Department of Romance Languages
UNCG Foreign Language Requirement
SOAR Foreign Language Placement Exam Information: http://soar.uncg.edu/freshman/confirmation/foreign.html
Students who wish to complete their foreign language requirement in the Department of Romance Languages, may do so by taking courses at the elementary level (101-102) and intermediate level (203-204) in the language of their choice (French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish). Students are strongly advised to complete their foreign language requirement as early as possible. Advisors should emphasize to students the importance of taking the Language Placement Test and continuing/completing their foreign language study in a sequence and without interruptions.
College of Arts and Sciences
Undergraduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences are required to demonstrate intermediate–level proficiency in a foreign language, i.e., through the 204 level.
Bryan School of Business and Economics
Undergraduate students in the Bryan School must complete foreign language courses through the first level of intermediate proficiency (through the 203 level). Students studying abroad may fulfill the foreign language requirement by taking any foreign language course in the host-country language, at any level. International Business Studies majors are required to take additional foreign language courses and should work closely with their advisor in selecting the appropriate sequence.
School of Health and Human Performance
Students in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders pursuing the Speech Pathology and Audiology major must complete 6 credit hours of foreign language study through the 102 level. Please contact the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders for more information.
School of Music
Students pursuing the Music Major (MUSI) must complete 6 credit hours of foreign language study, or the equivalent of 101 and 102. The Music Performance Major (PRFM) requires voice students to complete FRE 101, GER 101, and ITA 101. Students majoring in Music Education (MEDU) with a Choral/General Music Education must complete either FRE 101 or GRE 101. Please Contact the School of Music for more information.
Language Placement Test
The placement test is a tool to help the students begin foreign language study at the appropriate college level.
Students with one or more years of high school French or Spanish who wish to continue the study of that same language must take the Language Placement Exam. Incoming transfer students returning to the study of French or Spanish begun in high school but not previously pursued at the college level, must also take the test. The test is administered at the SOAR orientation sessions during the summer and before the beginning of each semester and may also be taken during the year on an individual basis, by appointment, in the Romance Languages Department. Students should call the department at 336-334-5655 to schedule their appointment.
The placement test is a computerized instrument; its purpose is to provide a general assessment of the student’s ability in the area of reading and grammar. It does not include an oral component. The exam will take approximately 30 minutes. Students with one or more years of high school Italian or Portuguese or previous knowledge of the language, must contact the course instructor or a departmental advisor before registering for courses in these languages.
The placement test scores will be valid for one year after the test is taken. The test can only be taken twice within a year and with at least six-month interval between tries. Once a student has registered for any of the courses in a language program, he/she cannot take the placement exam again. The placement test cannot be used as a tool to place out of any course in the language program sequence.
Students in need of additional advising or with concerns regarding the placement results are asked to make an appointment with a designated faculty member.
Course level placements are as follows:
| FRENCH | Score | Level |
|---|---|---|
| 0-234 | FRE 101 | |
| 235-279 | FRE 102 | |
| 280-324 | FRE 203 | |
| 325-389 | FRE 204 | |
| 390+ | Interview Stage |
| SPANISH | Score | Level |
|---|---|---|
| 0-219 | SPA 101 | |
| 220-284 | SPA 102 | |
| 285-349 | SPA 203 | |
| 350-439 | SPA 204 | |
| 440+ | Interview Stage |
A student who scores at the interview-stage level and is planning to continue at the 300 level must consult the Director of Undergraduate Study for French or Spanish (or another designated faculty member) before registering for other courses in the language. The advisor will interview the student in order to determine his or her placement at the 300 level or recommend courses at the intermediate level to reinforce the student’s background in the language. If a student who scores at the interview-stage level does not plan to continue language study, the Department of Romance Languages will confirm the student’s placement test scores with Student Academic Services and the student will be considered to have met the foreign language requirement. It is, however, the student’s responsibility to make sure that his/her transcripts reflect this fact.
Modified Foreign Language Program in Spanish
At-risk students may qualify for this program. Registration in the program requires written permission. For further information please visit http://www.uncg.edu/rom/mflp/mflp.htm .
Foreign Language Appeal
Petition for substitution of the foreign language requirement will be considered only in the most exceptional circumstances, when an otherwise qualified student has submitted evidence that the Modified Foreign Language Program in Spanish cannot provide appropriate accommodations for his or her disability or language-learning difficulty. In very rare cases a substitution for the 203 and/or 204 level of a foreign language may be considered. Please contact the College of Arts and Sciences Advising Center, CASA, (336) 334-4361 for information.
Special Help To Students
Students who wish to reinforce their language skills are encouraged to participate in a variety of cultural events, enhancing their knowledge of the language and culture. The Café Causette, Dîner Causette, Ciné-Club, Café Olé, Spanish Club, Conversazione Italiana and “Bate-Papo” (an informal conversation group in Portuguese) provide regular conversation practice for students of those languages. We offer a summer study abroad program in Madrid, Spain, and in Angers, France. The Department provides tutoring at the beginning and intermediate levels of French and Spanish at no cost. Additional tutoring is also available from the Learning Assistance Center located at 159 Reynolds and Special Support Services located at 01 Reynolds Hall.
Contact Information
Dr. Carmen T. Sotomayor, Department Head, ctsotoma@uncg.edu
Undergraduate Advisors:
French: Dr. Roberto Campo, recampo@uncg.edu
Spanish: Wendy Jones-Worden, wkjones@uncg.edu