<p>What is the method of instruction for elementary foreign language at Bama? This would be a language that a student has never taken in high school but wants to take as a humanities requirement, just because they are interested in taking it. Hey, that’s what college is for, right? Curious as to how this works nowadays, as so many kids take languages in high school and enter at the intermediate level. This would be first exposure to a modern foreign language. Class search on mybama indicates less than 10 students per class, so wondering whether this is an online class or taught by TAs or a “real” professor. Not an honors class, by the way, so surprised at the small number of students in the class.</p>
<p>The 101 classes assume that the student doesn’t know anything.</p>
<p>BTW…in my opinion…Italian is the EASIEST language to learn. Pronunciation, spelling, etc…very easy. And, Bama has excellent Italian profs.</p>
<p>
The classes that are considered “critical languages,” which are some of the less common languages (Arabic, Croatian, Czech, etc.) are taught by a “language tutor” which I believe is always a native speaker of the language. If you google “UA Critical languages” you will find their site. It is sort of a less formal program but my friend took Swahili and loved it! The ones considered modern languages (French, Spanish, German, etc.) are taught by a “real” professor. If a class is online, it will be indicated as such on MyBama.</p>
<p>Another thing one will see on a MyBama search is that most 101 language classes meet four or five days a week and are 4 credits. Something to keep in mind when scheduling classes.</p>
<p>Montegut…if these are 101 classes, then they are frosh classes. If so, then the rest of the seats won’t open until Bama Bound for the frosh to sign up.</p>
<p>Which languages are you looking at?</p>
<p>I’m not sure which one he has in mind, but since he’s only taken the classics, he will take the 101 section of whichever one he takes. I randomly looked at a modern language 101 and saw a small class section, that was closed. Good point about the Bama Bound. Maybe more seats do open as frosh schedule it. It may be a good idea for him to look at past semesters to see what the actual class size is. I know he does not want an online course, as he likes to meet new people and interact with his professors. Unlike many on here, he has chosen his core requirements from the nonhonors selection, and has really enjoyed meeting the variety of people and faculty this way. Those classes have never been easy A’s, either, and have even involved papers andprojects, but they have been his most enjoyable classes so far, and, despite being nonhonors, have had a class size of under 25.</p>
<p>Montegut…are you looking at foreign languages (like Spanish, German, etc), or are you looking at Latin and Greek (largely associated with those majoring in The Classics)?</p>
<p>Programs with Majors:</p>
<p>Classical Civilization
French
German
Greek
Latin
Spanish</p>
<p>Programs with Minors:</p>
<p>Chinese
French
German
Greek
Italian
Japanese
Latin
Russian
Spanish
World Literature</p>
<p>* I randomly looked at a modern language 101 *</p>
<p>What was that??</p>
<p>No, he’s not interested in the classics. He’s taken those. And I know he doesn’t want Spanish. I looked at French, only because that’s what my family took in college, which listed eight students in a class. I only know he would not want to be in an online class or one that has a lot of students in it.</p>
<p>French is very hard. Italian is much easier. German is somewhat hard. Spanish is easier than French, but harder than Italian. All of these are taught in classrooms. </p>
<p>I would not have him take French unless he has a knack for foreign languages and an “ear” for French.</p>
<p>The classes will probably have about 30 kids in them.</p>
<p>Edit…I just looked up the Italian class that my son took last year…27 students. </p>
<p>Prof was Gabriella Marconi Merriman…I believe that she’s from Venice. </p>
<p>Just checked…yes, she’s from Venice. She also leads the Alabama in Venice summer program.</p>
<p>I did just check the Fall 2011 schedule on myBama, and French had 24 students in it, two teachers listed. Curious how this works. </p>
<p>Who knows, he may change his mind when he finally has room in his engineering/CBH schedule to take another humanity. I only know he said he wants to take it at Bama and not at a local college. This year has been rough, only taking engineering and CBH courses. Last year, he enjoyed meeting kids from different departments when he took nonhonors core courses, and especially loved the smaller classes where he interacted with other students and his professors. As for the difficulty of the class, I’ve already resigned myself it will probably not be an A class for him, but no matter, as long as it’s something he wants to do.</p>
<p>
My FR 201 class last semester listed two teachers as well, but we only actually had one…not really sure why that is. I’m a French major and I love the language and the French department at UA. I have had amazing experiences with French classes (given that I didn’t take 100-level ones here) and would recommend them to anyone!</p>
<p>*two teachers listed. Curious how this works. *</p>
<p>One is the prof, the other is a grad student getting “in the classroom” experience. Since many/most PhD French students are future profs, they need classroom experience.</p>
<p>All Graduate Teaching Assistants enrolled in the Ph.D. program, regardless of track, benefit from supervised in-service pedagogical training with a language acquisition specialist. The training includes a course on foreign language<em>teaching theories and methods (FR 512) and integrates teaching methodology with meaningful use of technology to develop teaching practices, which is particularly valuable for</em>future career placement.</p>
<p>While I haven’t taken a formal French course at UA, I enjoyed it a lot. It is also very common in STEM fields, particularly mathematics, and of course cooking and film. I’ve also found that not many guys, but lots of intelligent women, take French, which may be a side benefit for your son.</p>
<p>^^^LOL! Don’t get my hopes up! Very interesting about the STEM, although more likely the film and cooking would be the draw. Don’t know if this is the language he’s leaning toward, but with that in mind, I definitely won’t discourage him! I’ve learned the hard way this year to keep my nose out of his business, so I just have to wait and get the bill for the books to see what he winds up taking!</p>
<p>So D is very confused about what language to take. She is currently in Spanish 101 - meets MWF at 9:00 with apparently some lab time. It is her only Friday class. Teacher is Branton Burgess Baird. No reviews. She has taken spanish in high school but was sick at Bama Bound and failed placement test. She is nervous about the extra lab time in Spanish. Not an honors course but only 25 students in class so far.</p>
<p>Now she is thinking about italian 101. Class meets M-Thurs so no Friday classes. Teacher is Barbara Godderici. It is an Honors class with only 17 students so far. She would like to study abroad in Italy if that is even possible (study abroad is something we know nothing about). The non honors course would work also with Gabriella Merriman as teacher. If she switches to italian she will probably drop IHP 155. (She has 16 hours now and only wants to take 12-14 hours her first semester due to recruitment) She doesn’t know if the honors class would be a lot more difficult than non-honors. </p>
<p>If she doesn’t switch to Italian she still has to figure out another class to drop. She has GBA 145; Sp 101; Geography 101: IHP 155; CS 102 and UH 120. </p>
<p>Any experience with Spanish or Italian? IHP 155? Any thoughts/suggestions at all about her decision></p>
<p>Thank you so much!</p>
<p>Don’t drop an honors class. It is very hard to get those in as she gets into her major, especially if she’s a STEM major.</p>
<p>Since she’s interested in study abroad in Italy, I would recommend Italian. And, I wouldn’t drop anything, either. I think she’ll be fine with that schedule, replacing Spanish with Italian. Don’t worry about the Italian. She may have to do a project or a paper, but she may enjoy that!</p>
<p>I don’t see any “hard” science classes in there like biology, chemistry, physics or math, which usually have 3 hour labs associated with them, so I think she’ll have plenty of time for her sorority life and her studies. </p>
<p>I also hear that Barbara G is an amazing dresser with lots of style, and I’ll bet a sorority girl would be thrilled to have her as a teacher!</p>
<p>My daughter had the Honors version of Italian 101 with Barbara Godderici. She loved Professor Godderici and enjoyed the class immensely. It was a small class – if I recall correctly only fifteen or so students. If my daughter had any complaint about the class it was that she wished it had moved faster – but Italian was my daughter’s fifth modern foreign language/third Romance language (she is not fluent in all of them – her studies have varied from one semester to five years) so she knows a lot of the basic stuff that is common to any foreign language. All in all she would highly recommend Italian 101 Honors – a great course and the only introductory foreign language that also provides UH credit.</p>
<p>What is your D’s major?</p>
<p>My kids love/loved their Italian classes at Bama. They have had both Barbara Godderici and Gabriella Merriman. My kids swear that Italian is the easiest language to learn.</p>
<p>Gabriella leads an Alabama in Italy summer abroad. She’s a native Italian (I think she’s from Milan). </p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry about taking the honors version of Italian.</p>
<p>I just showed my D this thread and now she wants to take Italian since she would like to learn a new language. Montegut, you mentioned about a PP not taking a hard science like biology. D also read that and now she is worried. She is signed up to take BSC (Bio) 108. She is not a science person and unlike many on CC would like to take an easy science. Any suggestions? And thanks for the Italian advice. We are off to check is Italian 101 is offered spring semester.</p>
<p>My D is a business major. She would have to drop or change iHP 155 to fit in Italian since it meets 4 days a week instead of 3 like Spanish. Geography is a science with a 3 hour lab. Her classes appear fairly easy but time consuming. IHP 155 also requires 2 hours a week for 5 weeks at specific times outside of class time for Cultural Speaking. She has been strongly advised to take a light load in the fall and no Friday classes! I don’t know if I agree with that advice but she does have room in her schedule to take a light load for a semester while she adjusts. </p>
<p>I have heard that the Italian program is “better” than the Spanish program. Does anyone have any thoughts on that? Spanish makes more sense since she has had it in high school and it is more common of language world wide. But Italian sounds more fun! Is she actually does graduate with International Honors too then she would need 4 semesters of foreign language. I wonder which one would be harder as it progresses? </p>
<p>She could probably take IHP 155 in the spring since it is a freshman only class. I thought switching IHP for Honors Italian would be an even swap.</p>
<p>linnylu- D does not really care for science either. After much debate and research between BSC 108 and GY 101 she decided on GY 101. Her reasoning was - T/TH class (which still has openings) with a good teacher instead of MWF class. M2C advised against BSC 108 and D could not imagine taking Biology again anyway.</p>