Debating on whether to start Russian or continue French. I’m signed up for Honors French 3 next year, and Honors French 4 senior year. I don’t like French so much, however my teacher likes me a lot and he gives really good letters of recommendation (even to students who don’t speak a word). He gives students a lot of praise for their ambitions and accomplishments.
I’m more interested in Russian, but I can’t fit it into my schedule without dropping French. Russian only goes up to level 2, that’s why I feel like French would be better because I would have 4 years of French. I’m also signed up for Arabic 2 next year, which is my main focus and I hope to study that in college. However, that is also the last level offered.
I want to do something in the IR field or linguistics, so I live and breathe languages. I feel like depth in a language is important but I also feel like Arabic and Russian are unique because they’re not typically studied by high school students. I’m hoping to do NSLI-Y and I really want the program in Morocco (they speak both French and Arabic in Morocco) and I feel like that would develop both languages and look impressive on my app if I got it. College aside, I want to go to Morocco badly anyways.
If it means anything, I already speak 2 languages at home, and I have a fair understanding of Hindi/Urdu (from friends, movies, music, and TV). I can only write in Urdu though.
I’d continue with French to develop real fluency. If you can go abroad to use it, all the better. You can start a new language in college if you want. Not finishing what you start isn’t impressive to adcoms. If there’s a way you can start a new language over the summer and keep up the french, that could work too. You can always write in your application about your desire to study xyz.
I agree with @gardenstategal. Completing a high school level 2 course is not really more than a cursory introduction to a language. Demonstrating a love of languages is accomplished by getting through basic grammar and moving into more complex language structures, reading/writing/conversing in the language. I would focus on increasing your mastery of at least 1 high school language instead of having 3 languages at only a high school 2 level. Most universities are going to value higher progression.
If there is a way to improve your writing and reading levels of your languages at home, that would be hugely beneficial for you bc both Hindi and Urdu are critical languages. http://clscholarship.org
Fwiw, my Dd will be taking Russian 4 next yr as a sr. There are actually quite a few high school students studying Russian. My Dd has competed in both regional and international Russian olympiads. It isn’t as unique as you might think, and I would only pursue it if it is something you think you really want to study hard and master, not bc you think it is unusual and will impress ad coms.
High school level 4 is likely to get placement in college language courses more advanced than the beginner course. High school level 2 may not even get you beyond the beginner courses in college. (Of course, it depends on your high school and college.) So there is probably more educational value in getting to French 4 over French 2 + Russian 2.
@balochi I’m in the NSLIY summer program for Morocco this year! We are leaving next Wednesday-- I am really excited. You seem like the sort of student they like. But, beware, many NSLIY scholars in Morocco say they regret taking French before the exchange because they speak french to the Moroccans rather than Arabic (which is we are there to learn). If you do get the NSLI-Y scholarship, be sure to use as little French as possible in Morocco. You’ll be able to get by with French, but you won’t learn as much Arabic. But I’m sure you’ll get the scholarship. The only language experience I have is Latin, and I got it. Just be mature in your essays, get killer recs, and be mature in your interview any you’ve got it in the bag!
@NikkuWade That’s so amazing omg. Congrats. I didn’t know that. Do you think being in French III & Arabic II will give me an advantage? I hope to get recs from those teachers as well, who both have a pretty positive view of me and give me good feedback on work. I’d already been interested in NA, especially Libya, and taking French and Arabic wasn’t a coincidence for me (though, I am dreading French lately :)) ).
I have a few questions: when you get admitted to first and second choice do you have the option between your first and second?
Also, do you have to write essays for your second and third choices? (Why the language is important, what you’re going to do with it, etc.)
And lastly, I know that one language has different programs in different countries. Can you apply to Arabic in a different country (Oman, Jordan) as your second choice? Or is only one country offered each academic year/summer?
For admissions, getting to Level 4 in a language is a requirement for some colleges. I would try to do that if possible.
Also, if you are into languages, then going deep into one is better than going a little into two.
Nope. Colleges prefer in depth one vs. a smattering in 2. 2 years of HS arabic is unlikely to even earn you much placement, if any, in college. Even spending a summer in Morocco is unlikely to get a user beyond intermediate level skills - Arabic is just that difficult.
It’s still better to have French 3-4 and Arabic, and rare enough that, combined with studying in Morocco, it’d help you stand out.
But Arabic is one of the hardest languages in the world so it’ll take a lot more to reach intermediate level.
@balochi Nope. You don’t even get to choose what country you go to (but you do get to choose the language you want. I’ve never heard of anyone getting anything other than their first choice language). And taking multiple languages probably won’t give you an advantage. Also I agree with @skieurope the NSLIY summer program is extremely intensive (equivalent to one year of college courses) and you will achieve TREMENDOUS growth, but by no means will you be fluent, or even conversational. I’ve been doing Arabic on my own for a around a year, and I’m not even intermediate. After this trip, the State Dept.expects me to be High Intermediate or Low advanced. That is about conversational, but still far from fluent. Also, the choices for Arabic summer are: Morocco, Oman (for girls), and Jordan. You don’t get to choose, that’s just where they can send you. For year the only option is Morocco.
@NikkuWadde Advanced-low is the typical college graduation goal for college students majoring in languages (and most depts require semester study abroad.) Students at that level are taking 400 level in language literature courses, taught in the language, and writing compositions in the language.
(Critical language flagships have a goal of superior, but that is not the norm for most univerisities. My Dd, who will be entering college with 4 yrs of one language and 7 of another, has been told that it is rare for students to make it advanced-high.)
After 1 year in Arabic, you’d be expected to be at novice or beginner-low level.
Advanced Low to Advanced, in Arabic, is quite rare, and requires sustained study as well as study abroad.
My dd has been intensely studying Russian for 3 yrs with a private tutor. She is at an intermediate level now (has passed the B1 levels), but no way she was that advanced after a single yr.
Moving up within the ACTFL levels is not as simple as you make it sound. When being tested by an OPI, intermediate-high students need to be able to discuss everyday topics in past, present, and future tenses. For advanced-low, they need to be able to discuss current events like politics. My dd met with a dept on a college tour recently and met with that university’s OPI for French. They sat conversing in French non-stop for 25 mins. (My dd is what I would classify as fairly fluent. She would have no problem being dropped into the middle of France and functioning 100% independently). This was an unplanned meeting. The OPI told her at the end of their conversation that she would definitely be classifed as intermediate-high, but it would take more time to determine if she could be classified in the advanced ranges b/c they would have to discuss politics, etc and since dd was interviewing the dept, they really just discussed her academic background, family, and her desires in a college.
I know from watching her serious studies in these languages that there is no way she could have reached these levels in a single summer abroad. Most of the universities we have toured recommend a full year abroad b/c it can take a full semester to acclimate to being abroad and the 2nd semester is typically when the most language advancements occur. Those universities STILL MAINTAIN that intermediate-high to advanced-low is their average graduating level. Some students do progress to higher levels, but they are fewer in number and it represents dedication and diligence throughout their 4 yrs.
It’s quite possible you were mistaken. Reaching intermediate level in a year of self study + study abroad is impossible. “Intermediate”, even for a gifted learner, would require 4-5 years of high school study, or 2 years of intense, high-level college studies. Perhaps that’s a goal they set out for you to aspire to?
