I am currently in high school and already fluent in another language other than English (Chinese) and have already taken 2 semesters at a local college (so 2 credits) for that language. Do I need to take another semester, as usually at least 3 years are recommended, or does it not matter? Also does it matter that since college classes are based on semester and I have only taken 2, it only counts as 1 year, or is it the amount of credits that matter? Thanks.
Depends on the college you are applying to.
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1802227-faq-foreign-language-p1.html
Most colleges don’t word it, “fluent in a language other than English.” They expect the study, which is more depth and breadth as you rise in level.
I would check with the colleges that you are applying to. Other colleges may waive language requirements and others don’t.
You need to reach a certain level, which most people reach in 4 years. Because college is more intensive, 3-4 semesters would be sufficient.
So, if the two semesters were Upper Intermediate/advanced, you’re good. If they were beginning level, it will be used against you because taking the beginning levels of a language you already know is considered “cheating” and isn’t allowed at many colleges.
At the most selective colleges, if you’re a heritage speaker with parents who have college degrees or it you’re a native speaker, you must show your ability to learn a foreign language - foreign to you.
For colleges that look for that (as opposed to just going by proficiency level), it may also be seen differently if you are a recent immigrant who started learning English relatively recently (i.e. English would be seen as the “foreign language” that you had to learn), versus a heritage speaker in the US (or from another English-speaking country) who learned both English and another language from early childhood.
Which classes have you taken so far at the college? Were you placed into first year for Chinese along with all the students who are true beginners, or were you placed into a higher level course based on your language proficiency? My advice would be to take at least one more semester of Chinese at that college. You want to be able to read and write Chinese well, not just speak it. That will open a lot more doors for you in life.
@happymomof1 @MYOS1634 I have taken, up to the 202 (2nd year Chinese, 2nd semester) 301 level (3rd year Chinese, 1st semester) and I am thinking about taking 302 (3rd year Chinese 2nd semester), to finish it off and get 3 credits.
302 level would be a good idea - it’s well beyond AP so you’d be covered.
In foreign language, a semester long college course is often seen as equivalent to a year long high school course (or even more), so 6th semester college Chinese may approximate 6th year high school Chinese, although the exact correspondence may vary depending on the high school and college.
For comparison to AP level, you can look at sample AP Chinese questions at https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-chinese-language-and-culture/exam . Commonly, colleges consider AP score of 5 equivalent to 4th semester and AP score of 3 equivalent to 2nd semester, but colleges do vary (you can check the AP credit listing of the college you are taking the courses at).
302 is well beyond what most places would require for foreign language to graduate from that college!
You got through 202 and 301. You have enough foreign language for your college applications.