<p>If I plan on studying multiple foreign languages or a foreign language and international relations/studies in college am I better off in a smaller LAC type school with personal attention or a larger school with more programs and classes per language? Do they cap foreign language classes at large schools? </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>bump 10char</p>
<p>If you want multiple foreign languages, then look for schools that offer that. Not all small or large schools do. </p>
<p>I don’t know what the rules are for capping class sizes at various schools. At my kids’ big undergrad, their FL classes were limited to 30 kids. At my older son’s elite small private, the undergrad FL class he took was large. I don’t think there is a “rule of thumb”.</p>
<p>You’ll just have to look up the details at various schools.</p>
<p>Check for the availability of the specific languages, courses, and majors at each school.</p>
<p>A linguistics major could become familiar with the basic morphology and syntax of multiple languages in the course of 4 years. If that’s what you want, and if you want to cover less commonly taught languages, then consider major research universities like Berkeley, Michigan, Chicago, or Penn. If your goal is to “speak like a diplomat” in one or two commonly taught languages, then either a university or a LAC could work, but do try to include study abroad in your program.</p>
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<p>I don’t think there is a right and wrong answer.
It depends on the school and what your personal preferences are.
I know people who have studied what you describe at very small New England LACs.
And I know people who did the same at very large state universities.
They’re all smart, successful and happy about their college choices.
Sorry, but it all depends.</p>
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<p>Yes, exactly.</p>
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<p>What does “speak like a diplomat” mean?</p>
<p>A lot depends on the languages you want to study. If you want to study Russian, you can find that most anywhere. If you want to study, say, Arabic or Urdu, you’ll find that the offerings are limited at a lot of small colleges.</p>
<p>My daughter was temperamentally suited to a small college, but ended up choosing a medium-size research university to study languages and international relations because the prospects for studying Arabic were better than at the LACs she’d been thinking of.</p>
<p>The bottom line, as others have said, is that you’ll probably have to do your own homework on this one.</p>
<p>A lot of good points have been posted here, and I would just like to reiterate that LAC does not necessarily equal more personal attention and smaller classes than a university. I took a language class this quarter in my university as well as know several people who also took/have taken language classes, and I can attest to the fact that the vast majority (if not all) of the classes are small (the biggest number in the teens) and that the students enjoy a lot of personal attention from their professors. I don’t know what the exact cap is, but I guess around 19. That said, LAC does not necessarily equal less language offerings either. Middlebury, for example, is regarded as one of the top colleges for studying languages (incidentally, they’re also great for IR) so my guess is that their offerings might be more numerous than a typical LAC. You really need to look into the course offerings and class sizes of the specific schools you are interested in, the stereotypes don’t always hold up.</p>
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<p>I was alluding to advertising claims by for-profit language training schools or purveyors of language-learning software. I assume they mean speaking a foreign language well enough to begin using it professionally, for example as a foreign service officer or in international business. Of course, a phrase like this has no precise meaning (since “diplomats” are likely to speak foreign languages with varying proficiency.)</p>
<p>My recommendations:</p>
<p>(1) Figure out which languages you want. If you want to become seriously proficient in your languages, you’re best off limiting your languages to two, maybe three at the most. </p>
<p>(2) Once you know which languages you want to take, see how many schools have them. The LCTL database is very helpful for this. </p>
<p>[The</a> Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA) : Less Commonly Taught Languages](<a href=“http://www.carla.umn.edu/lctl/db/index.php]The”>The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA): Less Commonly Taught Languages)</p>
<p>(3) When analyzing language strength, consider the following:
[ul][<em>]How many professors or instructors are there in the language?
[</em>]How many years of the language are offered?
[<em>]Are the introductory and intermediate sequences BOTH offered every year? (Many LACs alternate them, which can be highly problematic.)
[</em>]Check out the actual course listings on the registrar’s website, not the course catalog, which is rarely updated at most colleges.
[li]What other resources does the college have? Library materials in that language? Language coffee hours? Language dorms?[/ul]</p>[/li]
<p>(4) If you’re undecided about size, consider applying to a mix of colleges – assuming the smaller colleges have your languages to a high level. </p>
<p>(5) If you are interested in Arabic, Persian, Russian, or Swahili, I highly recommend a flagship program, which go beyond the typical language program. These are as follows:
[ul][<em>]Arabic - Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Oklahoma, UT Austin
[</em>]Persian - Maryland
[<em>]Russian - Bryn Mawr, Haverford, Portland State, UCLA, Wisconsin
[</em>]Swahili - Indiana [/ul]
[American</a> Councils’ Overseas Language Flagship Programs](<a href=“http://flagship.americancouncils.org/splash.php]American”>http://flagship.americancouncils.org/splash.php)</p>
<p>(6) Also check out the CLS program, which offers funded training in languages overseas during the summer. The following languages are offered at the intro level:
[ul][<em>]Azerbaijani
[</em>]Bengali
[<em>]Hindi
[</em>]Indonesian
[<em>]Korean
[</em>]Punjabi
[<em>]Turkish
[</em>]Urdu[/ul]
Additionally, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Persian, and Russian are taught at advanced levels.</p>
<p>[Critical</a> Language Scholarship Program](<a href=“http://www.clscholarship.org/]Critical”>http://www.clscholarship.org/)</p>
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<p>Yes, but Middlebury’s real claim to fame is quality, not quantity.
Their summer language schools cover 10 languages (French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese; German; Russian; Hebrew, Arabic; Chinese; Japanese). Their 4-year undergraduate programs also cover Classics (Greek and Latin).</p>
<p>In contrast, the University of Michigan’s Language Resource Center lists “resources” for over 40 languages (including Armenian, Catalan, Hindi, Irish, Serbo-Croatian, Swedish, and Zulu.)
Some research universities also offer courses in languages of historic interest, such as Old Church Slavic.</p>
<p>As someone who is downright terrible at foreign languages but who knows many, many people who are very excellent at it, I should add the following thought …</p>
<p>I’m assuming the O/P is a high school student. The ability to speak foreign languages well involves, like a lot of things, a lot of natural ability and innate talent. I could study four years at Julliard and I’d never become a good violinist, let alone an excellent one.</p>
<p>Where one goes to college or how large is the class size is a lot less related to success in language speaking, reading and writing than is the student’s own interests, hard work, motivation and abilities.</p>
<p>I suggest that the O/P (if they haven’t done so already) perform an honest self-assessment. What language(s) is the student taking currently? What are the grades? IMHO, if a HS student is not already earning at least straight A’s in their languages classes I highly recommend they do not major in foreign languages in college.</p>
<p>ng, if your objective is to join the foreign service, the size of your undergraduate school will have no impact. Choose the school where you will be happiest (best fit), do your best and aim for one of the prestigious IR graduate programs.</p>
<p>I see from another post that English isn’t your first language. In that case you already have a 2nd language. One more should do it. Unless you’re thinking linguistics or a little spoken language, all colleges large & small should provide enough courses and opportunities to become fluent in one or two languages.</p>
<p>US State Department postings can be quite random and not necessarily related to existing language skills. The ability and facility to learn language quickly is an asset, however, as language training is required prior to starting the job. Most senior level diplomats have one or two core languages (in addition to English) like French, German, Arabic or Chinese which they then supplement with the languages of their host countries.</p>
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<p>True, but the O/P never mentioned joining the foreign service.</p>
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<p>Not true. A graduate degree in IR (or any other major) is not a requirement for joining the foreign service. And, as a matter of fact, I would recommend against it.</p>
<p>As I’ve posted several times before, the best background and traits for success in the foreign service are: leadership skills, ability to manage time, excellent writing skills, excellent communication skills, resourcefulness, creativity and being action-oriented. Over fifty percent of FSO work has absolutely nothing to do with “international relations.”</p>
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<p>If you meant “job hiring postings,” not true. The FSO test is given three times every year, each time for a period, or “window,” of eight days. The next window is February 2 to 9, 2013.</p>
<p>If you meant overseas postings, I don’t know what you mean by “random.” They are not random at all. It is an involved process, but by no means “random.”</p>
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<p>Sorry, not true. Though language knowledge or abilities is an asset, there is no requirement. And if the FSO is not proficient enough in the host country language before posting, the employee attends language training beforehand.</p>
<p>The only firm requirements for entry into the foreign service are medical and security clearances.</p>
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<p>Too general a statement to comment on here.
And besides, the O/P is (presumably) a high school student. “Senior level” is a bit of a ways off. ;)</p>
<p>GF, Despite disagreeing with my several points, we seem to have come to the same conclusions on the OP’s questions.</p>
<p>I stand by what I wrote about foreign service jobs, but will clarify that by “random” I was referring to language skills: You don’t need to be proficient in a particular language to be assigned to a particular country. Once you secure the job you will receive language training. Conversely just because you speak Dutch doesn’t mean you will be assigned to Holland.</p>
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<p>Speaking Dutch is guranteed to be posted in Suriname. ;)</p>
<p>I think Middlebury is well known for languages.</p>
<p>^^^^</p>
<p>See post # 9 in this thread.</p>