Foreign Language Requirement

<p>I’m a potential transfer student for the Fall 2012, by that time I would be out of high school (the last time I took a Spanish course) for 3 years. I never enjoyed taking foreign language courses and they were definitely a challenge for me.
So my question is, how rigorous is the foreign language requirement at BC. As someone who essentially would be starting over and without a doubt taking the intro level course, how long would it take me to satisfy the requirement?
I would be going into BC as a second semester sophomore or a first semester junior, depending on how my credits transfer…so would I be taking a Spanish course every semester until graduation?
I know it sounds like a small aspect of the college experience but I desperately do not want to take these courses as I have no interest in them, so it is a big concern for me</p>

<p>bump . . .</p>

<p>You have to complete the intermediate level. If you start in elementary level course it will take two years to fulfill the requirement.</p>

<p>Another option would be to take the SAT II for spanish to place out of it</p>

<p>I wish I would have taken the SAT II out of high school, at this point I would never pass it. I have not spoken spanish or even thought about it much in over two years so I would without a doubt have to start at the elementary level.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, the language requirement is pretty rough. I’m personally not a fan of it, so I’m hoping to do some studying in the summer and take a SAT II out. That being said, my intro level French courses have not been rigorous at all. A daily assignment is due, along with a few cultural elements (i.e. a paragraph on a french movie of your choosing) and somewhat-weekly chapter homeworks. My roommate is in the intermediate French class and has a similar workload for his class.</p>

<p>I guess I’m just thinking ahead. If I have to take 4 semesters of a foriegn language it may hinder my ability to intern somewhere like Washington DC (I’m a poly sci major) and/or study abroad where I want. Both of which already could be tough to schedule because I have to make up ground as a transfer.
Wish schools were not so strict on requirements like foreign languages. I understand requiring other elements of the core but personally I think it should be encouraged but not mandatory. No doubt a valuable skill to have, but as a transfer student coming in with no interest in the subject…it is really an unnecesary burden</p>

<p>You have the unique ability to learn (and attempt to master) virtually any language you want - BC not only offers french, spanish, italian, but also arabic, russian, chinese, japanese…you should take advantage of this requirement! it has become increasingly important that people know multiple languages today for their jobs. I think it’s great that BC has a proficiency requirement rather than a flat out 4 semester or 12 credit requirement - proving proficiency allows you to skip out only because you’ve proven that you are capable of speaking/reading/writing a language other than english. Learning additional languages can only open doors in the future, not shut them.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>This is true, but ultimately French, Spanish, and Italian are the most pragmatic languages to learn, particularly as a transfer student. There are plenty of sections for the intro courses for these languages, but there are only one or two for Chinese and Japanese. And some languages like Korean and Bulgarian are only offered biannually. I’m currently taking Japanese and I’ll have to skip taking a major class next year because of scheduling issues with Japanese class. I wouldn’t have this problem if I was taking Spanish.</p>

<p>Anyways, to the OP, I’d say take the Spanish proficiency test (and perhaps see if you can brush up on anything), and see where you’re placed.</p>