<p>On the question "What languages can you speak, read, or write?" at what proficiency level is expected?
Native Fluency?
Foreign Fluency?
Conversational Fluency?
Phrases?</p>
<p>Or, alternatively, if its easier for reference, pick one of the 5 from The</a> ILR (FSI) proficiency scale</p>
<p>Since you can specify on your list, I would put down anything that might be applicable with a brief explanation.</p>
<p>^ Not really. Admissions officers consider native fluency the most, and anything much beyond that is resume padding. No klingon or pig latin.</p>
<p>^ Not true at all. Native fluency usually just means you are a native, or a first-generation immigrant; it isn’t double counted. Reasonable learned fluency of any sort in a foreign language (but, yes, real ones, not pig latin or klingon) is an achievement, and should be noted. I think you would be surprised how few applicants make it even to the AP level in any language other than the one(s) they speak at home or in school, much less more than one such language. And that is well short of native fluency, or any fluency. I can’t give hard figures to back it up, but polyglots do really well in college admissions.</p>
<p>I really think it’s up to you, since Harvard doesn’t specify what they mean by “speak.” If you can get a 5 on the AP exam in a language I don’t think anyone would fault you for putting it down. I think I put Spanish on my application and, while my gringo accent is noticeable, I can function fine alone in a Spanish-speaking country.</p>
<p>I personally listed the specific degrees of fluency of each language I know (i.e. “Native language” for English and Mandarin Chinese, “native fluency” for French, “advanced fluency” for Spanish, etc.).</p>