<p>is it possible to take 2 languages at a time in sfs? and how hard is it to take classes in one language during freshman and sophomore year and then begin a second language during junior and senior year?</p>
<p>Quality over quantity. It is fairly difficult to do two languages at once, especially if one is intensive. You can always do summer school or whatever to catch up, but if you go abroad it will make it more difficult to do other things (like taking non-major classes for fun or getting a certificate). </p>
<p>Also, it is not really practical to begin a language so late...you probably won't pass proficiency in two years, and I know a few people who actually take only four classes in their junior and senior years and get a meaningful internship.</p>
<p>hmm makes sense...see i took russian for 3 years in highschool, so it would be easiest to take russian at gu until i pass the proficiency, but i'm more interested in learning something like italian or french so i'd want to take one of those after i pass the oral exam with russian...and if i studied abroad i'd definitely want to go somewhere in western europe before russia...but everything i'm reading says the same thing, that it's really hard to do 2 languages at once</p>
<p>Depending on what you want to do, Italian is simply not practical. It is spoken in very few places outside of Italy, and there is a fairly low demand for diplomats to work in Western Europe in general. A lot of people will say take what you want, and that is true to a point...but you also have to consider how you want to market yourself once you graduate. (French and Russian are both good choices, in my opinion, French esp. if you are interested in Africa.)</p>
<p>The other important thing to remember is that SFS students are required to do direct matriculation (I am not 100% sure of this, I went to verify and I couldn't find the page) if you're studying a language other than Arabic or Chinese. So, if you want to study abroad in a Western European language, you should consider not taking Russian and taking an intensive language that is spoken in that region.</p>
<p>" Overseas study options directly depend on a students choice of language study. Since students are asked to matriculate directly into western language universities, students are expected to enroll in appropriate language courses at Georgetown during the first two years. For instance, a student interested in studying in France is expected to take French every semester prior to departure, regardless of the level of mastery. Continuity is important for linguistic preparation and strengthens a students overseas study application. Students not only need to demonstrate that they possess the necessary skills for overseas study, they also need to demonstrate that they are serious about studying the specific language. The need to continuously enroll in language courses in preparation for overseas study may impact a students ability to study multiple languages due to the crowding out effect. "</p>
<p>I knew I saw that somewhere.</p>
<p>I have a similar question. I've got 45 college credit hours worth of Korean, so it wouldn't make any sense for me to take it at Georgetown. Which is fine because I want to study Chinese. However, will there be any opportunity for me to take a class or do a language workshop in Korean that could serve as a refresher? It seems that at SFS one must choose to do one or two things in addition to a major (a major, a language, and a concentration for instance), and anything in addition to that becomes a bit much.</p>
<p>thats the feeling ive gotten too...right now im thinking of majoring in culp and getting a certificate in european studies, but then it seems that taking more than one language is virtually impossible...that just sucks because i love learning languages and want to graduate being at least close to fluent in more than one, but i think that's being a little too ambitious, especially since i want a life in college too and don't want to overload on classes</p>
<p>I know about five people taking two languages at the same time in SFS. All of these people were continuing a language like French that they started in high school and picking up an intensive language like Chinese. It's possible to do, you just need to talk to your dean.</p>
<p>ok thanks...that's what i was hoping to hear, that at least a few people have been able to do it, then at least i know it's a possibility</p>
<p>ecsage,</p>
<p>you can take a Korean class, or you can take the Korean proficiency exam and then learn Chinese with no pressure. I believe through the Office of Int'l Programs you can also sign up to get a language partner that you can chat informally with to improve your skills.</p>
<p>Thanks, manderz1, that is helpful information. I don't know about taking the proficiency exam right away. It sounds tempting, but then I don't want to get lazy and let my Korean slip. It's a real pain maintaining a language that you do not use regularly, so it is good to have a source of motivation. If I took the exam in the fall, I would expect to get a 'business fluency' rating, but I might be able to bring it higher if I just put in a little extra effort. Maybe I should have a chat with the dean about all of this when I get there.</p>
<p>It's annoying just to think about it. Why can't I just speak every language fluently? It's such a bummer that learning Asian languages is so difficult.</p>
<p>I saw on another thread that people consider the placement exam a breeze, but the oral proficiency exam is rough. What kind of topics do they cover? I'll be alright if they cover international politics and North Korea and all of that, but if they start talking to me about anatomy or grocery shopping, I'll be lost (wierd, I know -- thank you, DoD).</p>
<p>"I'll be alright if they cover international politics and North Korea and all of that, but if they start talking to me about anatomy or grocery shopping, I'll be lost (wierd, I know -- thank you, DoD)."</p>
<p>LOL escage... that made me laugh :P I think it's awesome that you speak Korean and are interested in learning Chinese as well.</p>
<p>And I agree, I want to know what topics they cover for the oral exam too!!!! I am absolutely in fear of any oral exam that I have to do... AAAH!!!!!</p>
<p>Well, the placement exam is pretty much just grammar, and you're just sitting in a classroom doing stuff like that. It's pretty much the standard test of language education everywhere-- I know nothing about Asian languages, so I couldn't even begin to say what was on the placement test for that one, but in Spanish there was a listening part (with multiple choice answers) and then a bunch of blank sentences where you fill in the words (nouns to test vocabulary, verbs to test your conjugation skills, and possibly a few identify the error questions). </p>
<p>At least in the high school where I spent four years learning Spanish, very little emphasis was placed on oral skills, mainly because it was so hard for a teacher to enforce consistent speaking habits across large classes (public schools, psh)...The proficiency exam is pretty much unlike anything that you are usually taught in a high school classroom..first of all, you are put in front of two people with advanced degrees and expected not to complete butcher the language. I think nerves and confidence play a large role in it...it is a running joke that after a few shots of tequila no oral exam is too daunting!</p>
<p>i take russian and french right now, granted still highschool programs, but i am not feeling overwhelmed by the two at once. The only really tough part is that i have them back to back 3 times a week, which makes the first few minutes of class sound like "J'etais очень весел--- damnit...."</p>
<p>haha yeah that's probably the trickiest part, remembering which language class you're actually in...but that's what i want to do, either russian and french or russian and italian</p>
<p>russian and french is not bad at all as far as confusing them go, not like between spanish and french (unless you need to jump tracks real fast, my russian teacher sometimes starts talking french to me outside of class, mad confusing) </p>
<p>there's pretty much no similarity in the linguistic structure, and french is MUCH easier to learn than russian, being in a french speaking country for even a little while greatly improves your competence.</p>
<p>sail420, it is not a matter of feeling overwhelmed, though I know a few people who have taken intensive Chinese and intensive Arabic (just one language at a time) and dropped out because it was difficult. It's a matter of having other requirements to fill as well as other taxes on your time (internships, jobs, a club or two, etc)</p>
<p>yeah that's what i figured, and i've already taken 3 years of russian, so i feel like any language where i don't have to learn a new alphabet is bound to be easier than what i've already had to learn...but it's definitely encouraging to know that taking those 2 languages isn't a complete overload, thanks</p>
<p>Manderz: i don't know her schedule details or Georgetown's requirements (although i hope someday to be just as bothered by them and their constraints), however i can speak to the experience of a two language student</p>
<p>Studying languages is rough. According to the US Government (where I learned Korean), the most difficult languages for English speakers are Chinese, Arabic, Korean and Japanese. Studying any language in addition to one of those without a solid background in it already would be incredibly taxing on your time.</p>
<p>Having said that, the best linguist I've ever met majored in Arabic and French in college (he had a North African focus). He speaks both perfectly (to say fluently would be an understatement). By his own admission, however, the focus on French in college slowed down his advancement in Arabic, and it took him years to feel comfortable speaking to Arabs. Still, he is now very happy that he studied both, and is an incredible asset to those he works with.</p>
<p>The School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London has an incredibly good reputation among linguists. They do intensive language training in Asian and African languages (I believe Russian is among them). If your primary goal is fluency, that may be a graduate program worth looking into.</p>
<p>All of this is assuming that you intend to work your language skills into a career (government or private). That is an intensely competitive environment, where the ability to have only a casual conversation will not get you very far.</p>