Hello! I was wondering if it would be “okay” to take two language courses at the same time. I took chinese for two years in high school and I’m taking it as well for my first semester of college. However, I want to add italian as well for many reasons: I’m a native spanish speaker, i took italian second semester of senior year at a community college, and I don’t want to forget what I’ve already learned. I’m pretty sure i can handle it especially because they are completely different.
Thank you!
Are you currently enrolled at Yale?
My D takes German and Korean simultaneously. Lots of work because language classes meet 5 days a week.
Agreed. I’m taking 2 simultaneously (not at Yale, but at a similar uni), but both are at an advanced level meeting only twice per week. I can’t imagine taking 2 classes meeting 5 times per week.
The other thing to consider is how taking 2 languages fits in with all the other requirements needed for graduation. The only reason I’m able to take two at the same time is that one of the courses can be applied to my minor (which is a moot point for Yale). If they were simply electives, I doubt I could fit them in.
My D takes two languages because she is an Intensive Literature major and the languages count toward the major. You have to be fluent in two languages and be able to read literature in its original language. Of course if she had been a STEM major or some such major, it would have been harder.
Most people find this very difficult from a pure learning POV. It is very hard to "program " your brain to think in 2 new languages at one time. People who need to learn languages for their jobs (diplomats, for example ) almost always do this by immersion and sequentially.
Personally, I would wait until I had strong enough mastery of one to take literature courses before I threw myself into the second. It depends, of course, on your goals, how you learn, and degree requirements.
As a Spanish speaker, I would guess that you could get up to speed in Italian quite easily if you could study there. IS that a possibility at any point?
Also, you may find the pace of college Chinese to make that quite consuming.
I believe two language courses amount to three term credits. This leaves little room for other distributional requirements and those possible prerequisites for your intended major if your major is not language-based.
^^ It’s possible for Yale students to take 5, 6, or 7 credits per term. Permission must be granted for the 6th and 7th credit. See: http://catalog.yale.edu/ycps/academic-regulations/course-credits-course-loads/
@gardenstategal - I totally agree. But Yale students are exceptional in something. For my kid, who hates anything STEM related, languages come easy to her and she is able to do them simultaneously. I am truly in awe of it.
@prof2dad - the good thing about Yale is that students have a lot of leeway. A STEM student, of course, would not be able to take more than one language. Most do the minimum, just like my child did the minimum science requirement. As an Intensive Literature major, fluency in more than one language is required. Two languages for a whole year amount to 6 credits because each semester is 1.5 credits. Language classes meet everyday. Also, my kid got 3 credits for the summer after freshman year taking German and 2 for taking Korean this summer in Korea. As a first semester junior, she actually has enough credits to be a senior (if Yale counted credits like that), which they don’t. She will not be trying to finish up early because she treasures every semester.