Foreign Language Requirement

[Lockz]

<p>Okay, so the FL requirement is four terms of a language. I have taken four years of Spanish (one of the years in middle school) and will be taking AP Spanish my upcoming senior year. I am a good Spanish student, but I am not brilliant. </p>

<p>According to Columbia’s website a 4 on the AP Spanish exam will satisfy the requirement. I know that there is no way I will score a 4 on the exam because it’s a killer (plus they’re changing it again). I read in a different thread that one needs to score a 780+ on the SAT II Subject Test in Spanish to satisfy the language requirement. Is this true?</p>

<p>If I cannot achieve either of the two things mentioned above (which is most likely) and I attend Columbia, I guess I will take the placement exam. How difficult is the placement exam?</p>

[hazmat]

<p>…

Foreign Language Requirement
The foreign language requirement forms part of Columbia College’s mission to prepare students to be tomorrow’s conscientious and informed citizens. Knowledge of another’s language and literature is the most important way to begin to know a country and people. The study of a foreign language: </p>

<p>Sensitizes students to world cultures and citizens and at the same time makes students aware of their own culture within the perspective of world cultures; </p>

<p>Introduces students to the differences in structure, grammar, and syntax that distinguish two languages, and to the intimate links between language and cultural meaning; and </p>

<p>Contributes to the development of students’ critical, analytical, and writing skills.
The requirement may be satisfied in one of the following ways: </p>

<p>Satisfactory completion of the second term of an intermediate language sequence. </p>

<p>Demonstration of an equivalent competence through the appropriate score on the SAT II Subject Test or Advanced Placement Tests. </p>

<p>Demonstration of an equivalent competence through the College’s own placement tests (consult the department through which the language is offered). </p>

<p>The successful completion of an advanced level foreign language or literature course that requires 1202 or the equivalent as a prerequisite. This course must be taken for a letter grade. </p>

<p>Students whose native language is not English are not required to take an additional foreign language or an achievement test if they have completed the secondary school requirement in the native language.</p>

<p>Because success in learning a foreign language is dependent on the full engagement of the students enrolled in a language course all terms of language instruction/conversation courses, whether being used toward fulfillment of the foreign language requirement or not, must be taken in order and for a letter grade. These courses may not be taken for a grade of Pass/Fail.

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[Lockz]

<p>Thank you for posting that, but I have already seen all of that information. I am looking for answers to my two questions about the SAT II score and the difficulty of the placement exam.</p>

[hazmat]

<p>I know that at my school and many others the SAT2 IS the placement exam. You need to phone the department secretary and inquire if that is in fact the case. As to the score needed for relief:
<a href=“Columbia College Bulletin < Columbia College | Columbia University”>Columbia College Bulletin < Columbia College | Columbia University;

<p>

Placement Exams
All students wishing to enter the language program at any level beyond the first semester of the elementary level must pass a language placement test before registering. Language placement exams are held on the Friday before the first day of classes (check the calendar for exact times and locations). </p>

<p>Students who have been absent from the campus for one semester or more must take a placement test before enrolling in a language course beyond the first term of the elementary level.

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[columbia2007]

<p>The departments compose their own tests or crib them from other schools (the Italian department uses Princeton’s; they don’t even bother to change the title at the top of the sheet). Their difficulty varies considerably by department, as does your placement based on your score. My girlfriend came to Columbia as a transfer, did reasonably well on the Italian test but was only placed in intermediate (she had taken advanced courses at NYU). She had to beg the head of the department, barraging her with calls, letters of recommendation from the NYU faculty, and writing samples before they relented and finally gave her an exemption.</p>