<p>I am a bit confused about the language requirement at Vanderbilt. If my S has a 4 in AP Spanish, what does that mean?It seams that he would not have to take a foreign language class at all, right? Or would he still have to take that placement test at the school? I know he would still have to take 3 courses for the International Cultures requirement but they wouldn't have to be an actual language course, right?</p>
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<p><a href=“http://as.vanderbilt.edu/academics/axle/placement.php”>http://as.vanderbilt.edu/academics/axle/placement.php</a></p>
<p>Your son will not have to take an actual foreign language class in order to fulfill the requirement. When he talks to his adviser you can clear that up (usually they do a run through of AP credits and things at that time).</p>
<p>Now, a different question is should he take a language class. That is really up to him, but many students choose to do so for the INT axle (gen-ed) credit. You can take other classes to fulfill it but languages are generally considered the “easiest”. Classes for INT span all departments from high level philosophy classes to Russian science fiction instructed and read in English. There may also be some 115F (first year writing seminar) classes that will let you get a credit in INT. All in all, a language, in your cases, is not required but doesn’t hurt.</p>
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<p>I had heard that the language classes were the “easiest” but he would probably be placed in an advanced class and he is a little rusty with his Spanish since he hasn’t taken it in the last two years. I did notice that there are very few classes that would interest him in that INT group. We’ll see what he decides after he talks to his adviser. </p>
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<p>This is confusing me. This link <a href=“http://as.vanderbilt.edu/academics/axle/placement.php”>http://as.vanderbilt.edu/academics/axle/placement.php</a> says :</p>
<p>IMPORTANT NOTE: Beginning August 1 2014, all students who wish to demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language must do so via testing through the Tennessee Foreign Language Institute. (Latin and classical Greek are exceptions; proficiency tests for those two languages are administered through the Department of Classical Studies.) Students who demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language to the level of a second-semester language acquisition course taught at Vanderbilt are not required to take any further language instruction, but must complete three courses in the International category in AXLE.</p>
<p>Does this mean AP score of 4 or 5 is not accepted AFTER August 1, 2014 ? or does this mean if you didn’t take the AP or SAT II exam and would like to do a placement test then it is to be taken with Tennessee Foreign Language Institute .</p>
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<p>I saw that too. That’s why I was asking if he would have to take another test at school.</p>
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<p>Sounds like AP tests (or AP SAT II) no longer count except for Latin or Greek. You would think Vandy could rewrite their website to make that clear.</p>
<p>yikes. Vandy son was very happy to have squeezed out of Spanish courses with the 690 he made on an SAT2 June of his senior year. His best efforts in language were OK in high school but clearly he had limitations. Anyhow, I will inject here that for some students who were just fine in high school foreign language, taking the basic language courses can go this way: Duke son started a new language (German)…which is his grandparents’ native land. He personally enjoyed the homey intimate atmosphere of the language department, did his semester abroad in that language (which was an outstanding foreign program…A-plus professors and standards all the way). Language courses are more like the daily grind of high school…he went to class many days a week and did the homework, did an immersion semester and earned a nice A grade for his GPA many times. Which was good for his case… because he found As hard to find in Economics, one of his majors. Not for everyone…this use of your time. Many Vandy students have other agendas and want those hours to go in a different direction. But for some students, language courses can be a little haven and a positive that may direct their semester abroad decision.</p>
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<p>Quick followup - DD sent an email and she got the response that AP and SAT2 scores will fulfill the language requirement. What the addendum means is that after August 1, you will not be able to take that test in time for the Registrar to enter it on your record, as the exam is not offered at Vanderbilt. So if you take it (SAT2) on June 7 you will be fine.</p>
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<p>Apparently A+S just changed the testing for language requirements… apparently my information was inaccurate. I would ask your CASPAR for details on testing out of classes.</p>
<p>Also, don’t be intimidated by “second semester” language classes as those are still considered introductory level. I took Italian 101A and B (which was wonderful, shout out to prof. Greenfield here!) and the first semester was basically just present and past tenses with vocab. In the second semester we didn’t even finish learning all of the tenses in the language. Keep in mind that the introductory track is intended for people who have NO experience in a language at all.</p>
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<p>My D hasn’t signed up for the AP test. Her other option is to take it online at <a href=“French Placement Testing (forwarder)”>www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/spanish</a>? Is that the Tennessee Foreign Language Institute test?</p>
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<p>Oops … meant to say that DD hasn’t signed up for the SAT Spanish Language test yet.</p>