<p>Currently, I am a freshman taking Spanish 2. At an IB school, it looks as if I'll most likely take Spanish SL when I reach 11th grade. However, my high school teacher is terrible at Spanish and I absolutely hate it. I'm still doing well in the class, but I can't enjoy the class at all. I have wondered about taking French ab inito, mainly so I don't have to take Spanish and have a broad knowledge about these foreign languages. The only reason I am hesitant about going to French ab inito is because of colleges. I am afraid that colleges will be turned away by me attending a simple class and having a lack of focus. Do you know what colleges will thing? By the way, I am striving for one of the top colleges (dream = Stanford)</p>
<p>If you hate Spanish and don’t think you even have a chance at passing (“my high school teacher is terrible”), then why take it? Take French if you love it. </p>
<p>I’d recommend going through French all the way you can (French ab initio, French 3?, French 4, etc.) up until you graduate. This shows that you a) have a flair for languages, seeing as you took 2 in high school and b) that you has a passion for French.</p>
<p>For the purpose of college, I’d definitely say Spanish. B languages in SL are much more respected than their ab initio counterparts</p>
<p>I’m unfamiliar with the IB program, but I made a switch from Spanish to French as well. If you understand languages, you can do what I did and teach yourself the first few years of French, take a placement test into the higher level class and just continue from there. You could also go ahead of the class once you place in and then next year you can get into an even higher level.</p>
<p>I used a couple books to teach myself French I and II over the summer, so now I’m in French IIIH. Now I’m just practicing my French and taking the AP French test at the end of this year. So, you can do something similar.</p>
<p>It’s really not that hard if you get good materials. If you have any questions on what books to get, let me know. Also, I can give you some links to some good online language resources.</p>
<p>Oh, DO NOT GET ROSETTA STONE. EVER.</p>
<p>Or you could just take French at the community college during the summer.</p>