So I’ve been looking at the Common App and it asks you to select what languages you are proficient in. I know English (reading, speaking, writing, spoken at home) and Tamil (Indian language that I can speak and that is spoken at home). Now, I’ve taken Spanish in high school. I know there’s probably going to be someone that says “don’t put Spanish since it’s high school and it doesn’t mean that you’ve learned the language, only the basics” but hear me out- last year, our final exam was a non-stop 5 minute speaking exam, literary analysis essay of a story by Gabriel Garcia Marquez with magical realism themes, reading comprehension of the poem Gracias A La Vida (http://www.musica.com/letras.asp?letra=127494) by Violeta Parra among other passages, and a grammar test to boot. I got an A. Doesn’t this mean that I’m proficient at the very least?
Also, I lived in Asia for many years and learned Mandarin Chinese. I’ve since forgotten how to read and write as I moved back to the US but I can speak in basic conversational situations such as in restaurants, school, etc. Do you think I can say that I’m proficient in speaking if I review my old Chinese notes and relearn my vocab over the summer?
My daughter’s college counselor explained to seniors that an easy test for proficiency is if you feel comfortable having your college admissions interview in that language. That if you are able to express yourself and answer questions that would allow a good conversation while under a little stress. So think about the languages that you listed and would you be able to understand non-scripted questions and discuss topics of interest in a fluent way with strong vocabulary, etc.
I have taken Spanish since second grade, so I listed Spanish as a second language because I have had experience in Spain speaking the language and am in honors classes and can speak to my friends in Spanish quite well. You have to judge your own comfort with the language- I really agree with @scholardad, if you believe that you can hold an admissions interview in the language, then you are good to go.
@scholardad I’m pretty sure I can, more so with Spanish than Mandarin, but with brushing up on vocab I should be okay.
Do colleges check to see your language proficiency though? I know plenty of kids both in my school and outside that are not at all proficient after three years of taking a language like I am, and yet are going to report it for colleges. Do colleges interview to see if you know your language? How can they verify if you are proficient?
Generally, it’s not a tip, just a bullet point. Lots of kids do include what they studied in hs or learned otherwise. Some don’t because it’s ‘in progress.’ It’s really a very short look-see, when reading an app, more about kids whose first/home lang is other than English. It’s fine to say you can speak Mandarin, but not check the reading/writing. They’ll get it. The R/W refers to something more than just everyday, can read a sign or short article, can write a letter. Use your best judgment.
^ this isn’t to establish what languages you studied, but whether you’re a native or heritage speaker, we’re born in a bilingual or trilibgual household, lived in other countries…
So, you’d check “spoken at home” for Tamil and “spoken” for Mandarin Chinese, plus of course English.
I’d leave Spanish out of this section since r’it sppears on your transcript.
That’s not being proficient if you have to look up the vocab. If you are proficient in Spanish, you shouldn’t have to look up terminology or prepare for a conversation by studying.
@“aunt bea” I was talking about my mandarin vocab- if I brush up on that, I can be fluent.
@MYOS1634 it may appear on my transcript, but shouldn’t I consider myself proficient if I’m able to read complex texts, speak fluently and write literary analysis of stories?
But that’s not the point of the section… (Doing well at school in a language spoken at home isn’t the same as doing well in a language learned from scratch… Or, having another languat than English spoken at home can indicate you met extra obstacles learning English…)
If you filled it out this it’d probably require a little explanation (“lived abroad”).
@MYOS1634 it’s basically asking you to write a language and then check the boxes, there’s no place to add an explanation.
I’ve learned enough Spanish at school to talk to people in a fluent manner- I had an exchange student visit me in the fall of my Junior year and had relatively fluent conversations with him. And this was before I learned much more in my Spanish III honors class. I don’t see why I can’t mark myself as proficient if I’m able to do so.
In terms of Mandarin, my Chinese is rusty right now due to not having used it for a long time. I plan to brush up my vocabulary with my old school notes from when I lived abroad. If I feel proficient and back to speed in November, can I mark myself as fluent?
Finally, do colleges check to see your language proficiency though? I know plenty of kids both in my school and outside that are not at all proficient after three years of taking a language like I am, and yet are going to report it for colleges. Do colleges interview to see if you know your language? How can they verify if you are proficient?
There’s the 'additional information ’ box to complement anything you need to explain from any part in the application.
If you wish to do so, do it, but it’s not read the way you think it is.
@MYOS1634 do colleges check to see your language proficiency though? I know plenty of kids both in my school and outside that are not at all proficient after three years of taking a language like I am, and yet are going to report it for colleges. Do colleges interview to see if you know your language? How can they verify if you are proficient?
The goal in that section isn’t to see if you learned a foreign language well but I’d you’re esl or heritage speaker.
During orientation you’ll likely have a foreign language placement test, yes.
OP, on CC, this is a case where we might say, if you have to ask, it may not be there.
It’s primarily to id heritage speakers, but not exclusively.
But you have to think this through reasonably, not get excited about how it might impress. It takes one second for adcoms to eyeball what you note. It’s a reference point, not a tip.
If you can read/write complex texts in Spanish, fine, make your best call. But if you have to brush up on Mandarin vocab to be effective, that’s not what we usually call proficiency. Your abilities sound limited to simpler interactions.
Don’t get so hung up on this that you miss the much more important points on the app and supps.
For the most part, no. As mentioned by others, proficiency in a foreign language is not going to be an “Oh, wow” part of your application. Many, many applicants are proficient in Spanish and/or Mandarin.
Having said that, I said I was proficient in Italian (which I am) on my Common App, and I have had the experience in interviews where the interviewer did speak to me for a few minutes in Italian. So claiming proficiency where it’s not quite valid is AYOR.
@skieurope you sound like they suddenly burst out into Italian and expected you to respond. If that actually happend as a way to test your abilities, hats off and my deepest respect for you.
It was not that drastic a transition. The interview said something in English like, “I spent a summer in Rome and I loved it.” Then he switched to Italian and asked “What’s your favorite region in Italy.” Since he asked the question in Italian, I respond in kind; it was not that big of a deal.
@skieurope Oh hahaha you probably mentioned your proficiency in Italian before he started on Italian regions, I get it lmao