her studies with NEC. 

When studying with NEC Sarah particularly found that the quick turn around of her tutors was useful as she could visualise her progress and keep herself motivated: 

The thing I liked was the speed with which stuff is turned around & you can see at a glance how much you’ve done & what you still have left to cover – it makes progress very visible. 

Her conclusion of her experience with NEC?

 I don’t think they could have done anything better.

Particularly during the pandemic, parents have found studying alongside their children allows them to understand the hard work and determination that it takes to achieve their academic goals under such unprecedented circumstances.

Want to develop your love for languages?

If like Sarah you would like to develop your love for languages in a more structured way (or encourage a bit of parent/child competition!), take a look at our GCSE Languages courses: 

• GCSE French
• GCSE Spanish