<p>I am currently a college freshman double-majoring in International Studies and Political Science. I attend a liberal arts college that has a one year foreign language requirement which I just fulfilled, meaning that I have now studied French for five years. However, the International Studies program at the college does not have any further foreign language requirements. Since I will be double-majoring as well as spending two semesters studying off campus (one abroad, one for an internship) I do not have time to take any further language classes. After college I plan on going to law school. Will the fact that I have an International Studies degree and only 5 years of a foreign language hurt me in the long run? I can hold a pretty decent conversation in French and can read it and write it even better. The last French class that I finished was an intermediate level course.</p>
<p>Take more French. Learn more French. It doesn’t have to be in a college setting. Why can’t you go to google.fr, type in something that interests you, and end up on a message forum communicating with French speakers? Take a class in the city you’re interning at. Heck, take a class at a community college in the city you’re interning at.</p>
<p>An IR major who stops at Intermediate will look like someone who took the easy way out. You should either take language classes during your study abroad, so that you know two foreign languages OR take French up to Advanced Conversation or Contemporary Civilization. Any proof that you can do work above the Intermediate level in French or know another language up to Intermediate will be good, you don’t have to take the class during your regular semester (Coursera, Community College, summer session at a local university…) Taking a Political Science or History class that involves French/France/countries where people speak French outside of France, or in the language of the country where you’ll study abroad, will also show commitment further (and count for your majors).</p>