Frequently Asked Questions – Foreign Language

• Broaden your appreciation of the world and its people.
• Enhance your career possibilities in the increasingly global world of work.
• Create opportunities for yourself to study abroad.
• Enrich your overseas travel experiences.
• Connect with your own ethnic and cultural heritage.
• Improve your understanding of English.
• Challenge yourself to become fluent in a new language and immerse yourself in another culture.
• Bilingual students are considered high achievers!!

The University of Kansas offers several different degree programs to undergraduate students. The most common are the B.A. (Bachelor of Arts), the B.S. (Bachelor of Science), and the B.G.S. (Bachelor of General Studies). Your foreign language requirement will depend on your degree program. Click here for more information concerning the differences among these degrees.

To complete the B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) degree, by far the most popular degree at the University of Kansas, students must demonstrate proficiency in one language through the fourth-semester level. This may be done in any one of the following ways:

1. Pass the proficiency examination in one foreign language.
2. Complete a fourth-semester-level course in one foreign language.
3. Complete any foreign language course that has a fourth-semester-level course as a prerequisite.

The goal is for each student to show mastery of the language to be equal or superior to a student who has successfully completed a fourth-level language course at KU. You'll notice this means the number of hours needed to fulfill the a foreign language requirement will vary greatly depending on each student's previous knowledge of the language.

For example:

• A student coming in with little or no French would probably start with French 110 ELEMENTARY FRENCH I and would need to continue with French 120 ELEMENTARY FRENCH II, French 230 INTERMEDIATE FRENCH I, and French 240 INTERMEDIATE FRENCH II.
• A student coming in with 3 or 4 years of good high school French language study may be able to start with French 230 INTERMEDIATE FRENCH I, and would only need French 240 INTERMEDIATE FRENCH II to complete the requirement.

Students who are planning to enroll in French, German, or Spanish language courses at KU should take the placement exam before enrolling in any of these language courses with the following exceptions:

• You have never taken French, German, or Spanish in high school.
• You are a transfer student who has already taken one of these foreign languages at a community college or at another four year school, are transferring the language credit, and you wish to take the next level of the language.

More information on foreign language placement

Putting off your working on foreign language requirement is rarely a good idea. It is highly recommended by professors in all the foreign languages and by academic advisors that students begin working on their foreign language requirement as early in their college career as possible:

• Students continuing their study of a language begun in high school generally find it in their best interest to immediately enroll in that language their first semester at KU, while the material is still fresh for them.
• It's important to remember that many students will need four semesters to complete their requirement and waiting could cause conflicts with interships or other activities related to their major, and lost opportunities for study abroad.
• It's also important to know that while elementary I level courses in traditional languages (German, French, and Spanish) are offered every semester, non-traditional languages (like Arabic, Chinese, or Danish) may only offer elementary I level courses in the fall. For example, a student wishing to begin studying Arabic would need to take Elementary Arabic I (ARAB 110) in the fall as it is not offered in the spring.

LANGUAGE	LEVEL 1 (5 cr)	LEVEL 2 (5 cr)	LEVEL 3 (3 cr)	LEVEL 4 (3 cr)	DEPARTMENT & CONTACT NUMBER
Arabic	ARAB 110	ARAB 120	ARAB 210	ARAB 220	African/African American Studies (AAAS) 864-3054
Bosnian, Croatian & Serbian	CRSB 104	CRSB 108	CRSB 204	CRSB 208	Slavic Languages & Literature 864-2353
Chinese	CHIN 104	CHIN 108	CHIN 204 (5 cr)	CHIN 208 (5 cr)	East Asian Languages & Cultures (EALC) 864-3100
Danish	DANE 104	DANE 108	DANE 212	DANE 216	Germanic Languages 864-4803
Dutch	DTCH 104	DTCH 108	DTCH 212	DTCH 216	Germanic Languages 864-4803
French	FREN 110	FREN 120	FREN 230	FREN 240	French & Italian 864-4056
German	GERM 104	GERM 108	GERM 212	GERM 216	Germanic Languages 864-4803
Greek	GRK 104	GRK 108	GRK 301,302 or 303	GRK 310 or 312	Classics 864-3153
Hausa	HAUS 110	HAUS 120	HAUS 210	HAUS 220	AAAS 864-3054
Hebrew	HEBR 110	HEBR 120	HEBR 210	HEBRE 220	Hebrew 864-3450
Hungarian	HNGR 104	HNGR 108	HNGR 212	HNGR 216	Germanic Languages 864-4803
Italian	ITAL 110	ITAL 120	ITAL 230	ITAL 240	French & Italian 864-4056
Japanese	JPN 104	JPN 108	JPN 204 5 cr	JPN 208 5 cr	EALC 864-3100
Kiswahili	KISW 110	KISW 120	KISW 210	KISW 220	AAAS 864-3054
Korean	KOR 104	KOR 108	KOR 204 5 cr	KOR 205 5 cr	EALC 864-3100
Latin	LAT 104	LAT 108	LAT 112	LAT 200	Classics 864-3153
Polish	PLSH 104	PLSH 108	PLSH 204	PLSH 208	Slavic Languages & Literature 864-2353
Portuguese	PORT 104	PORT 108	PORT 212	PORT 216	Spanish & Portuguese 864-3851
Russian	RUSS 104	RUSS 108	RUSS 212	RUSS 216	Slavic Languages & Literature 864-2353
Spanish	SPAN 104	SPAN 108	SPAN 212	SPAN 216	Spanish & Portuguese 864-3851
Swedish	SWED 104	SWED 108	SWED 212	SWED 216	Germanic Languages 864-4803
Turkish	TURK 104	TURK 108	TURK 204	TURK 208	Slavic Languages & Literature 864-2353

• Cherokee - Liberal Arts & Sciences - 864-3500
• Choctaw - Liberal Arts & Sciences - 864-3500
• Old Norse (designed for graduate students) - Germanic Languages - 864-4803
• Uyghur - East Asian Languages and Cultures - 864-3849
  www.ku.edu/~uyghur

While these languages may not fulfill Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree requirements, they can complete requirements for other degrees in business or allied health, for example. Ask an advisor for more information. Dare to be different and try one of these languages!!

Some foreign language departments award retroactive KU credit for high school work in a foreign language. This means that the hard work you did in high school can pay off in college! Some departments use the policy outlined below, but others (Latin, Chinese, Japanese, for example) have alternative policies. Check with these departments for the appropriate policy.

Students with no prior college or university foreign language course credit are eligible for retroactive credit according to the following formula:

• Three hours of retroactive credit are awarded to a student with two or three years of high school foreign language who enrolls initially at KU in a third-level language course (SPAN 212, for example) and receives a grade of C or better.
• Six hours of retroactive credit are awarded to a student with three or four years of high school foreign language who enrolls initially at KU in a fourth-level course (SPAN 216, for example) and receives a grade of C or better.
• Nine hours of retroactive credit are awarded to a student with four years of high school foreign language who enrolls initially at KU in a language course which has a fourth-level course as a prerequisite and receives a grade of C or better.

To qualify for retroactive credit, the student's initial university-level enrollment in the foreign language must be at KU. After completing the KU course with a grade of C or better the student must verify his or her high school record with the department. Students can get a copy of their high school transcript from the Office of Admissions and Scholarships (approx. 2-day turn around) or from their high school directly. The student's KU transcript will show the number of credit hours awarded but no letter grade.

Talk with your advisor about retroactive credit. Initial enrollment in the wrong course may eliminate the opportunity for retroactive credit.

The first thing you need to do is take the advanced placement exam(s). A fee for the test will be assessed by the CEEB (College Entrance Examination Board). In order for KU to receive the scores, you must indicate the KU code on your exam materials. The KU code is 006871. KU typically receives AP scores in mid-July.

For foreign language, the following scores earn credit (but no grades) at KU:

Subject	Score	Award
French Language	5	6 hrs. (FREN 240 & 300)
French Language	4	3 hrs. (FREN 240)
French Language	3	3 hrs. (FREN 230)
French Literature	5	6 hrs. (FREN 300 & 326)
French Literature	4	3 hrs. (FREN 326)
French Literature	3	3 hrs. (FREN 240)
Germanic Languages & Literatures	5	3 hrs. (GERM 340)
Germanic Languages & Literatures	4	3 hrs. (GERM 216)
Germanic Languages & Literatures	3	3 hrs. (GERM 212)
Latin	4-5	Language requirement satisfied, no credit given
Spanish Language/Spanish Literature	4-5	3 hrs. (exempt from SPAN 324 & 328)
Spanish Language/Spanish Literature	3	Placed in SPAN 324, language requirement satisfied, no credit given

For foreign language, the following scores earn credit (but no grades) at KU:

Subject	Score	Award
Chinese or Japanese	6-7	Evaluated individually
French or Italian	6-7	3 hrs. (Exempt from FREN 300 & 326)
German	6-7	3 hrs. plus retroactive credit
German	5	Placed in GERM 308 or 344
Latin (Classics)	6-7	Language requirement satisfied, credit determined by retroactive credit policy
Spanish	6-7	3 hrs. plus retroactive credit, if eligible exempt from SPAN 324
Spanish Language	4-5	Placed in SPAN 324 & retroactive credit, if eligible

Proficiency exams are a way for students to complete the foreign language requirement for the Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree without enrolling in a language course. No credit is earned for proficiency exams.

Proficiency exams are given each semester in French and Spanish. Students should contact the Ermal Garinger Academic Resource Center in 4069 Wescoe 864-4759 to register for an exam. Exams cost approximately $20 each and students should order their exams (through the Resource Center) at least two weeks in advance of the time they plan to take the exam.

Students who wish to take a proficiency exam in a language taught at KU but not listed above, should contact the specific department. Students wishing to take proficiency exams/show proficiency in a language NOT taught at KU should contact Karen Ledom at College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Office of Undergraduate Services in 109 Strong Hall (785) 864-3513.

In an elementary foreign language classroom students will learn basic fluency in a language - how it is spoken and written. Students will learn pronunciation and basic grammar necessary to converse effectively in the target language.

Students will also learn to function in everyday situations, such as reading timetables, menus, and asking for directions. Through classroom discussions about the country, its people, and customs, students will also be exposed to crucial cultural aspects of learning a language.

Even in most beginning foreign language courses, students should not be surprised to find instructors regularly conducting class in the language being taught. Although this may be intimidating at first, most students find the consistent exposure to the sounds and pronunciations of the language helpful to their learning.

The simple answer is no. You can start a totally new foreign language in college. However, high school language courses are a solid base for foreign language study in college. If you continue on with the same language that you had in high school, you may be able to advance into higher level language courses. You may also be eligible for retroactive credit for your high school language work.

The foreign language requirement for the BA can be waived if you can show that instruction at the high school you attended was conducted in a language other than English. To have the requirement waived, you need to go to 109 Strong (College of Liberal Arts and Science Undergraduate Office), and you should do this only AFTER you have completed all coursework at the Applied English Center (AEC). Call the AEC at 785-864-4606, or stop by 204 Lippincott Hall for more information.

You are not eligible to receive retroactive credit for the language even if the requirement is waived. If you have done post-secondary (at universities, institutes or colleges, for example) course work at a foreign institution in your native language, however, you may be eligible to receive transfer credit. For more information on transfer work, contact the Office of Admissions and Scholarships at 785-864-3911 or stop by the KU Visitors Center located on the corner of 15th and Iowa.