 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Everything you need to know about the
|
|||||||||||||||||
Q My placement test score says I belong at the fifth-semester level or above. So have I fulfilled the language requirement already? |
|---|
| A No! Placement tests only advise you about proper placement; they fulfill no requirements. But if you enroll for one semester of the language at the fifth-semester level or above, you’ll satisfy the whole language requirement. |
Q I already took the AP or the SAT-II in my foreign language. Does that fulfill the requirement? |
|---|
| A Yes, if your score met CAS requirements. An AP score at the qualifying level -a 3- in Spanish, French, or Italian; in German or Latin, a 4; in Chinese or Japanese, a 5 - or an SAT-II score of 560 in any language fulfills the CAS requirement. But if you’re that good already, why not take another course or two and pursue genuine fluency? Or try your hand at a new language, something completely different. Our classes are fun, your progress will be dramatic, and you’ll be opening a whole new door to the world. |
Q I didn’t take the SAT-II test in a language, but I bet I could pass. Can I still try? |
|---|
| A Yes. Sign up to take the SAT-II in the CAS Undergraduate Advising Office, room 105 at 725 Commonwealth Avenue (353-2400; cas105@bu.edu). |
Q I grew up speaking a language other than English. Am I exempt from the language requirement? |
|---|
| A Not automatically. If your native language is not English or if you have near-native proficiency in another language, you can take a College-administered exam for bilinguals: contact Academic Advising in CAS Room 105 (cas105@bu.edu). Passing this test will satisfy the requirement. For all modern spoken languages, the proficiency testing includes reading, writing, and speaking; so if you can converse in a language but can’t read or write it very well, you’ll probably have to complete coursework to satisfy the requirement. (In some languages special courses are offered for students in this situation; for example, CAS LS309. Call the department at 3-2642 or e-mail and ask to be referred to a faculty member who can advise you about your language.) |
Q I want to take sign language. Why can’t I find any courses in it? |
|---|
| A American Sign Language at BU is offered through the Deaf Studies Program, and ASL courses are open to CAS students after the first semester of their freshman year. The four-semester course sequence is as follows: SED DE 570 American Sign Language I SED DE 571 American Sign Language II SED DE 590 American Sign Language III SED DE 591 American Sign Language IV Course descriptions can be found on the Deaf Studies Program website . At the end the fourth course, students will have the opportunity to take a proficiency test (this is sometimes misleadingly called a test of “bilingualism,” but it actually corresponds to fourth-semester-level proficiency). You fulfill the CAS requirement by passing this test. We’ll say that again: ASL, because its classes are not taught in CAS, is an exceptional case: the fourth-semester language class does not satisfy the requirement by itself. The proficiency test does. For more information, contact the Deaf Studies Program in the School of Education. |
| A This is almost always a bad idea. You may feel shaky now, but languages come back to you quickly once you get into the classroom. You won’t be the only one feeling uncertain when the class starts, don’t worry — and the feeling won’t last long. Bottom line: our placement tests don’t lie. Besides, those students who deliberately take language classes below their level are easily recognized by the way their eyes pop out with boredom by the third week of the term. Don’t disfigure yourself. Stick with what the placement test recommends; if in spite of everything, you and your instructor should come to agree that for some reason dropping down a level is wise, you can do that soooo much more easily than you could ever move up a level. |
Q Can I fulfill part of my language requirement while studying abroad? |
|---|
| A Yes, some BU study abroad programs offer courses at the first- and/or second-year level (some examples are Chinese in Shanghai, French in Grenoble, German in Dresden, Italian in Padova, or Spanish in Madrid). See the Study Abroad with Boston University website for details. |
Q I’m in a hurry. Can I take two levels of a language simultaneously to save time? |
|---|
| A Say what? No! |
If you're beginning Spanish, you can take an intensive elementary course, LS123, which covers two semesters in one and prepares you for LS 211.