Dual Credit Foreign Language question - How many classes = 2 years of foreign language

[Bambam]

For those of you who used dual credit for foreign language requirements, how many DE classes did you have your student take to equal two years of foreign language?

 

I'm hoping this isn't a stupid question! Our state colleges have two years of foreign language as a freshman admission requirement. Would two CC 3-credit classes (each one semester duration) = 2 years of high school foreign language or would that be four CC 3-credit class (each class one semester duration) = 2 years of high school foreign language?

 

[Corraleno]

As long as your state doesn't specifically set a different value, you can count 2 college semesters as 2 years of high school foreign language. That's the most commonly used equivalence.

[chiguirre]

In TX CCs, 2 semesters equals 2 years of high school languages. However, some majors require proficiency to graduate university and that's 4 semesters. If your student will need to continue, it's easier to do all four semesters at one school.

[Lori D.]

Not at all a stupid question! :) But, you will get a range of answers. ;)

 

First, you might want to check and see if the specific community college, or your state or school area, has a policy for counting credits that you have to adhere to as a homeschooler. If not, you may still wish to follow whatever the policy is, since all of the non-homeschooled high schoolers will be following that policy.

 

As far as how do homeschoolers generally count dual credit foreign language… I personally counted our dual enrollment foreign language through the community college as: 1 semester 4-unit college course = 1 year credit high school.

 

So in answer to your question, I would count 2 semesters (two 4-unit college classes) as 2 credits (2 years) for high school.

 

I would probably not count a 1 semester 3-unit foreign language course as 1 year of high school, unless the volume of material, rigor of material, and amount of time required at-home or outside-the-class, all approximated a year's worth of a high school foreign language class. I say this because our CC does offer some 3-unit foreign language courses which are not as beefy (they are meant for general exposure/conversation) and are not transferrable to state universities because they do not cover enough material as the foreign language courses offered at our state universities.

Edited February 28, 2016 by Lori D.

[goldberry]

Our universities here want THREE years of foreign language in high school.  The foreign language classes at the CC are 5 credits each, and yes, it was legitimately that much work.  DD had more work from her foreign language class than she did from her College Algebra class.

 

So, I'm trying to figure out if she really has to take three semesters still, to equal three years of high school?  At 5 credits a piece?  (She didn't enjoy it, so I'm trying to figure the minimum.)

[angela in ohio]

For high school credit, I count 2 or 3 credit courses as one semester and 4 or 5 credit courses as one year.

 

Middle dd had one year in a co-op, one year at the local PS, one year online, and then a 4-credit "second year college Spanish" DE course (I require four years for them to graduate.) If we were doing 100-level 3-credit courses, I would have counted them each as a semester.

Edited March 1, 2016 by angela in ohio

[Kassia]

Would you consider summer classes in foreign language for dual enrollment?  My daughter has been studying Spanish for a year and wants to take Spanish at the community college this summer, but the courses are only five weeks!  She's in 8th grade and these would be her first college classes so it makes me nervous.  That seems like a lot of information in a short period of time, but she thinks the first class will be mostly review because she already knows quite a bit of Spanish.

 

Erica

[klmama]

Would you consider summer classes in foreign language for dual enrollment?  My daughter has been studying Spanish for a year and wants to take Spanish at the community college this summer, but the courses are only five weeks!  She's in 8th grade and these would be her first college classes so it makes me nervous.  That seems like a lot of information in a short period of time, but she thinks the first class will be mostly review because she already knows quite a bit of Spanish.

 

Erica

You are right to be nervous. Don't even consider enrolling her unless you've looked at the textbook and can verify that she already knows most of it AND your dd is extraordinarily organized AND she functions at the level of a typical college freshman.  Why?  In my experience, summer foreign language courses are extremely hard, even for very good college-level students.  They are condensing 15 or 16 weeks worth of college-level work into 5 weeks.  That means, all of the vocabulary (usually much more in college texts), all of the homework (much longer assignments), and all of the exams.  It could very well end up being all she does for 5 weeks, just to stay current; since that will be very difficult, it has potential to cause damage to her college GPA. 

[Kassia]

You are right to be nervous. Don't even consider enrolling her unless you've looked at the textbook and can verify that she already knows most of it AND your dd is extraordinarily organized AND she functions at the level of a typical college freshman.  Why?  In my experience, summer foreign language courses are extremely hard, even for very good college-level students.  They are condensing 15 or 16 weeks worth of college-level work into 5 weeks.  That means, all of the vocabulary (usually much more in college texts), all of the homework (much longer assignments), and all of the exams.  It could very well end up being all she does for 5 weeks, just to stay current; since that will be very difficult, it has potential to cause damage to her college GPA. 

 

Thank you.  Her older brother (college junior) felt that it was too much, too fast, but my daughter wants to do it.  She already spends hours and hours a day on Spanish because she enjoys it so much and we were thinking she might as well get credit for it if she's going to be spending so much time and energy on learning the language.  Plus, I'm worried that she'll burn out and then lose everything she's learned.  But, I don't want to push her or cause her unnecessary stress by placing her in classes she's not ready for and that will hurt her GPA - these would be her first and only grades on her transcript.  I will have her look at the textbook.  Also, I found a placement test online so I will have her take that just to get an idea of how much she knows.  

 

Erica

[8filltheheart]

Students can earn credit for foreign language wo the stress of de in middle school. In a few yrs she can take the AP exam, the CLEP exam, or SAT subject test. (Some schools will give credit for subject test scores.)

 

That way she can study at her own pace and much lower stress.

[Kassia]

Students can earn credit for foreign language wo the stress of de in middle school. In a few yrs she can take the AP exam, the CLEP exam, or SAT subject test. (Some schools will give credit for subject test scores.)

 

That way she can study at her own pace and much lower stress.

 

I agree, but she wants to be in a classroom so she can converse with others.  She has done a lot of independent study so she has learned a lot of grammar and vocabulary, plus she's good at comprehension, but she wants to be able to speak with others which she really needs a classroom for.  

 

Erica

[Arcadia]

She already spends hours and hours a day on Spanish because she enjoys it so much and we were thinking she might as well get credit for it if she's going to be spending so much time and energy on learning the language.

Hours of effort does not directly translate into proficiency unfortunately. Also depending on where you are, there may be an abundance of heritage spanish speakers taking those classes for credit.

 

I don't know how intense a CC summer class is but I have looked at the schedule of intensive summer residential camps out of curiosity. Evenings and weekends are spend on homework and/or discussions. So it is a crazy schedule, great for someone who is passionate about the subject.

 

The CC does have placement tests and I believe it is possible to sit for a placement test for Spanish before enrolling for the course. I do not know how long the placement test result is valid for. Call their admin hotline and ask.

[8filltheheart]

I have a DD who loves languages and has studying multiple languages for several yrs. I would not have enrolled her in a summer college class.

[Kassia]

Hours of effort does not directly translate into proficiency unfortunately. Also depending on where you are, there may be an abundance of heritage spanish speakers taking those classes for credit.

 

I don't know how intense a CC summer class is but I have looked at the schedule of intensive summer residential camps out of curiosity. Evenings and weekends are spend on homework and/or discussions. So it is a crazy schedule, great for someone who is passionate about the subject.

 

The CC does have placement tests and I believe it is possible to sit for a placement test for Spanish before enrolling for the course. I do not know how long the placement test result is valid for. Call their admin hotline and ask.

 

I asked the DE coordinator about a placement test and she said she didn't know if that was an option and said that, even if it was an option, she would advise against it because universities would want to see a whole sequence of foreign language classes taken.  

 

I have a DD who loves languages and has studying multiple languages for several yrs. I would not have enrolled her in a summer college class.

 

Thank you for sharing your opinion!   Maybe we will just wait until fall and risk having her be bored in the first semester.  I am too nervous about the consequences of putting her in the summer classes.  

 

Erica

[8filltheheart]

Honestly, I do not think she will be bored. Unless she has completed an entire yr's equivalent of a high school class, she will not have covered as much as 1 college semester. W/o conversation and composition, it is less likely to be the equivalent of a high school class.

[Kassia]

Honestly, I do not think she will be bored. Unless she has completed an entire yr's equivalent of a high school class, she will not have covered as much as 1 college semester. W/o conversation and composition, it is less likely to be the equivalent of a high school class.

 

I hadn't thought about composition, only conversation.  Good point!  I want her first college class to be as successful and stress-free as possible, so allowing her full semesters instead of five week sessions seems to be the right thing to do for her.  Thank you for your help!  

 

Erica

[Lori D.]

...she wants to be in a classroom so she can converse with others.  She has done a lot of independent study so she has learned a lot of grammar and vocabulary, plus she's good at comprehension, but she wants to be able to speak with others which she really needs a classroom for...

 

To meet some of that interest in conversation right now, what about looking for some native Spanish speakers now with whom DD could have some regular weekly interactions?

 

- international college students going to the university near you -- they love to have dinner with American families  ;)

- volunteer work with a group that works with Spanish-speakers?

- homeschool group members who are native Spanish speakers?

- use Live Mocha and speak online in Spanish with other students learning Spanish?

- listen to free online Spanish conversation podcasts? (here is one site)

Edited March 1, 2016 by Lori D.

[Lori D.]

oops! 

 

Edited March 1, 2016 by Lori D.

[Pegasus]

In TX CCs, 2 semesters equals 2 years of high school languages. However, some majors require proficiency to graduate university and that's 4 semesters. If your student will need to continue, it's easier to do all four semesters at one school.

 

:iagree: Our state colleges want to see at least 2 years of foreign language in high school and many majors then require at least 2 semesters of intermediate foreign language in college.  We had DD take 4 semesters (2 beginning and 2 intermediate) as dual enrollment at the CC so her language requirement was DONE.

[Kassia]

To meet some of that interest in conversation right now, what about looking for some native Spanish speakers now with whom DD could have some regular weekly interactions?

 

- international college students going to the university near you -- they love to have dinner with American families  ;)

- volunteer work with a group that works with Spanish-speakers?

- homeschool group members who are native Spanish speakers?

- use Live Mocha and speak online in Spanish with other students learning Spanish?

- listen to free online Spanish conversation podcasts? (here is one site)

 

We live in a semi-rural area with no diversity so there is nothing local available.  She could use Live Mocha or get an online tutor.

 

She is almost done with Duolingo, Destinos, the FSI Basic Spanish course, and a Practice Makes Perfect workbook on verbs.  She has also completed Language Transfer's Spanish course and does other things on her own to learn more.  

 

Erica

Edited March 1, 2016 by ebh87

[8filltheheart]

We live in a semi-rural area with no diversity so there is nothing local available.  She could use Live Mocha or get an online tutor.

 

She is almost done with Duolingo, Destinos, the FSI Basic Spanish course, and a Practice Makes Perfect workbook on verbs.  She has also completed Language Transfer's Spanish course and does other things on her own to learn more.  

 

Erica

 

She has completed almost all of Destinos (video, audio, and workbook) in a single year as an 8th grader?  I have to wonder how much she is mastering.  My dd spent at least 1-1/2 hrs per day on French and used French in Action, the Destinos French equivalent, along with other resources and there is no way she could have completed the entire course in 8th grade.

[Kassia]

She has completed almost all of Destinos (video, audio, and workbook) in a single year as an 8th grader?  I have to wonder how much she is mastering.  My dd spent at least 1-1/2 hrs per day on French and used French in Action, the Destinos French equivalent, along with other resources and there is no way she could have completed the entire course in 8th grade.

 

She watches one episode a day.  We don't have the workbook.  She spends a LOT of time on Spanish.  Hours and hours a day.  I don't remember Spanish from high school, so I can't tell how much she is mastering on my own, but she does use a lot of resources with assessments and seems to be retaining the information.  

 

Erica

[8filltheheart]

Watching the videos is only about a 1/4 of the program, at least for FiA. There is a textbook, audio recordings, and a workbook that make up a large part of the course. The full course is the equivalent of 2 college semester and covers future, subjunctive, and other more complex grammatical constructions. If she has truly mastered all of that independently as an 8th grader, she is an extremely talented student. If she has made that much progress, you should pursue DE.

[klmama]

Even though it sounds like she may be quite talented, I would still wait for a fall semester course instead of the condensed college course in the summer.  Live Mocha might be a good summer option for her.  If you wanted her to have an extended language experience this summer, you might consider checking into Concordia language villages summer camp in Spanish.  It's extremely pricey, but it has a good reputation, and there are various options for location, length, and high school credit vs. just for fun.  http://www.concordialanguagevillages.org/

[Kassia]

Even though it sounds like she may be quite talented, I would still wait for a fall semester course instead of the condensed college course in the summer.  Live Mocha might be a good summer option for her.  If you wanted her to have an extended language experience this summer, you might consider checking into Concordia language villages summer camp in Spanish.  It's extremely pricey, but it has a good reputation, and there are various options for location, length, and high school credit vs. just for fun.  http://www.concordialanguagevillages.org/

 

I am leaning towards starting her in the fall semester based on the replies/comments here (thank you!).  I want her to have a good experience and I don't want her first grades in DE to be bad ones.  

 

The Concordia language villages summer camp looks amazing, but too pricey for us.  Plus, I don't know that my daughter would be willing to do it - she's an introvert and I don't know that she'd want to spend all day, every day with new people.    

 

Erica 

[MamaSprout]

Also, maybe have her see if she can find a news program with a transcript online. There are some French ones, and they have done as much as anything for my fluency. Journal en Francis facile (News in Easy French) is free. I would assume there is something similar out there for Spanish?

 

Breaking the Barrier iBooks might be useful for mastering grammar and some composition at a reasonable cost.

[Kassia]

Also, maybe have her see if she can find a news program with a transcript online. There are some French ones, and they have done as much as anything for my fluency. Journal en Francis facile (News in Easy French) is free. I would assume there is something similar out there for Spanish?

 

Breaking the Barrier iBooks might be useful for mastering grammar and some composition at a reasonable cost.

 

Great idea!  Right now she reads Newsela.  She likes it because she can adjust the articles to her level and then enjoys seeing her progress when she can move up a level.  I think she said she was doing some kind of news program or maybe podcast where she could adjust the speed.  I'll have to ask her about it.  

 

 

Erica

[TN Mama]

I checked with the admissions office of Colorado State University, and they told me that they would count a one-semester (at least 3 credits) DE college course as equal to a one-year highschool course.

This is the most common answer I have seen across the board.

[The Girls' Mom]

I took a condensed Spanish class last summer...I do NOT recommend it.  It moves way too fast for retention.  

 

As far as equivalency...If you haven't had any high school Spanish, our CC has you take Beg. Spanish 1 and Beg. Spanish 2 before you can take Intermediate.  Intermediate is what actually counts towards a major.  If you have taken two years of high school Spanish, you can jump right into Intermediate.  All that to say, Beg. 1 and 2 are usually equivalent to 2 years of high school Spanish.  

 

 

[Kassia]

I took a condensed Spanish class last summer...I do NOT recommend it.  It moves way too fast for retention.  

 

As far as equivalency...If you haven't had any high school Spanish, our CC has you take Beg. Spanish 1 and Beg. Spanish 2 before you can take Intermediate.  Intermediate is what actually counts towards a major.  If you have taken two years of high school Spanish, you can jump right into Intermediate.  All that to say, Beg. 1 and 2 are usually equivalent to 2 years of high school Spanish.  

 

Thanks.  Would you even advise against Beginner Spanish 1 if it would be all (or mostly) review for a student who has never taken a college class before but enjoys spending hours a day on the language? 

 

Erica

Edited March 2, 2016 by ebh87

[The Girls' Mom]

Thanks.  Would you even advise against Beginner Spanish 1 if it would be all (or mostly) review for a student who has never taken a college class before but enjoys spending hours a day on the language? 

 

Erica

If she is pretty confident, it may go well.  

[Kassia]

I thought I'd post an update.  

 

Dd still really wants to take the summer classes, so I had her contact the professor to get his opinion/advice.  She is meeting with him on Monday and he's going to talk to her about the expectations and also assess how much Spanish she knows.  I had her take an online placement exam used by many universities and she tested into a 300-level class.  However, that was a multiple choice test with no speaking/listening/writing.  

 

Erica

[Lori D.]

I thought I'd post an update.  

 

Dd still really wants to take the summer classes, so I had her contact the professor to get his opinion/advice.  She is meeting with him on Monday and he's going to talk to her about the expectations and also assess how much Spanish she knows.  I had her take an online placement exam used by many universities and she tested into a 300-level class.  However, that was a multiple choice test with no speaking/listening/writing.  

 

Erica

 

Awesome! What a bright, motivated young lady she is! :)

[Kassia]

Awesome! What a bright, motivated young lady she is! :)

 

Thank you!  She is so nervous about meeting with the professor! 

 

Erica

[8filltheheart]

I thought I'd post an update.

 

Dd still really wants to take the summer classes, so I had her contact the professor to get his opinion/advice. She is meeting with him on Monday and he's going to talk to her about the expectations and also assess how much Spanish she knows. I had her take an online placement exam used by many universities and she tested into a 300-level class. However, that was a multiple choice test with no speaking/listening/writing.

 

Erica

I hope it goes well. I do want you to prepare your dd for them to be very skeptical. My dd is in 11th grade and we have been doing college tours and some of the responses she has gotten are rather insulting. For example, she has been studying Russian with a tutor for 3 yrs. But at universities she has had 2 professors tell her that she would need to start a the 101 level bc all of their students do. (They did not even attempt to speak to her in Russian. They were both extremely biased against accepting that a homeschooler could learn Russian.)

 

She watches movies in French (and yesterday we we went on a museum tour in French with the Alliance Francaise group) and she understands anywhere from 70-90+% (depends on the speaker and the subject. Yesterday she was closer to 100%. when she watches the new, it might be closer to 70-80% bc some of the vocabulary in the news is less familiar, etc) She has been studying French for yrs. She had one French professor say to her, "Well, since you have been self-studying, I would guess you might be a high school French 3." Ummmmm, no. (Again, her bias had no foundation. Dd told her she had taken BYU's placement exam and was rated mid-int last summer. BYU is the placement exam many universities use, and it is 3/4 of a school yr later. (Ironically, at a different university she had a professor tell her that was their UG graduation goal and that they had nothing to offer her!)

 

So, we have had very positive experiences with other professors. So the skepticism is not always prevalent. But she does need to be aware that bias against homeschooling foreign languages exists in many professors' minds. She should hope for the best but be prepared for a skeptical reaction.

[Kassia]

I hope it goes well. I do want you to prepare your dd for them to be very skeptical. My dd is in 11th grade and we have been doing college tours and some of the responses she has gotten are rather insulting. For example, she has been studying Russian with a tutor for 3 yrs. But at universities she has had 2 professors tell her that she would need to start a the 101 level bc all of their students do. (They did not even attempt to speak to her in Russian. They were both extremely biased against accepting that a homeschooler could learn Russian.)

 

She watches movies in French (and yesterday we we went on a museum tour in French with the Alliance Francaise group) and she understands anywhere from 70-90+% (depends on the speaker and the subject. Yesterday she was closer to 100%. when she watches the new, it might be closer to 70-80% bc some of the vocabulary in the news is less familiar, etc) She has been studying French for yrs. She had one French professor say to her, "Well, since you have been self-studying, I would guess you might be a high school French 3." Ummmmm, no. (Again, her bias had no foundation. Dd told her she had taken BYU's placement exam and was rated mid-int last summer. BYU is the placement exam many universities use, and it is 3/4 of a school yr later. (Ironically, at a different university she had a professor tell her that was their UG graduation goal and that they had nothing to offer her!)

 

So, we have had very positive experiences with other professors. So the skepticism is not always prevalent. But she does need to be aware that bias against homeschooling foreign languages exists in many professors' minds. She should hope for the best but be prepared for a skeptical reaction.

 

Thank you!  When my daughter emailed the professor, I fully expected him to brush her off because of her age (13) and the fact that she's homeschooled, so I was surprised when he replied and asked her to come in so he could assess her knowledge and talk to her about the summer classes.  

 

My daughter did take the BYU placement exam.  I was surprised at how high she scored.  I would love it if she would just take the CLEP exam so we wouldn't have to spend so much money on tuition and deal with the hassle of driving her back and forth for the classes, but she really wants to be in a classroom for Spanish.  

 

That's interesting how some professors have been so dismissive of your daughter's knowledge.  I wouldn't expect that attitude and agree that it's insulting!

 

Erica

[Matryoshka]

I hope it goes well. I do want you to prepare your dd for them to be very skeptical. My dd is in 11th grade and we have been doing college tours and some of the responses she has gotten are rather insulting. For example, she has been studying Russian with a tutor for 3 yrs. But at universities she has had 2 professors tell her that she would need to start a the 101 level bc all of their students do. (They did not even attempt to speak to her in Russian. They were both extremely biased against accepting that a homeschooler could learn Russian.)

 

It's very dependent on the teacher, I think.  When dd went to public school for 9th, they wouldn't take my word for it what level German would make sense for dd to go in (she has been in Saturday School since kindergarten).  They would allow her to take a placement test, but it would have been a final, and she would have had to make sure she knew the genders of all the nouns from the vocabulary they learned that year, and she just didn't want to jump through that hoop, so they put her in German 2 (German 1 is done in middle school, and she'd been in 8th half a year, so that wasn't a problem).

 

But when she ditched ps and went to the CC, they were much more accommodating.  I signed her up for German 2, thinking they'd be skeptical, but I knew the CC language courses were self-paced, so she could easily accelerate.  The first day, the teacher asked if she wanted to test up to level 3.  Dd said she didn't do well on placement tests (anxiety can be a problem), so teacher said, 'oh, then just start in 3', and then lent her the textbooks for level 3 instead of making us buy them, because she thought dd might be able to finish level 4 as well this semester, and she'll need to buy new books for level 4, and the teacher thought she shouldn't have to buy textbooks twice.  She's already 2/3 of the way through the level 3 materials.

 

Your dd's experience reminds me of the conversation I had with the administrator of the Gymnasium I attended for a year after high school.  I was going to sign up for a full slate of classes and take all the tests with the native students.  He said, oh, no, you won't be able to handle that, because "in unsere Ehrfahrung, die Amis können kein deutsch." (in our experience, Americans can't speak German).    All their other exchange students had come from schools with 1-2 years of fairly dismal American classroom German, so his experience was in fact that.  His bias was so strong he couldn't adjust even when evidence to the contrary was speaking to him in fluent, accent-free German. :rolleyes:

 

[8filltheheart]

.

 

My daughter did take the BYU placement exam.

 

Erica

Could you share where you found the placement exam? My dd actually took hers at BYU last year when she went to French camp. I have tried to find the test online to have her take at end of this school yr, but I haven't been able to figure out how to do it w/o a proctor or university code.

[Kassia]

Could you share where you found the placement exam? My dd actually took hers at BYU last year when she went to French camp. I have tried to find the test online to have her take at end of this school yr, but I haven't been able to figure out how to do it w/o a proctor or university code.

 

http://webcape.byuhtrsc.org/nwcregister.php

 

Georgia State University

 

login:  panthers1

 

 

Erica

Edited March 6, 2016 by ebh87

[Matryoshka]

Thank you! She is so nervous about meeting with the professor!

 

Good luck to her! It sounds like this professor might be one of the open-minded ones. Your dd sounds like a dedicated language student - when you really have a passion for something, it's amazing what you can accomplish.

[8filltheheart]

http://webcape.byuhtrsc.org/nwcregister.php

 

Georgia State University

 

login: panthers1

 

 

Erica

Thank you! So cool, bc now she can take the Russian test, too, and get an idea of placement!

 

Good luck to your dd. I hope the professor is open-minded.

[Luckymama]

Wow, that placement link is awesome! (Too bad it doesn't work for Arabic, sniff sniff)

[AngieW in Texas]

I counted each semester of foreign language at the cc as a full year of high school credit. At my cc, the first two semesters are 5 credit hours each and the later semesters are 3 credit hours each.

None of the colleges my kids went to had any issue with it.

 

My oldest did Japanese I, II, and III at the cc for three years of credit

My middle did Spanish I at home with Visual Link Spanish and then did Spanish I and II at the cc for three years of credit.

My youngest is doing all of hers at home with Fluenz French I and II for two years of credit.

[Kassia]

I counted each semester of foreign language at the cc as a full year of high school credit. At my cc, the first two semesters are 5 credit hours each and the later semesters are 3 credit hours each.

None of the colleges my kids went to had any issue with it.

 

My oldest did Japanese I, II, and III at the cc for three years of credit

My middle did Spanish I at home with Visual Link Spanish and then did Spanish I and II at the cc for three years of credit.

My youngest is doing all of hers at home with Fluenz French I and II for two years of credit.

 

I was wondering how that would work if your student did the foreign language both at home and at the cc like your child did with Spanish.  So, you gave a credit for Spanish 1 at home and at the cc?  We will be doing the same thing and I didn't know how to put that on the transcript.  

 

Erica

[J-rap]

Just addressing different things brought up here.

 

Generally a year of high school = a semester of college.  Generally, a typical solid academic college class = 4 credits, not 3, so I'd recommend contacting a couple colleges to see if that matters.

 

If my child was doing well with a language, I'd enroll them in the summer course.  Some kids progress fast and do fine in a shorter period of time on a more intense schedule.  My ds skipped Level 3 of Spanish entirely, just went from 2 to 4.  It really wasn't any problem at all for him other than having to work just a little harder in Level 4.

 

My two dd's whose colleges had a more rigorous foreign language requirement required them to take a language placement test.  So, it didn't even matter what their transcripts said (except for being accepted into the college;  but not for fulfilling foreign language requirements to graduate once there).

 

My kids all had a hodgepodge of foreign language in high school.  Some at home, some online, some through a televised language course, some in an actual classroom.  It all worked out in the end, and they've done very well with foreign languages.  Two of them passed out of every level of language once in college and could jump right to the literature courses (because of how they did on placement tests).

[Kassia]

 

 

My two dd's whose colleges had a more rigorous foreign language requirement required them to take a language placement test.  So, it didn't even matter what their transcripts said (except for being accepted into the college;  but not for fulfilling foreign language requirements to graduate once there).

 

My kids all had a hodgepodge of foreign language in high school.  Some at home, some online, some through a televised language course, some in an actual classroom.  It all worked out in the end, and they've done very well with foreign languages.  Two of them passed out of every level of language once in college and could jump right to the literature courses (because of how they did on placement tests).

 

This makes me nervous because my daughter might finish all of her Spanish in 9th grade (14 college credits at the community college if she takes two summer courses and then two full semesters) and I don't see how she would retain the language well enough to test well when she is entering college.  

 

Erica

[Matryoshka]

Just addressing different things brought up here.

 

Generally a year of high school = a semester of college. Generally, a typical solid academic college class = 4 credits, not 3, so I'd recommend contacting a couple colleges to see if that matters.

 

This must vary a bit. The only 4-credit classes I've seen were science with lab, and at my alma mater the Honors classes were 4, though I've noticed at the CC here they're 3 like all the others. Never heard of a 5-credit class...

[J-rap]

This must vary a bit. The only 4-credit classes I've seen were science with lab, and at my alma mater the Honors classes were 4, though I've noticed at the CC here they're 3 like all the others. Never heard of a 5-credit class...

 

Wow, that is interesting!  My children have never even had a 3 credit class, ever, except choir.  So you're right -- it must vary.  Maybe by state?  I think science with labs in our state are always 5 credits.

[Kassia]

This must vary a bit. The only 4-credit classes I've seen were science with lab, and at my alma mater the Honors classes were 4, though I've noticed at the CC here they're 3 like all the others. Never heard of a 5-credit class...

 

At our CC, the calculus classes are 4 and 5 credits.  Elementary Spanish 1 and 2 are both 4 credits.  

 

Erica

[8filltheheart]

This must vary a bit. The only 4-credit classes I've seen were science with lab, and at my alma mater the Honors classes were 4, though I've noticed at the CC here they're 3 like all the others. Never heard of a 5-credit class...

  

Wow, that is interesting!  My children have never even had a 3 credit class, ever, except choir.  So you're right -- it must vary.  Maybe by state?  I think science with labs in our state are always 5 credits.

Our experience is the same as Matryoshka's. Most classes are 3 credit our classes. Classes which meet more than MWF or TH are usually 4, like a science with a lab. The only 5 hr classes we have seen are science classes which have a recitation class in addition to lectures and labs.

 

Quarter system schools vs semester schools are where I have seen the higher # for credit hrs. I have never looked, but I would assume that more than your typical 120 hrs is therefore required for a degree.