FRENCH normally starts from Y7. If you join Y9, you can't take this subject.
For GCSE subject selection, normally you need to select according to the following:
Core subject: English; English literature; maths; phy; chem; bio (6 subjects)
Choose at least one from the following:
humanity: Geog, history.
practical subject: D&T; arts; music, drama, PE
language: spanish; german; Russian; chinese
In my son's school, the school arrange GCSE Chinese exam in school - use cantonese for oral part. My nephew's school is the same - cantonese too.
So far, no one from HK can't get A* in Chinese subject, so it's not very presentable.
I heard a real case that a HK boy joined a day boy school, very small one. He is the only one to sit in the Chinese subject exam and the school has no Chinese teacher to do the exam. The school arrange him to go to a nearby school to do the exam.
Normally Y9 starts spanish, german or russian. Can't say which one is easy or difficult.
Y9 has many subjects but Y10 will cut to 9-10 only. So, if you can't do well in these subject, you can drop them. The school won't let you sit in the exam.
In my son's school, the school arrange GCSE Chinese exam in school - use cantonese ...
如果大家有睇過中文(廣東話) 的 past paper ...只要無錯別字,一定 A* 到。個格式係有 d匪夷所思,但知個 format 就 OK . GCE A level 中文就深少少啦,但如果過去讀 F 6 的,亦無可能 A* 唔到。
中文 (普通話) 要用筒體字作答,普通話考 oral ...如果香港普通話 OK 就無問題,因為亦係好淺,小3程度咁上下。