Second language requirements at US schools

In summary: The LAS Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Specialized Curricula may be met in any of the following ways:1.Successfully completing a fourth-semester college-level course in a language other than English;2.Successful completion, in high school, of the fourth year of a language other than English;3.Successful completion of the third-semester level in each of two different languages other than English by any combination of high school and college work;4.Demonstrating proficiency at the fourth-semester level in a language proficiency examination approved by the College of Liberal
  • #1
Latecomer
51
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I'm currently going through the process of looking at schools I might transfer to next year and I'm surprised at the number of schools that require you to either pass a second language proficiency exam or to take 4+ semesters of a second language.
Personally, being an older student, I feel I've already lost too much time as it is so I don't want to spend school time learning another language that I may not ever really use. I definitely see the value of learning another language, I just think I can accomplish this on my own at a later time, rather than spending 2+ years at uni learning it.
As an engineering/science major, I feel like I can barely fit in the classes I need/want as it is, much less having to fit in 4 or more 2nd language classes.
I'm actively avoiding any schools that have this requirement, especially as some of them require 2 or more semesters of a second language before they will even allow you to transfer there.
I just feel that this somewhat waters down an engineering or science degree. Electives are probably better filled in with other science or math classes as opposed to second language courses.
Again, I definitely see the value of knowing multiple languages, I just don't feel that it should be a mandated part of the curricula.
Is this requirement as common as I am seeing (almost 50 % of schools I've been looking at) and am I alone in thinking it shouldn't be forced upon you?
 
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  • #2
This is just part of the General Education, which I suppose, the school system considers as important as things like the humanities, history, and other wastes of money for science majors.

It's not really the school that requires this usually. Typically the state is what decides whether or not a language is required. I am surprised to hear that some schools require 4+ semesters though. Usually when they say "2 Years Foreign Language.." they mean 2 semesters.
 
  • #3
Latecomer said:
Is this requirement as common as I am seeing (almost 50 % of schools I've been looking at)...

It's fairly typical, especially amongst the higher-level institutions.

...and am I alone in thinking it shouldn't be forced upon you?

It doesn't really matter what you think. Requirements are requirements.
 
  • #4
fss said:
Requirements are requirements.

Yup. If you know a second language (e.g. from high school, or from life experience), you can possibly take a CLEP exam or some other exam to exempt you from the language requirement, which is what I did. I spent a summer teaching myself French and got the maximum number of credits I could at my university, enough to more than fulfill the second language requirement and not have to take any actual classes.
 
  • #5
fss said:
It doesn't really matter what you think. Requirements are requirements.

Obviously.

I wasn't staging a revolt against the school system. The question was whether or not people thought this was unnecessary, it wasn't a rant against the system.

I was just taken by surprise by the amount of schools that had this requirement mandated.
 
  • #6
QuarkCharmer said:
I am surprised to hear that some schools require 4+ semesters though. Usually when they say "2 Years Foreign Language.." they mean 2 semesters.

The schools I have looked at around me in San Diego have defined "2 years" as 2 years of high school which translates to only one semester at a community college.
 
  • #7
Effective for all entering freshmen in Fall 2000 or later, the following language requirement must be completed for graduation. This requirement may be satisfied by:

•Successfully completing a third-semester college-level course in a language other than English;
•Successful completion, in high school, of the third year of a language other than English; or
•Demonstrating proficiency at the third semester level in a language proficiency examination approved by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the appropriate department.
If you enter UIUC without three years of language other than English in high school, you must take a language placement test to determine the courses in which you should enroll.

Students in the Sciences and Letters Curriculum of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) and the College of Business (BUS) are expected to gain language knowledge equivalent to the completion of the fourth semester of college study in a language. The LAS and BUS Langauge requirement may be met in any of the following ways:

1.Successfully completing a fourth-semester college-level course in a language other than English;
2.Successful completion, in high school, of the fourth year of a language other than English;
3.Successful completion of the third-semester level in each of two different languages other than English by any combination of high school and college work;
4.Demonstrating proficiency at the fourth-semester level in a language proficiency examination approved by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the appropriate department.
Students enrolled in the LAS Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Specialized Curricula are exempt from the four semester LAS Langauge requirement and must instead adhere to the Campus requirement of three semesters or equivalent. Please contact your adviser if you have any further questions.

This is taken from the University of Illinois website. UIC and UofC have similar requirements as well as some other liberal arts schools (the engineering programs at these schools had the same requirements). It just sounded a bit excessive, but from the replies, maybe this is not the norm?
 
  • #8
Latecomer said:
This is taken from the University of Illinois website. UIC and UofC have similar requirements as well as some other liberal arts schools (the engineering programs at these schools had the same requirements). It just sounded a bit excessive, but from the replies, maybe this is not the norm?

I attended two different undergrad institutions. One required 4 semesters of a second language for all students; the other school required "only" 2 semesters for science and engineering students. The first school let me take an exam in lieu of actual classes, and the second school gave me transfer credit for the first school's credit.

In short, I really think the requirement depends on the school. Personally, I see lots of value in having an additional language (or more) at my disposal, just as I think there's value in an art major being able to do a minimum amount of math.
 
  • #9
I agree with you. The thing that annoyed me, was that I already spoke two languages (fluently), and I was still required to take 2 semesters of something because I did not take it in high school.
 
  • #10
I consider it a waste of time, along with most gen-ed requirements which I would like to see axed.

Many universities only require 2 semesters/quarters if you haven't taken it in high school and none if you have taken it. You could also attempt to CLEP it.

I would suggest you look for a different university if having to take 2 years of it really bothers you(it does me, which is why I didn't go to a university I was initially interested in...).
 
  • #11
I will say this, as far as general education goes: I had the opportunity to take a Survey of Modern Science, and a Medieval Engineering course for 2 humanities courses and they were fantastic. There should be more degree-related humanities as an option at most schools.
 
  • #12
You'd be surprised what might be helpful. While a graduate student in physics, I was able to apply for (and received) a fellowship based in part on proficiency in another language that I had learned in college.

Also, don't knock those humanities courses- learning to write well-put together, non-technical essays for a few semesters really will help you when it comes to putting together grant proposals and fellowship applications, which are must have skills for academic scientists. My only complaint is that I've seen a trend of universities watering down gen-ed courses, both in science (so called physics for poets), as well as in the humanities (as a former student said "I only have to read one book and write one essay all semester!" )
 
  • #13
ParticleGrl said:
You'd be surprised what might be helpful. While a graduate student in physics, I was able to apply for (and received) a fellowship based in part on proficiency in another language that I had learned in college.
I'd love to be able to present at colloquia or conferences in other countries where English may be a second language. For example, I think it would be great to present in French my research to a school in France. After all, as scientists, we're part of a global community.
 
  • #14
QuarkCharmer said:
This is just part of the General Education, which I suppose, the school system considers as important as things like the humanities, history, and other wastes of money for science majors.

It's not really the school that requires this usually. Typically the state is what decides whether or not a language is required. I am surprised to hear that some schools require 4+ semesters though. Usually when they say "2 Years Foreign Language.." they mean 2 semesters.

The 'middle of the country' big university that I am transfering to (for a Physics B.S) requires for everyone graduating: completion of 2 full 'university years' of a single language (101,102,201,202 5-5-3-3 credits respectively). The admissions requirement is also such that anyone graduating high school since 1997 must have 2 'high school years' of a single foreign language. From what I gather, students can test up in the language cycle, as appropriate, for credit.

The college I started at, right out of high school, gave different tracks for the general education requirements; the least 'credit intensive' was the foreign language track. The humanities focused tracks were 10-16 credits longer and many friends there had almost 140 credits before they graduated just to sustain the longer general education requirement (from not taking a language).

I'm glad that I took several years of language in high school in the late-90s, but unfortunately I am not confident enough in my current Latin skills to test out of any progression - so I am still up in the air on what language to pursue (likely anew).

I think learning extra languages is important, but not at the university level. If we, as an American society, want to encourage multilingualism it needs to be started at an earlier age. Students should be fluent in their chosen second or third languages by the time they enter college- this is just one more thing that Universities are doing to make up for the shortfalls in the public education many students are receiving in the US.
 
  • #15
I'd love to be able to present at colloquia or conferences in other countries where English may be a second language. For example, I think it would be great to present in French my research to a school in France. After all, as scientists, we're part of a global community

Watch out for this- in a lot of European universities (as in US), the graduate students might be from all over Europe (or even all over the world). Always ask what language would be most appropriate- most often you'll find its english, which has become the lingua-franca of science.
 

1. What are the common second language requirements at US schools?

The most common second language requirement at US schools is two years of study in the same foreign language. Some schools may also require a certain level of proficiency, such as passing a proficiency exam, in order to fulfill this requirement.

2. Can I fulfill the second language requirement with a language other than Spanish?

Yes, many US schools offer a variety of language options to fulfill the second language requirement, including languages such as French, German, Chinese, and more. It is important to check with your specific school to see which languages they accept.

3. Do I have to fulfill the second language requirement if I am an international student?

It depends on the school's policy. Some schools may waive the second language requirement for international students who are already fluent in a language other than English. However, it is important to check with your specific school to see their requirements.

4. What happens if I am unable to fulfill the second language requirement?

In most cases, if a student is unable to fulfill the second language requirement, they may be able to take an equivalent course or proficiency exam to fulfill the requirement. However, the specific options may vary by school, so it is important to check with your school's policies.

5. Can I fulfill the second language requirement through self-study or online courses?

It depends on the school's policy. Some schools may accept self-study or online courses to fulfill the second language requirement, while others may only accept courses taken at an accredited institution. It is important to check with your specific school to see their policies regarding this.

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