<p>So I was watching this video about Dartmouth and it said all students are required to be fluent in a foreign language by graduation. Is this true? If so, can anyone tell me more about the programs, difficulty, etc. Thanks.</p>
<p>I think I remember my tour guide saying that you are required to take two years worth of a foreign language, but you can test out of the requirements based on how many years you took in high school or if you travel abroad with the language department. The language curriculum is pretty intense though-you do this drill thing for an hour every day or something like that so you are super good at the language by the time you are done. i don't go to dartmouth though so I bet a current student could describe it better</p>
<p>I know a current student. They line you up against the wall (10 people at a time I think) for an hour twice a week. They pace along the line...and they'll turn and ask you a question rapidly in the language you are learning. Like a native you are expected to give a quick, good, coherent response.</p>
<p>That current student hated it at first but he is currently abroad and is very thankful for it- he is confident that it improved his speaking skills significantly which made the transition easier.</p>
<p>That sounds intense! It's exciting, but a bit intimidating!</p>
<p>Actually, they line you up against a wall and ask each person a question in the language. If he/she doesn't answer correctly, he's shot. Dartmouth students become fluent very quickly!!</p>
<p>Seriously -- you're required to take three terms of a language, or you can place out of one, two or all three terms. Many people take a language "term" by studying abroad.</p>
<p>Wow, that sounds really intense/cool.</p>
<p>To piggyback on VeryHappy's post...</p>
<p>You language requirements are filled by taking Foreign language 1 thru 3. You can fulfill these requirement, through AP, IB, Sat scores combined with foreign language taken in high school.</p>
<p>There are pre-requisites that you must meet before doing a language or foriegn study abroad. You need to meet the requirements before your trip takes place.</p>
<p>Yes, you can study abroad to replace some of the foreign language requirements.</p>
<p>If you have fulfilled the requirements for spanish 2 or 3 then yes you can sign up to do a LSA or FSA as early as your sophmore year. when you do a study abroad, you are taking 3 classes. Your tuition and Financial aid for the term covers the study abroad (you must pay for your own airline tickets). Dartmouth now has a program Eliminating Financial Barriers where you may be able to get increased funding for your airline tickets (as they would not want this to stop you from studying abroad)</p>
<p>Does anyone know anything about Chinese at Dartmouth?
How's the program compared to the other languages? Worth taking even though i currently take another language, but interested in Chinese?</p>
<p>They don't line you up against the wall....that's an exaggeration to say the least. The program you're referring to though is drill, which all intro language classes (except Latin and Ancient Greek, for obvious reasons) have. It's actually a fun time, and since each section is so small (usually 8 people) you all get to know each other very well. You're not graded based on it, you're just expected to show up and give good effort. Also, each day is geared towards the things you're learning, so it's not like on day one they expect you to know the whole language. Furthermore, it makes for good review for exams and other assignments.</p>
<p>There are courses as well as a FSP in chinese.</p>
<p>Asian</a> and Middle Eastern Languages and Literatures (DAMELL)</p>
<p>do you know anything about the courses itself? like if they're interesting/how are the profs, etc</p>
<p>Coopjust, drill is nothing like that! You make it sound waaaaay more intense than it actually is.</p>
<p>I took Spanish drill for 2 terms. Basically, you sit in a circle with a drill instructor (a student who is fluent in the language) in the middle. The instructor will say something like, "Tengo dos zapatos." Then he/she will point to someone and say "Tu!" And that person has to say, "Tienes dos zapatos." Then they'll say "Nosotros" and point to someone else and so on...</p>
<p>It really isn't very hard. Some people take awhile to get the hang of drill but it isn't a big deal at all. Once a week we would play crazy games like simon dice and stuff like that.</p>
<p>Ainsivalavie, Spanish 1 was actually one of my favorite courses. My prof was so kind and patient and we did a lot of fun group activities to practice our Spanish conversation.</p>
<p>Hey, maybe the student I know dramatized it. He can do that :p</p>
<p>Or maybe the Italian profs are harder ;)</p>
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I was wondering if there was any way to test out of the requirements if we are already fluent in a language but have not taken it in high school. I ask because I want to pursue a double major and I would need all the course space available. I am fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese, and took French in high school because the school did not offer Chinese. Is this allowed? Thanks.</p>
<p>click the link in post # 8 as it talks about testing out.</p>
<p>Nice...my major is Russian:)
Shall be fun to fulfill if I get in:)</p>
<p>No, Italian is no different. Thats the language I take now. The profs are amazing people, actually. Also, drill isn't run by profs; it's run by students who are fluent in the language - just one more thing to make it a fun time.</p>
<p>Mi dispiace, bulldogbull. Io pensa per sbaglio :(</p>
<p>I guess the student I know there is a bit of a drama queen...he can exaggerate the difficulty of things to make things seem like bigger accomplishments ;)</p>
<p>I've taken Italian for the past four years in high school, and received a 5 on my AP test last year. I was wondering if there is a way for me to keep up with Italian while learning a new language at Dartmouth that doesn't involve taking two language classes?</p>