Question about Foreign Language requirement

[foxbridgeacademy]

I've searched the website of the College DC will be going to and can't find the answer so a general idea from those who've done it recently will help.....

 

DS is going to be taking Spanish (we started already but not going well).  I'll probably use Rosetta Stone 1-5 and call it good (no judgement please, DS is dyslexic and can barely read/write in English some days).  

 

The local College wants 2 years of foreign language in High School but has no foreign language requirement (once they get to College) for students to graduate with a B.S. So can DS skip the language placement test or does he have to take it even though he'll never have to take the classes?

 

 

I took the placement when I went to College but they required B.A. and B.S. students to take 2 semesters of F.Language back then.

[EKS]

I recommend Latin for a dyslexic because there is no speaking component. We used Oak Meadow. It got the job done.

 

None of the schools my son applied to had a foreign language requirement, though all of them are engineering focused.

 

I should mention that the son I'm referring to is dyslexic.

[foxbridgeacademy]

I recommend Latin for a dyslexic because there is no speaking component. We used Oak Meadow. It got the job done.

 

None of the schools my son applied to had a foreign language requirement, though all of them are engineering focused.

 

I should mention that the son I'm referring to is dyslexic.

speaking is fine, as long as there are pictures to go along with the words (see it, say it) when learning.  It's writing or reading the language that is the issue.  We'll definitely be doing Rosetta, I need an independent program that is cheap-ish. I can not afford a class and  Yo habla espanol un poquito, I do not know enough to do more than help with homework/practice. 

 

I'm just worried that he'll have to take a test and will fail miserably but even if he did are there any repercussions if F.L isn't required for his degree?  I'll probably need to call the school. :glare: Never fun.

[StillStanding]

"Placement Tests" are for placing students in the correct level course of College-level Foreign Language. If your child is not planning to take FL in college then he will not have to take a "Placement Test."

 

Mine did, but at the time she was planning to minor in Spanish.

 

No judgement, but please remember that some colleges do not accept FL courses done with Rosetta Stone (you may want to ask your potential college if they do).

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

As said above-placement tests are for placing students in a particular level of a language so that they can continue courses.  If you are not taking courses in a language you shouldn't need the placement test.

 

I might dig a little deeper into their requirements.  Are the college language courses not required or are they not required if you have taken the 2 years in high school.  If so, do they require particular grades?  Are they having all students take a placement test in foreign language as part of orientation or pre-freshman paperwork?  Are they using placement tests to validate high school work?  Are the 2 years of language required for admission or recommended? If you never need to take the class you could, theoretically, bomb the test and all they would do is place you at the beginning.  

 

If the situation is as serious as you describe you may want to look into what documentation you need to provide so that your child can receive accommodations during testing (and perhaps with course work as well) at the college, beginning with this placement test (if required).  This may be a form of support that will be the difference between struggling and success.

 

Also, as said above, Rosetta Stone alone is not considered by many schools enough to constitute a foreign language credit, this was not quite what it was designed to accomplish.  They don't cover topics in the same way or at the same depth that an academic course does.

[foxbridgeacademy]

Rosetta is what our Umbrella recommends and from what I understand the transcript is just a formality at the Univ., if your ACT scores are good and the "required courses" box is checked, they really don't care. Taking 2 years of H.S. Foreign Lang. is a "required courses" box I just don't want him to have to prove it.  He will likely be able to manage some verbal recall by that time but written/reading, not likely (he'll have finished Spanish 2 by the Summer after 10th grade).  I'm probably worrying about nothing, I just can not imagine him passing any College level Foreign Language classes. 

 

Thanks for the help

[JanetC]

This varies from college to college. If you can't find it on the website, call and ask.

[teachermom2834]

Honestly- it does not sound like you are referring to a high competitive school here. I highly doubt anyone in admissions is going to dig into the curriculum used to meet this requirement. They are going to see it on the transcript, check the box, and move on. I do not think he will have to take a test or submit curriculum to prove it. Of course, I could be wrong, but I don't think you need to worry about this.

[Lori D.]

Agreeing with previous posters that the foreign language placement test is for seeing what level you can go into, if you are continuing with the foreign language into college -- it's not for testing that you achieved 2 credits of foreign language in high school.

 

And, also agreeing with previous posters that you can use Rosetta Stone to check the foreign language box for required admission credits and move on.

 

HOWEVER, to make Rosetta Stone high school level work, you really do need to add a supplement to get a bit of reading and writing in there -- at a slower pace and as your DS can handle it -- because high school foreign language credits DO require more than just verbal vocabulary and a conversation component. They do require some reading and written work as part of the scope and sequence.

 

The great thing about Spanish is that it uses virtually the same alphabet as English, it's super simple and consistent for the spelling, and the grammar is very consistent and structure -- all of which makes the writing of Spanish a lot easier. And beginning Spanish textbooks tend to have short, simple sentences for reading the language. :)

 

 

... No judgement, but please remember that some colleges do not accept FL courses done with Rosetta Stone (you may want to ask your potential college if they do).

 

In all the years I've been on this board, I've only heard of one person encountering one college that actively up-front stated they did not accept Rosetta Stone, and that was quite a number of years back.

 

JMO, and saying this gently with no judgement: I know this comment is well-intended, but I would actually NOT recommend initiating asking a college about whether a program used to complete high school graduation requirements is acceptable to them or not. It is just asking for trouble by opening up a can of worms unnecessarily.

 

It is really NOT up to the college to determine whether or not the materials used by a high school are acceptable for completing credits. Colleges use ACT/SAT test scores to help them to decide if a student is academically proficient enough to handle college for the the school to accept/not accept a student, and colleges use placement assessments to determine the level of a student's working in math, reading, writing, and a foreign language (if continuing with a language) after the student is admitted.

 

So, good news! Colleges really don't worry about what materials you used in high school, as long as you're passing the tests. :)

 

Edited March 15, 2017 by Lori D.

[StillStanding]

I read it here in this forum.

 

I had moms in my homeschool group mention it.

 

You can also read the homeschool reviews below:

 

http://www.homeschoolreviews.com/forums/1/thread.aspx?id=115718

 

And this quote:

" ...I did want to warn people who have children who play a sport and homeschool - the NCAA does NOT accept using Rosetta Stone as a foreign language from what I've heard over on the Facebook groups. It's not an issue for my dd (as far as I know, Ballet/Dance are NOT NCAA sports, hahaha) yet, but it might be for my boys. So, be sure to check the NCAA website if you think you will have a kid playing a sport. (You'll want to register with the NCAA in between your freshman and sophomore years.)

 

 from: https://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?t=10249

 

It is true that if the college you are applying to doesn't need a course description then they will never see what curriculum you used. My oldest applied (and was accepted) to a selective school so curriculum and course descriptions were important. "

 

Grammar is very week in Rosetta Stone. For what you get out of it you can use Duolingo for free and the free lessons from Visual Link.

 

Best of luck.

[Lori D.]

I read it here in this forum.

 

I had moms in my homeschool group mention it.

 

You can also read the homeschool reviews below:

 

http://www.homeschoolreviews.com/forums/1/thread.aspx?id=115718

 

And this quote:

" ...I did want to warn people who have children who play a sport and homeschool - the NCAA does NOT accept using Rosetta Stone as a foreign language from what I've heard over on the Facebook groups. It's not an issue for my dd (as far as I know, Ballet/Dance are NOT NCAA sports, hahaha) yet, but it might be for my boys. So, be sure to check the NCAA website if you think you will have a kid playing a sport. (You'll want to register with the NCAA in between your freshman and sophomore years.)

 

 from: https://board.mfwbooks.com/viewtopic.php?t=10249

 

It is true that if the college you are applying to doesn't need a course description then they will never see what curriculum you used. My oldest applied (and was accepted) to a selective school so curriculum and course descriptions were important. "

 

Grammar is very week in Rosetta Stone. For what you get out of it you can use Duolingo for free and the free lessons from Visual Link.

 

Best of luck.

 

Thanks for that reminder. :)

 

It's also good to realize that NCAA eligibility requirements are a whole different situation than college admission requirements, and only applies to the small number of students seeking Division 1 college sports eligibility. In addition, the NCAA restrictions on resources that can be used only applies to the 16 core credits required by NCAA.

 

(Also, a side note for those looking into or needing NCAA requirements -- several of the ladies on these boards who have had students go through the process have corrected my misunderstanding about registering early, and have said that you do NOT want to register prior to the 11th grade year, as it is money wasted, as the student's records are not assessed prior to 11th grade.)

 

As far as course descriptions: as long as you are supporting Rosetta Stone with additional supplements and including that as part of the course description -- esp. supplementing for the written and Grammar portions of Foreign Language study (which I see as the constant encouragement here on these boards to those using Rosetta Stone) -- families are extremely unlikely to have any troubles with college admissions and having used Rosetta Stone. :)

 

However, it's always good to remember that there are caveats and addendum and special circumstances for just about every college and every student when it comes to applications and paperwork, so thanks again for adding that!  :)

Edited March 16, 2017 by Lori D.

[frogger]

I cannot answer the college question. But just throwing this out there in case it ends up helping. http://www.spanishdict.com/learn/courses is free and covers grammar in a very gentle way and could be used with Rosetta Stone.  

[katilac]

I seriously doubt the college makes them take a language test, but I'd call and clarify to be sure. 

 

They also may not require or even want course descriptions; you should be able to figure that out on their admissions page, and by looking at the application itself. 

 

Edited to add that I probably would not call now, it is a crazy busy time at schools because May 1 is decision day. 

Edited March 16, 2017 by katilac

[Melissa B]

You will want to check with the colleges. My dd's does require the SAT II or its equivalent in the foreign language for admittance into the university even if foreign language isn't required for the specific degree.