2-3 years foreign language outcomes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

Do you even know what immersion school is??

[Anonymous]

Current Sr. stopped language at Spanish 4 Jr. year. There are conflicting opinions around whether or not AOs consider MS language as counting toward their recommended number of years. I would at least try to get through Language 4 as opposed to stopping at 2 or 3.

As a pp mentioned, re college, we warned him that he would likely have to take a language in college since he chose to skip AP Spanish and sure enough, he's got to take a full year of a language.

As for admission results, he got into one reach, waitlisted at all his other reach/targets, and in at his safeties. I can't imagine that the lack of AP Spanish led to all the waitlists, but who knows.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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).

That is great. Mind sharing some of the schools?

[Anonymous]

OP, she may need to be an art major. Does she want that? or related. Can she go out of state? Look at the Common Data Set for colleges she apply to: get the right answers

For different major, different requirements. For college admission, it's not just about getting-in, it's about getting-out. That's (mostly) why the requirements.

[Anonymous]

My DD stopped Spanish after 10th grade and did get into UVA but she had some other hooks. She did have to take a semester of advanced intermediate spanish when she got to UVA which was a tough class given she hadn't take the language in two years, but she survived. If your kid doesn't want to ever do a language again, that will restrict where they can apply.

[Anonymous]

OP, you mention the conflict is an art-related elective. Seems there must be an additional conflict? The choice is more complex than art (or chorus or whatever) vs language?

Most schools in the DMV have 7 periods per day. Even with 6, there us room for all 5 core classes (yes, foreign language is core) + one elective.

Next year, my rising senior will take 5 core classes and two art electives.

She did PE and the Virginia required personal finance class over the summers. Is something like this an option?

[Anonymous]

My DC took first year language in 9th grade then we relocated to another state. Started a new language in 10th because continuing previous language conflicted with a performing arts elective they refused to give up. Ended up with just 3 years of new language and got in early action to a HYPSM and other schools including UVA. Not a STEM kid.

[Anonymous]

I think it looks weak for a non-STEM student but no one thing is make or break. It’s still a crapshoot at very competitive schools even if you do everything perfectly.

I think she should do what she wants, but think about how it will be to resume the language in college after not taking it for x years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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).

That is great. Mind sharing some of the schools?

Rather than you asking for even more detail (op already gave you an indication above re the “T25”, why not volunteer the kinds of schools your kid is targeting?

[Anonymous]

Mine have all taken 2 years of Spanish in high school and have gotten into T10-50 schools.

In fact one is at a top flagship public, switched languages and is on his 3rd year of new language which is part of his International Business major.

[Anonymous]

You may also want to read some online dyslexia groups. Lots about language requirements and not taking HS language.

[Anonymous]

This is a useless question. So many factors go into admissions. No one can say that a foreign language was a make or break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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

It's definately possible. However, if your kid is considering the humanities/social sciences (and if NOT stem, that would be most likely), they may very well have a FL req in college, so it would be much better to take all 4 years of HS with a FL for that reason alone. And going thru AP French/Spanish would give them 1 year of college credit. Just something to think about.

Signed,
Parent of a STEM kid who stopped after Spanish 3 due to scheduling conflicts, and didn't get into the T10 or the T30 reach schools (who knows if it was due to lack of FL or lack of APUSH or AP Eng 11th grade or none of those)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

NP. Immersion is certainly one way that kids get on the path to fluency, but I do it requires more than just school. My kid did immersion K-8. Then AP lang and Lit in high school. DS also tutored English language learners while in high school, and then taught adult English learners and did translation while spending time in a country that speaks his language during gap year. Then tested in 4th semester language in college (highest they’d do for a non-heritage speaker), got an easy A in that and has been taking classes and writing papers in the language ever since (usually as the only non-heritage speaker in his classes). He’ll end with a double major, but he also really likes the content taught in the target language (literature, film, culture stuff).

Note that both parents speak the language fluently and spoke it to him at home maybe 30% of the time during elementary. We also travelled extensively and socialized in the language all along. When he was a young kid, DS loved that the whole family switched languages when we travelled, and we met a ton of people that way.

YMMV.

[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.

Whatever your kid learns in 3-4 yrs of high school language classes will quickly be forgotten if they don’t use it frequently