Zephyr.E

So...I just took the Spanish language placement test and I know I totally bombed it. I took Spanish two years ago and only really remember vocabulary--I forgot all of those grammar rules/etc.

Should I just go ahead and demoralize myself and take the oral part during orientation, or should I try contacting people in the department asking if I can just start at a beginning level ...? Does anyone have any experience with this? It just seems like a waste to take the oral part when I know I will only make a fool of myself : (

Thanks!

GammaGrozza

Well if you didn't do the oral part, wouldn't you just start at the beginning level? And don't you want to see if you can at least get placed so you have to take one quarter less? Placement tests should be hard, so they can really differentiate students. It wouldn't be a good placement test if half the students got 90+ percent. So maybe don't be so demoralized.

Jeez, yo temo ahora. Tambien hace dos anos desde que yo estudie espanol. Voy a tomarlo manana, pero no estoy seguro que yo pueda recibir un buen resultado. Necesito decir y escribir todo en espanol para practicar.

^Did I do dece there? I really don't want to be required to take spanish in college. I should probably look at some grammar site tonight to freshen up.

Zephyr.E

Thanks

But just to clarify...I -want- to be placed into a beginning level spanish class, because I want to become fluent so I would rather have a strong foundation established from Stanford's curriculum instead of the shaky foundation my HS gave me.

According to the language website, I have to take the placement tests because I have some experience with the language--I was just hoping I could circumvent that requirement because I want to voluntarily begin in introductory courses anyway...

Anyways, good luck with it I'm sure you'll do just fine --It was only hard for me because I haven't studied it in over two years lol

GammaGrozza

^I'm somewhat confused. If you are going to start from the first year class, and want to become fluent, then you will most likely get your three quarters in, right? If you keep taking the test and get placed into the second quarter instead of the first or third, would you go back to the first? And are you required to take the placement test? I didn't think so. I just thought that by not taking it means you have to start over, which you want to do anyway.

"Tambien hace dos anos desde que yo estudie espanol" = It has been two years since I studied spanish also . Right? So I may be in the same boat as you. Except I want to pass out of the requirement because I'm not a fan of learning spanish in school.

whylion

Maybe you should just take the test and see where they put you based on the result. Don't worry about being embarrased because the oral part is taped - not done in person.
Trust them to place you in the right class - that's why they have the test.

GammaGrozza

Man, I just finished the test. Dios mio! It was tough. Don't get too down on yourself.

Zephyr.E

Wellll now it's my understanding that placement tests are optional, so I didn't have to take it anyways lol. I'm perfectly content with placing myself in beginning classes and taking spanish all 3 quarters : )