<p>Does anyone here took foreign language at Swarthmore? If so, how was it? Is it effective, difficult?</p>
<p>I am thinking of taking Russian. I speak Russian fluently, but don't have much experience in reading. Do you know how the initial difficulty is determined (e.g. 001-003...)? </p>
<p>I thought it would be nice to study it, but I am not planning it to study in for my major/minor.</p>
<p>You will have to take a placement exam. I think you do it online, over the summer (I am certain that that is what happened with Math) but it may happen during orientation. Since your situation is not typical you could also try e-mailing the chair of the department. Just look on the Swat website. </p>
<p>Have you tried posting some of your questions on the Facebook page for accepted Swat students? My son found that incredibly helpful. There were a number of upper class students who were very quick with their reply’s. CC seems to have more parents (like myself) and prospective students than current students.</p>
<p>Thanks. FB group is really only upcoming freshmen with very little exception.</p>
<p>The Russian department at Swarthmore is small but the profs are wonderful (although I’m speaking only from secondhand experience via friends and taking their English-language classes). I believe the placement exam is very casual, and definitely includes an interview portion with the section head where you can discuss your placement options.</p>
<p>Can anyone comment on the intro courses of languages at Swarthmore in terms of the intensity, how fluent one becomes after a semester or two, professor quality and their expectations, focus on language vs culture, and general experiences? Is there a huge variation in quality between different language departments? I want to start a language in college, but I can’t decide which one to take. Currently I’m considering French or Arabic.</p>