Advice about when to take foreign language

[Anonymous]

So from what I am reading, competitive colleges prefer 3-4 years of HS foreign language. What if a child decides to take a new language in HS and goes up to only the 4th level by senior year, versus a child who had started taking foreign language in 6th grade but stopped in 10th grade? Between the two -- does it matter that much how high of a level the kid goes up for these colleges or is it more relevant that the student takes all four years in high school even though student started from ground zero?

[Anonymous]

Truly, I don't think the difference between those two paths matters. Either way, you are taking 4 years of foreign language. If the student is stopping in 10th grade in favor of taking other rigorous courses, it's fine. FWIW, my DD only took 3 years of foreign language and stopped in 10th grade. She is at UVA and was accepted into numerous other similarly ranked schools.

[Anonymous]

Either is fine as long as the student has three to four years of high school level language coursework.

[Anonymous]

The difference between the two paths is not in admissions.

The question is does the college require you to take foreign language during college to graduate?

Some colleges require intermediate level language classes to graduate.

Not just two semesters that match what you did in MS/HS but a third or third and fourth college semesters.

If your student doesn't want to study past level 4 in HS, you have to ask why and if that college is the right fit.

[Anonymous]

If your HS is IB, you’ll need to start in 8th grade to complete the 2 years of IB language required for the IB diploma.

[Anonymous]

From what I've been told, the colleges don't care what you did in middle school. So, stopping in tenth counts as less than stopping in 11th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From what I've been told, the colleges don't care what you did in middle school. So, stopping in tenth counts as less than stopping in 11th.

In FCPS, if you take a foreign language (or higher level math) in 8th grade, it shows up on your HS transcript and counts in your GPA. The colleges that get numerous applicants from FCPS all know this and they will count it as a year of high school language.

[Anonymous]

really depends on the school. Do colleges really think that kids that have middle school language on their HS transcript have learned more language than the kids whose schools do not report it that way? No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From what I've been told, the colleges don't care what you did in middle school. So, stopping in tenth counts as less than stopping in 11th.

In FCPS, if you take a foreign language (or higher level math) in 8th grade, it shows up on your HS transcript and counts in your GPA. The colleges that get numerous applicants from FCPS all know this and they will count it as a year of high school language.

Yes, I know that. And the colleges all offer placement exams. My point is different. For the kids aiming at more competitive programs, the real question is “did you take the best the school offers?” Which makes stopping in tenth the inferior choice. That said, kids have to make choices and for some, extra science means more than extra language.

And as for eighth grade courses in the gpa: 1) the colleges can refigure gpa however they choose. 2) at least in Arlington the top students drop the middle schoool classes from the gpa because it brings down the gpa. Ymmv.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From what I've been told, the colleges don't care what you did in middle school. So, stopping in tenth counts as less than stopping in 11th.

In FCPS, if you take a foreign language (or higher level math) in 8th grade, it shows up on your HS transcript and counts in your GPA. The colleges that get numerous applicants from FCPS all know this and they will count it as a year of high school language.

Yes, I know that. And the colleges all offer placement exams. My point is different. For the kids aiming at more competitive programs, the real question is “did you take the best the school offers?” Which makes stopping in tenth the inferior choice. That said, kids have to make choices and for some, extra science means more than extra language.

And as for eighth grade courses in the gpa: 1) the colleges can refigure gpa however they choose. 2) at least in Arlington the top students drop the middle schoool classes from the gpa because it brings down the gpa. Ymmv.

+1 my DS wants to major in math and is stopping French at level 4 in 10th grade to free to space for computer science and additional math classes.

I think if you drop language and don't use that slot for rigorous classes, you might be at a disadvantage but otherwise it's fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:really depends on the school. Do colleges really think that kids that have middle school language on their HS transcript have learned more language than the kids whose schools do not report it that way? No.

No, I don't think the middle school language teaches more than the HS language, but I would argue that it is the same as the high school course. My DS started French in 8th grade, moved onto French 2 in 9th, French 3 in 10th etc. When he was in 9th grade French 2, there were 10th graders in his class who had started French in 9th grade. My DS was not at a disadvantage for taking French 1 in 8th grade rather than 9th grade.

[Anonymous]

And here I thought the point of taking a foreign language is to actually learn a foreign language. I see now that it is only as a means to boost college apps. My bad. Certainly explains a lot about the American education system.

[Anonymous]

For learning a foreign language, I'd recommend 3 ie age three. Starting at 12 or 13 or 14 makes it difficult to be truly fluent. I think this four years of a language thing goes with "we like to see four years of band, four years of the hardest sciences, and four years of the hardest maths", while demonstrating passion for something unique and starting a charity in a developing nation, while qualifying to go to the Olympics.

If your kid doesn't want to do a language at college, check if the schools on their wishlist have exemptions if they do four years or do well on the sat Il or AP exam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For learning a foreign language, I'd recommend 3 ie age three. Starting at 12 or 13 or 14 makes it difficult to be truly fluent. I think this four years of a language thing goes with "we like to see four years of band, four years of the hardest sciences, and four years of the hardest maths", while demonstrating passion for something unique and starting a charity in a developing nation, while qualifying to go to the Olympics.

If your kid doesn't want to do a language at college, check if the schools on their wishlist have exemptions if they do four years or do well on the sat Il or AP exam.

Taking a language in high school is not always about attaining fluency. It can also be about exposure to a language and its culture, literature, and history. Not everyone has the ability to become fluent, but most people can learn a lot about another country. It is part of becoming an educated person.

[Anonymous]

Some competitive colleges want to see 4 years of language in high school, preferably to a level that also reflects having taken it in middle school. It's not required but they like to see it. I would say this is more true for non-STEM majors at selective, private colleges/universities. For many of these, you can have taken 5 years in ms/hs combined and still test only into adv beginning.