Language options from Grade 9

I would suggest checking if the school provides good teachers for Kannada. In our school, many parents pushed for Kannada, but then found the grading quite strict compared to Hindi. Are you leaning towards anything specific yet?

We chose Kannada because it’s the local language and helps with daily life here, plus it’s much easier to score a 95+ if they have been speaking it at home. Don't go by what others are doing; just see what your child is comfortable with.

Our school made it mandatory to keep a second language until Grade 10, so check your circular again. We picked Hindi since it's common and resources are easily available for extra classes.

Hi, this is pretty standard now across most CBSE and ICSE schools. My daughter is in Grade 10 and she opted for French because it’s scoring well, but honestly, it depends on whether your child is genuinely interested in learning a new script or just wants a high GPA. If they are planning to look at foreign universities later, French definitely adds a nice touch to the profile.

My son is currently in Grade 9 and he chose Hindi because he is more comfortable with it, and we didn't want to add the stress of a new language while the core subjects are getting tougher. I think you should sit with your child and see what they find less overwhelming.

Actually, check the internal assessment marks for the last two years. I have seen that language teachers can be very strict with Hindi marking, whereas French is often more lenient, which helps in the final board tally. My son took French and it was a great decision for his aggregate.

Does anyone know if the school offers extra coaching for French? My son is struggling a bit with the grammar, and I'm worried it might pull down his overall percentage in Grade 10.

It depends entirely on your child's interest and future plans, honestly. My daughter took French because she is keen on pursuing higher studies in Europe, and it’s actually quite scoring compared to Hindi. If you are planning to stay in India for college, maybe stick to Hindi or the local state language, but otherwise, pick whichever one they find easier to score in for the board exams.