Right now I’m in Spanish 1 as a freshman in high school and the lessons are really easy. I took a basic Spanish course all throughout middle school, so I’m proficient in the basics. I was actually supposed to be in spanish 2 but the scheduling office messed up so I was stuck in Spanish 1. I just discovered I can test out of Spanish 2 at the end of this school year of the beginning of the next, and take Spanish 3.
I feel a little hesitant about doing this because I don’t know much about Spanish grammar. Everyone I know who takes that class warms me about how unstable and lazy the teacher is, so I’m wary about how her workload would affect me, I’d be taking my first AP class (AP Gov) and they said they don’t recommend taking high level foreign languages and AP Gov together.
However, I’d be doing that anyway in junior year if I continued in my path with taking Spanish 2 sophomore year and Spanish 3 junior. I’m required to take multiple AP science classes in junior year so I don’t want to stress myself out more than necessary by taking Spanish 3 then when I could take it now
So basically, should I test out of Spanish 2 and take Spanish 3 sophomore with AP Gov ( though I’m not that confident, I can study during the summer) or take Spanish 2 sophomore year and Spanish 3 junior year with AP Bio, AP environmental, Advanced Physics, Advanced Pre-Calc,etc
Stick with Spanish 2. There is nothing worse than having to figure out on your own grammar you have not mastered. And you will have to because if you plow ahead, every grammar mistake you make will get you marked down.
Just make sure you really master it in Spanish 2, even if it is seeming like an easy class.
Take the test. At best, you’ll see what you need to learn in Spanish 2.
Note in case scheduling problems in sequential subjects (foreign language, math) happen again: you need to advocate for yourself, bring the paper work and the syllabus from the previous course so that you’re correctly placed.
Finally, Spanish 3 is not very advanced, it’s merely high-elementary/low-intermediate.
(If you’re aiming for a highly selective university they’ll expect level 4 or AP or dual enrollment 3+).
There is no harm in taking the test. But taking the test and testing out are two different things. The question becomes moot if you fail. Ask again if you actually pass the test.
Talk to the Spanish teachers and/or your GC about them placing you ahead next year. You will probably need to study/self-study the material. Here is a great website I found with Spanish 2 videos: https://sites.google.com/site/spanishmaestrodavid/spanish-2
Why don’t you try to take on college-level online course or dual enrollment CC class for advanced beginner Spanish over the summer? They tend to be fast-paced and immersive (good things for language learning). That will give you the grammar skills that you need to succeed at the next level.
There are also some excellent immersive summer language programs for high school students (Middlebury’s is probably the best known and the most expensive; Concordia Language Villages has some interesting programs).
It seems that third year of language can often be the turning point where a lot of students find the level of difficulty really ramps up. You need to make an informed decision in order to protect your GPA, so gather as much data as you can. Give the Spanish 2 test a try. Also talk to the teachers and students who have taken it before.
I’m a freshman in Spanish 2 right now. Honestly I haven’t learned anything but some verb conjugations (imperfect & preterite tense) as well as basic vocab.