Foreign Language requirement for college

[AnitaMcC]

I have been looking into college requirements about foreign langauges and what college's offer. Seems most collleges want 2 years of a foreign language in high school and another (or same) foreign language 2-3 yrs at the college level.

The CC offers two semesters of many languages as Conversational "" I and II (Arabic, Chinese, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Tagalog).

The CC only offers French and Spanish for the "full" language curriculum with Elementary "" I and II, Intermediate "" I and II, and Advanced "" I and II to total three years of foreign language that transfers to most universities.

Dd wants to learn Italian so I got her "Prego! Invitation to Italian" for her to study this year. I planned for her to take Conversational Italian at the CC next year. She is also interested in learning German and Japanese.

Ds wants to learn Latin. We knew the Latin wouldn't count as foreign language requirement at college level but Ds feels it will help him with his science. So he is self studying Latin this year and wants to start German next year and then maybe also learn Italian.

They are trying to complete their associates degree in four years with their high school diploma and then transfer as a junior to a four year university. I figured maybe once they transfered to university they would have more options to complete the foreign language requirements but I guess it isn't an option at some universities and I really don't know which universities they will be interested in four years. I just looked at a few local state universities near us to gauge what courses are good foundations for their high school years to reach their career goals and that these universities accept junior transfers from our CC.

Neither of the twins want to learn French or Spanish (at least not at this time). So if a univesity requires them to transfer with the two years of foreign language met before they transfer... how can we do this learning Italian and/or German with our CC that only offers two semesters of "Conversational" foreign langauge?

I guess why I am asking for input is so I can ease some of my doubts/worries about the foreign language requirements.

[Kareni]

Ds wants to learn Latin. We knew the Latin wouldn't count as foreign language requirement at college level but Ds feels it will help him with his science. So he is self studying Latin this year and wants to start German next year and then maybe also learn Italian.


... how can we do this learning Italian and/or German with our CC that only offers two semesters of "Conversational" foreign langauge?



Don't be too quick to assume that Latin will not be accepted at most colleges. My recent graduate was accepted at eight of the ten colleges to which she applied; she had five years of Latin and one year of Ancient Greek studies. She had no modern language studies at all during high school. She did take the National Latin exam each year; she also took the SAT subject test and an AP test in Latin.

I know that there are SAT subject tests in both Italian (http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/lc_two/ital/ital.html) and German (http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/lc_two/german/german.html). You might check to see if the colleges of interest will allow your child to waive further foreign language requirements with a certain score. Then you would need to take a good look at those tests to determine if your child will be able to obtain that score. (These are not trivial tests!)

I've heard nothing but good things about the German Online (http://germanonline.okstate.edu/) program at Oklahoma State (save for the cost). Perhaps others will chime in with some Italian options.

Regards,
Kareni

[Susan C.]

Anita,
We successfully got dd to agree to Spanish for the reasons you stated. At least you have the conversational Italian as an option, here, it is Spanish, Spanish, or Spanish (small town). Once she understood she couldn't fulfill high school requirements doing the Italian, she willingly agreed to Spanish. She has tons of friends that have taken Spanish, and is talking Spanish with 2-3 of them, and even facebooking in Spanish. Our son is taking Spanish at college, and my husband took Spanish in college as well (husband took Latin in high school, and his college didn't accept it, although the Latin probably did help get him accepted). So, if I could learn Spanish, we can all go to Mexico, or something like that :) Anyway, it is nice to have all of us doing the same language, there is a lot of opportunity to practice.

[latinteach]

I have been looking into college requirements about foreign langauges and what college's offer. Seems most collleges want 2 years of a foreign language in high school and another (or same) foreign language 2-3 yrs at the college level.

Ds wants to learn Latin. We knew the Latin wouldn't count as foreign language requirement at college level but Ds feels it will help him with his science. So he is self studying Latin this year and wants to start German next year and then maybe also learn Italian.

I guess why I am asking for input is so I can ease some of my doubts/worries about the foreign language requirements.

What school has told you that Latin won't count as a foreign language? The vast majority of colleges and universities accept Latin as fulfillment of a college requirement. Of course, German is also an excellent language for scientists as well.

[K-FL]

I'm surprised at the 2-3yrs of college level language. Dd#1 is an English major & they require 3 semesters college level, but my niece is a Biology major in AL & she's required to have 2 semesters of college level (after 4 yrs of hs--go figure.)

[AnitaMcC]

What school has told you that Latin won't count as a foreign language? The vast majority of colleges and universities accept Latin as fulfillment of a college requirement. Of course, German is also an excellent language for scientists as well.

University of Illinois says "All transfer applicants must have completed either three years of one language other than English in high school or through second level of one language other than English in college prior to the desired term of entry. It is strongly encouraged that transfer applicants complete the Illinois Langauge Requirement for this college prior to transfer. This college's graduation requirement is satisfied by completion through the fourth year of one language other than English in high school or through the fourth level of one language other than English in college".

Additional for Music majors (which Dd will be) "The student must achieve what would be fourth-semester language study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, or its equivalent (i.e., proficiency credit, or four years of high school study in a single language). French, German or Italian are strongly encouraged".

So for Dd to study Italian (and German) it should be okay for her to do one year of high school study at home, the two semesters at the CC in Conversational Italian, and then finish the last two semesters at the university??? They are recommending Italian so I would thing this could be doable.

I haven't found a list of specific langauges that are accepted to meet these requirements nor any that is not allowed. So I am guessing on the Latin.

[Susan C.]

University of Illinois says "All transfer applicants must have completed either three years of one language other than English in high school or through second level of one language other than English in college prior to the desired term of entry. It is strongly encouraged that transfer applicants complete the Illinois Langauge Requirement for this college prior to transfer. This college's graduation requirement is satisfied by completion through the fourth year of one language other than English in high school or through the fourth level of one language other than English in college".

Additional for Music majors (which Dd will be) "The student must achieve what would be fourth-semester language study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, or its equivalent (i.e., proficiency credit, or four years of high school study in a single language). French, German or Italian are strongly encouraged".

So for Dd to study Italian (and German) it should be okay for her to do one year of high school study at home, the two semesters at the CC in Conversational Italian, and then finish the last two semesters at the university??? They are recommending Italian so I would thing this could be doable.

I haven't found a list of specific langauges that are accepted to meet these requirements nor any that is not allowed. So I am guessing on the Latin.

Anita,
Now I get the Italian, a music major!
Remember that one semester of college equals a year of high school, so then you would need either a year at home plus 3 semesters at CC, or 4 semesters at CC. My son is taking Beginning Spanish 1 at college, and he says he could have come in there without any prior knowledge. He has one book, 12 chapters, that will be used for 3 semesters, Beg. 1, Beg. 2, Proficiency. Intermediate is the 4th semester.

HTH

[AnitaMcC]

Anita,
Now I get the Italian, a music major!
Remember that one semester of college equals a year of high school, so then you would need either a year at home plus 3 semesters at CC, or 4 semesters at CC. My son is taking Beginning Spanish 1 at college, and he says he could have come in there without any prior knowledge. He has one book, 12 chapters, that will be used for 3 semesters, Beg. 1, Beg. 2, Proficiency. Intermediate is the 4th semester.

HTH

LOL, yep Dd a music major and Ds a astrophysics major. So I guess their choices in foreign language comes "naturally" to them. Ds wants to learn Latin and German (and he can't remember exactly why he wants German but he "knows" that German is good for science) and Dd wants to learn Italian and German. So I am thinking their choice in foreign languages are good ones. I just need to find how for them to study their choices and meet the colleges requirements.

[latinteach]

I haven't found a list of specific langauges that are accepted to meet these requirements nor any that is not allowed. So I am guessing on the Latin.

Your best bet would be to contact the school directly. They would certainly be able to give you good advice regarding how they award foreign language credit.