2-3 years foreign language outcomes

[Anonymous]

Well aware that 4 years is recommended/required for many schools. Dealing with schedule conflicts for arts electives that are important to DC.

Interested in hearing outcomes for kids who took French or Spanish 1-3 only, with 1-2 in middle school for high school credit, but otherwise had rigorous classes and solid stats.

Not a CS/STEM person.

Please don’t say take 4. Just want to hear recent outcomes from people who didn’t

[Anonymous]

My son got into 8/10 schools with just 3 years of FL- Latin and then two years of Spanish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son got into 8/10 schools with just 3 years of FL- Latin and then two years of Spanish.

That is great. Mind sharing schools?

[Anonymous]

One thing to consider (my kid is starting college next year and I just realized this) is that a lot of SLACS have language requirements and some are pretty stiff (ie, thru 3rd semester). You can test out with the AP language test. If my kid had taken the language through AP level he would not now have to either take three semesters of a new language or a couple (TBD on placement test) of his HS language. He would rather have the flexibility as a college student. Anyway, just something to consider if you are thinking of SLACS.

[Anonymous]

Oh yes I agree. Dealing with a conflict. There are trade offs in life and just wondering about outcomes for kids who didn’t take more than level 1-3 for admissions

[Anonymous]

DS was accepted at T15 (ED) with 3 years of HS Spanish through Spanish 4 honors (MCPS). Applied as an economics major.

[Anonymous]

DC is a current college sophomore who got into 11/12 schools, including a T25 and with good merit from 7 of them, with only 3 years of Spanish (1 in MS, 2 in HS).

[Anonymous]

Speaking a second language is extremely important for reasons going well beyond college admissions. You are doing your child a major disservice.

[Anonymous]

My kids are bilingual and took a third language in school for 7 years, but if your kid is doing something else that's equally challenging for brain development, I think it will be fine. Think a rigorous music program or equivalent - but your kid will need to show they attained a high level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Speaking a second language is extremely important for reasons going well beyond college admissions. You are doing your child a major disservice.

Oh I agree. DC is interested in learning a second language to fluency at another phase of life. It doesn’t have to happen in high school to happen at all, except for college admissions. So that is the question. How will it impact admissions? The conflicting electives are very important to DC.

[Anonymous]

This comment comes from a person who completed two undergraduate, one graduate and one professional degree and who achieved success in her career.

During HS I took two languages, German and French, and in college German again for another couple of years. When I asked why language was a requirement of the degree, I was told well-roundedness and the facility to read scholarship in their field in the original language the student learned in college.

Ha! How many people retain any facility with the language they studied in HS and college 5 years out from graduation? 10? I’d love to see statistics on that, based on something other than the claims of the people who studied a language in college and are embarrassed to admit it has left their brain nearly entirely.

If we cared about language facility and being a multilingual society via education, we’d be teaching languages when it really matters, in early childhood or at least by 1st grade. Most multilingual people either got that way in early childhood or were language majors with the opportunity for immersion experiences on a regular basis. Most older childhood and adult language learners do not retain without immersion experience on a regular basis and most don’t get that.

We should rethink why we are doing this. But that should certainty come secondary to addressing why something like 66% of our kids aren’t proficient readers of English at grade level, nevermind a second language.

[Anonymous]

I'm in my 50s and have rarely needed my language learning. A little goes a long way. I think having some knowledge of other cultures and having some understanding of another language is helpful when you aren't speaking it. Other than this, it's really only beneficial for actually speaking the language.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Speaking a second language is extremely important for reasons going well beyond college admissions. You are doing your child a major disservice.

I’ve never met anyone who became fluent after 4 years of high school language.

My kids went to immersion school when they were younger. That’s how you become fluent. But colleges didn’t care. They want to check the box.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Speaking a second language is extremely important for reasons going well beyond college admissions. You are doing your child a major disservice.

I’ve never met anyone who became fluent after 4 years of high school language.

My kids went to immersion school when they were younger. That’s how you become fluent. But colleges didn’t care. They want to check the box.

that is no not how you become fluent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh yes I agree. Dealing with a conflict. There are trade offs in life and just wondering about outcomes for kids who didn’t take more than level 1-3 for admissions

Mine took 2 years of two different languages.. got into a top 10 public