<p>By the end of high school, I will have taken 10 LOTE (langauges other than English) classes if I get the schedule I want for senior year. All the space I had to spare (including lunch) was either used for required classes, APs, or foreign langauge classes (except band). I'll also have about 50 hours as a performer in various annual sign langauge shows, and I'll be inducted into the Language Honor Society (where I'm going to run for an office) soon. As an aspiring linguistic major, will this show colleges my passion for langauge?</p>
<p>I've heard that I should take SAT IIs, but I think I'll only be able to get a good grade in Spanish. There is no SAT II for sign language, and by senior year, I would've only had 2 years of Japanese (which makes me profieicnt) -- which is no where near enough. I also have no formal education in Korean (native language), so I don't think my colloquial grammar, unsophisticated vocab, and slow reading skills could get me thorugh that.</p>
<p>I also don't think that I could write a good essay that shows my personality through foreign language. Additionally, the only LOTE teacher rec I plan on getting in from my Spanish teacher.</p>
<p>I think my polygot-ness is my only hook, if it's even considered one. So the point is, is it enough? </p>
<p>Should I try to tutor Spanish/Sign Language/Japanese as a job? Should I join language club (which intereferes with 2 honor societies and another club that I've already proven to be dedicated to)?</p>
<p>EDIT: I've self studied Chinese characters as a supplement to my Korean. As of this point, I've memorized how to write and read about just a bit over 100. I plan on continuing over the summer to reach the 1000 mark. Could this be a possible EC?</p>
<p>I'm not sure if a second language teacher can write a english/social studies teacher recommendation...unless it's s supplementary one.
And I think you should focuz more on one or two foreign languages rather than learning a bit of each, because if you can't speak them fluently (or at least communicate sufficiently), then I dont' think the colleges will give much attention to it. I would just work on the one you're best at right now, maybe Spanish and Japanese.</p>
<p>well...first of all... It doesn't sound like you are fluent in any of those languages...so I don't think colleges will give much attention to it. And I really don't understand why you are studying Chinese characters. You should be working to improve your Korean or Spanish instead.</p>
<p>Many Korean words are derived from CHinese characters. I can read and write Korean well enough to survive in Korea. I can also speak and understand it almost fluently (I just have an accent). </p>
<p>I've studied SPanish for 5 years (6 by next year). I usually do better than native speakers. My Spanish teachers over the years have completed my accent, and I can speak it without translating sentences in my head now (fluency)?</p>
<p>Sign language I can sign without thinking too (4 years by graduation). It's acctually more fluent than my speaking alngauges (even English).</p>
<p>Japanese is the only one I just have proficiency in.</p>
<p>My friend also has a passion for language- so much that one of his hobbies is listening to disney songs in different languages. He completed AP Spanish, an additional Spanish course (Conversational Spanish), and in his junior and senior years, audited (took a course, did not count as high school credit) French, AP French, Italian, and by himself started learning Thai and a bit of Japanese/Chinese. He got a recommendation from one of his favorite language teachers, outlining his linguistic talent, etc.</p>
<p>Important thing is, he got into Yale. </p>
<p>Granted, his GPA is probably 97+/100 in the best public school in the nation (Hunter College High School, baby!), his SAT is 2300+, his SAT IIs are all close to perfect, and he's one of the best writers I know... but his hook was language. </p>
<p>If you have a passion for it, go for it. It will take you far.</p>
<p>I feel your pain. I'm also a prospective ling major who has studied ASL for around 6 years now--through summer classes, different projects, etc. because my school doesn't offer it. There are other ways to show colleges that you are serious about the language. If you have the time, money and inclination, Gallaudet has two-week summer ASL classes which are absolutely great (I went last summer and plan to go again this year). You can't live on campus if you're under 18, which is a major pain, but alternate living arrangements can be worked out. It was quite useful to be able to summarize my signing ability as "have finished ASL IV at Gallaudet with a B". And even if you think you're fluent (heck, even if you're a CODA), advanced ASL classes can be really good for getting acquainted more formally with advanced grammatical device--something that probably interests you quite a bit if you're a prospective ling major.
The Gallaudet site can be found here:
<a href="http://clast.gallaudet.edu/summer/asl-interpreting/index.htm%5B/url%5D">http://clast.gallaudet.edu/summer/asl-interpreting/index.htm</a></p>
<p>etselec, the Gallaudet sessions overlap with school and another pre-college program I've already applied to! I say I'm fluent because I could readily convey my thoughts. If I don't know the sign, I could always just use classifiers and body lagnauge to communicate -- this, I think, is the true beauty of ASL. When recieving, I may not understand word for word, but I do get the main idea and enough information to understand the other signer. Is that enough to say I'm fluent? I even got the sentence structure down pact (I tihnk in Korean when signing, which has the sam SOV/TNAV syntax), so no ASL-English pidgeon for me.</p>