Advising

Frequently Asked Questions

Placement:

♦How do students know which language course is appropriate for their language level?
♦How does the language sequence work?

College Level Elementary Proficiency in a Foreign Language Requirement:

♦How can students fulfill the Elementary Proficiency in a Foreign Language Requirement?

Study Abroad:

♦Do study abroad courses transfer?

National Honor Societies (ex. Phi Beta Kappa):

♦Does knowledge of a foreign language influence a student’s eligibility in honor societies?

Majors and Minors:

♦Which language programs offer majors and minors?

Interdisciplinary Programs:

♦Which interdisciplinary programs combine with language study?

Placement

How do students know which language course is appropriate for their language level?

Proper placement is based on a student’s past experience and/or placement test results:

  • Beginners with NO prior experience in the target language should register for the year-long, two-semester sequence, Elementary 101 (offered only in the fall), which is followed by Elementary 102 (offered only in the spring).
  • Students continuing their high-school studies in French, German or Spanish should take an online placement test. In 20 minutes or less, they receive an automated response with their course placement recommendation. For instructions, please visit: http://lls.lafayette.edu/language-placement/placement-test/
  • Students continuing their high-school studies in Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Greek (classical), Hebrew (modern), Japanese, Latin or Russian should consult an instructor of the desired language for advice. For the current list of FLL faculty, please visit: http://lls.lafayette.edu/faculty/
  • Heritage speakers (that is, those with a personal or historical connection to a language but limited formal study) who wish to take courses in Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Hebrew (modern), Japanese, Russian, or Spanish should consult a language adviser. Heritage speakers of Spanish may take Spanish 215 (offered usually in the spring) to demonstrate advanced-level proficiency.

How does the language sequence work?

  • Elementary and Intermediate language courses are a two-semester, year long sequence.  It is recommended that students complete the fall semester course before enrolling in the second part of the sequence in the spring semester.  Exceptions are made based on the student’s past language experience, placement exam scores or assessment by qualified members of the LLS faculty.

College Level Elementary Proficiency in a Foreign Language Requirement

How can students fulfill the requirement?

  • Because most students have already studied another language at the high school level, the option most commonly used to fulfill the Foreign Culture Requirement of the A.B. Common Course of Study is to demonstrate intermediate-level proficiency in a foreign language. Students either take the year-long, two-semester sequence, Intermediate 111 (offered only in the fall) and Intermediate 112 (offered only in the spring), or they can demonstrate intermediate proficiency through standardized test results (AP, IB, or SAT II).
  • Another option used to fulfill the Foreign Culture component of the A.B. Common Course of Study is to complete a cluster of three related courses dealing with another culture, two of which may be appropriate language courses. For the language portion of this requirement, students either take the year-long, two-semester sequence Elementary 101 (offered only in the fall) followed by Elementary 102 (offered only in the spring), or they can demonstrate elementary proficiency through standardized test results (AP, IB, or SAT II). High beginners in Spanish or French may take Accelerated Elementary 103 (offered only in the spring) to demonstrate elementary proficiency.

Study Abroad

Do study abroad courses transfer?

  • The Department encourages participation in the College’s approved study-abroad programs. Students may enroll for an interim, summer, semester, or academic year.
  • For more information, please visit: http://studyabroad.lafayette.edu/programs/ or contact the Director of International & Off-Campus Education, 208 Scott Hall, (610) 330-5262.

Phi Beta Kappa

Does knowledge of a foreign language influence a student’s eligibility in honor societies?

  • Admission to Phi Beta Kappa is always at the discretion of the local chapter. The Lafayette College chapter does take into account the study of a foreign language among other factors.

FLL Majors & Minors

Which modern language programs offer majors and minors?

Language: Chinese French German Spanish
Coursework √ √ √ √
Minor √ √ √ √
Major In process √ √ √

Which modern language programs offer  minors and are affiliated with other programs?

Language: Arabic Hebrew Japanese Russian
Coursework √ √ √ √
Minor – – – √
Affiliations Middle
Eastern
Studies		 Jewish
Studies		 Asian
Studies		 East
European
Studies

Classical Languages

Language: CLSS Greek Latin
Coursework √ √ √
Minor √ Part of the CLSS minor Part of the CLSS minor
Major – –

Interdisciplinary Programs

Which interdisciplinary programs combine with language study?

In addition to FLL’s major and minor programs (listed above), interdisciplinary and coordinate majors are available:

  • International Affairs (IA)
  • International Studies & Engineering
  • International Economics & Commerce
  • Africana Studies (in the works)
  • Comparative Literature
  • Government & Law and Foreign Languages (F, G, SP)
  • Religion (F, G, Sp)

The study of a foreign language is also a significant component in the following programs:

  • Asian Studies
  • Classical Civilization (CLSS)
  • Comparative Literature
  • Jewish Studies
  • Latin American & Caribbean Studies (LACS)
  • Medieval, Renaissance & Early Modern Studies (MREMS)
  • Russian & East European Studies (REES)
  • Women’s & Gender Studies (WGS)

.