Language Course Placement & EPSL

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Finding the right level language course to take

This first set of guidelines is intended to help incoming students determine which level to take when registering for a language course for the first time at Lafayette College. (Scroll down the page for a second set of guidelines on how to fulfill the College’s EPSL requirement.)

  • True beginners (that is, students with NO prior experience in the target language) should register for the year-long, two-semester course sequence: Elementary 101 (normally offered in the fall) and Elementary 102 (normally offered in the spring).
  • Continuing students in Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, or Spanish should submit a subject test score (i.e., AP, IB-HL) to the Registrar. For those who haven’t taken a subject test (or for those still waiting for their test results), the department offers Emmersion (WebCAPE), a brief online advising test. In 20 minutes or less, students normally receive an automated response with an assessment of their level (in reading, grammar and vocabulary) and the name of the corresponding course offered at Lafayette. For instructions on how to take the online subject test, please visit: http://lls.lafayette.edu/language-placement/placement-test/
  • Continuing students in Arabic, Greek (classical), Hebrew (modern), Japanese, Latin, or Russian should consult an instructor of the desired language for advice. For the current list of language 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 Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Hebrew (modern), Japanese, Russian, or Spanish should consult a language adviser. Heritage speakers of Spanish may take Spanish 215 (when available) to demonstrate advanced-level proficiency.

Fulfilling the EPSL requirement

Lafayette College provides several options to fulfill the College’s general education requirement in a second language.

  • Start a new language and successfully complete the two-semester course sequence (101 and 102).
  • Continue studying a second language for one semester at a level determined by LLS (102/103, 111, 112, or any 200- or 300-level course with the EPSL attribute).
  • Submit an official AP language test score (at least 3) or IB-HL language test score (at least 5) to the Registrar’s office for course credit.
  • Transfer credit through the Registrar’s office for a language course (the equivalent of 102/103 or above) from an approved college or university.
  • Contact the LLS Department Head about taking a proctored (in-person) language examination. (Note: The Registrar’s office will not award course credit.)
  • For international students and heritage speakers of a language other than English: Contact the LLS Department Head to inquire about options.