Bryn Mawr College

 

The Foreign Language Requirement

All students who enter the college in the fall of 2013 must complete two units of foreign language at Bryn Mawr or at Haverford. 

If you are studying at the elementary or intermediate level, you must complete two sequential courses in a single language, such as Elementary Russian I followed by Elementary Russian II, or Elementary Spanish II followed by Intermediate Spanish I, or Intermediate French I followed by Intermediate French II.  But if you are already beyond the intermediate (that is, the second-year) level, you may take two advanced free-standing semester-long courses in the foreign language(s) in which you are proficient.  

Non-native speakers of English may choose to satisfy all or part of this requirement by coursework in English literature (eg, English 125, offered in the spring semester, and 200-level English courses). For this purpose, non-native speakers are normally those who were schooled through secondary school in a language other than English, who identified themselves as non-native speakers to the College Board, and who took the TOEFL exam.  

A Guide to Language Placement

 Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges offer instruction in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Russian, and Spanish. Cooperation with Penn and Swarthmore allows Bryn Mawr students to study other languages not offered at Bryn Mawr or Haverford, such as Hindi, Korean, and Sanskrit, though these courses will not satisfy the foreign language requirement.

If you are beginning a new language, plan to enroll in the elementary sequence. Please note that the French Department requires students to take the French Placement Exam even if they have never studied French before. 

If you have already begun studying a language and would like to continue, please see below to find out the placement procedures in your language.  Note that if you want to continue studying French, German, Italian or Spanish, you must take a placement exam on-line between June 3 and July 8--even if you have taken an Advanced Placement exam. 

Must all students take a foreign language course this fall?  While all students must complete the foreign language requirement before the start of the senior year, you are not required to begin the requirement immediately.  However, if you are continuing a language you’ve already studied, we encourage you to enroll in the appropriate level of your language right away.  And if you think you might want to continue beyond the two-semester requirement—perhaps even major in a language—you should definitely start this fall! 

Arabic

Entering students who have already begun their study of Arabic should consult the representative from the Arabic Program at the Academic Fair on August 29.  Students will then meet individually with a faculty member at the beginning of the year to take a written examination and to have an oral interview to determine proper placement.

Chinese

All entering students with some background in Chinese who wish to take Chinese, including heritage students who can speak the language with no or limited reading and writing skills, must submit a short essay between June 4 and August 10, and take the Chinese Placement Test on August 29, following the guidelines below.

Between June 4 and August 10, please download Chinese Essay sheets. Fill in all required information, and follow the detailed instructions provided there.  You will be asked to write an essay on any topic in either simplified or traditional form, using up to 240 characters (two sheets), within three hours. If your Chinese writing is not advanced, just write as much as you can within the limit. No dictionary or any other form of assistance is allowed. Please complete your essay in one sitting, namely, once you start, you should not stop until you finish.  When you’re done, sign your essay, and scan it. Email the scanned copy to Mr. Changchun Zhang (czhang@brynmawr.edu), the faculty member in charge of the Placement Test, no later than August 10.   The subject line for this email must be “Chinese Placement Test--Essay 2013.”  This essay will serve as your registration to take the Placement Test on August 29. Please use your full English name so that Zhang Laoshi can register you properly on Moodle.

On Thursday, August 29, you will take the exam at Haverford. Vans will depart the McBride Gateway/Pembroke Arch at 8:00 a.m. and return from Stokes bus stop.  The exam begins with a 60 minute listening and grammar portion that focuses on listening comprehension, pinyin usage, grammatical skills, and character recognition, followed by an oral test administered as an interview focusing on pronunciation, tones, fluency, and correct usage of Chinese. Please submit the Chinese Exam Transportation form to reserve your space on the van from Bryn Mawr to Haverford by August 10.

Placement results will be available late Thursday afternoon. It is quite common for students with 2 or 3 years of Chinese in secondary school to be placed into First-Year Chinese. However, we have seen lately more and more students getting placed into Second-Year Chinese. Students can be certain that we have the experience to place them in the most appropriate level. For more information or advice, please check the Chinese program website or contact Mr. Changchun Zhang (czhang@brynmawr.edu).

French

All entering students planning on taking courses in French must take the placement exam on Moodle between June 3 and July 8, regardless of whether they have taken French before.  (Students who have not taken French before must fill out the first part (Personal Fact Sheet) of the French Placement Exam so that we may know how many sections to offer.) 

Students may find their recommended placement on Moodle after July 26.  Students placed in French 005 and above will be asked to write a 400 word essay (one hour maximum) to submit to the Department between July 27 and August 12.  At the Academic Fair on August 29, we will confirm your placement results.  We will take into account your essay if you have been asked to submit one. 

The French and Francophone Studies Department looks forward to welcoming you in its classes this fall.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch with Professor Grace Armstrong (garmstro@brynmawr.edu).

French Placement Exam (all students):  Between June 3 and July 8, entering students who want to study French must take the online placement exam. The exam consists of a Personal Fact sheet, an Oral Comprehension passage with questions and a Reading section with multiple choice answers.  Remember that you are bound by the Bryn Mawr Honor Code and may not consult dictionaries, other websites or written materials during the online test. You are permitted to take the test only once, so follow the instructions below very carefully.

Accessing the exam:  Make sure that the web browser you are using (Firefox, Mozilla, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape, Opera, or Safari) has JavaScript turned on.  Register for Moodle and look for the “course” entitled French Placement Exam for Incoming Students.  Click on the link to access the detailed instructions and the three parts of the Placement Exam.

French Essay:  Students who are placed in French 005 or more advanced courses (see Moodle after July 26 for preliminary placement) are asked to submit a 400-word essay (as a Word document, dictionary permitted, no translators or other assistance permitted) on any topic between July 27 and August 12.

German

Entering students who have already begun their studies of German and who want to continue must take the on-line placement exam between June 3 and July 8. To do so, register for Moodle and look for a course entitled "German Placement Test."  Click on the link for that course to access placement information.  Remember that you are bound by the Bryn Mawr Honor Code and may not consult dictionaries, other websites or written materials.  In additional to completing the placement exam, students are asked to meet with the German faculty at the Academic Fair for a brief and informal conversation in order to ascertain fluency and knowledge of German.

Greek

Students interested in taking ancient Greek at Bryn Mawr are encouraged to enroll as freshmen in the elementary Greek course, Greek 010-011. Students who have already begun Greek in secondary school may be eligible for placement in second-year Greek (Greek 101) and should consult the representative from the Greek, Latin and Classical Studies Department at the Academic Fair on August 29 (or email Prof. Radcliffe Edmonds - redmonds@brynmawr.edu) to arrange to take a placement exam before classes begin.

Hebrew

Elementary Hebrew is offered this fall at Bryn Mawr College.  Intermediate Hebrew is not offered this year at Bryn Mawr or Haverford but will be offered in 2014-15.  Please consult Professor Ami Amitai at the Academic Fair to confirm your placement.

Italian

All students who are interested in studying Italian at Bryn Mawr are encouraged to enroll in Elementary Italian (ITAL 001-002). Entering students who have studied Italian in high school, lived in Italy, or learned Italian at home and who want to continue must take the on-line placement exam between June 3 and July 8.  To do so, register for Moodle and look for a course entitled "Italian Placement Test."  Click on the link for that course to access placement information.  Remember that you are bound by the Bryn Mawr Honor Code and may not consult dictionaries, other websites or written materials. 

Students who complete the placement exam are asked to meet with the Italian faculty at the Academic Fair for a brief and informal conversation in order to ascertain fluency and knowledge of Italian.  To fine-tune their placement, students who have already begun their studies may be asked to submit a 400-word essay (as a Word document, dictionary permitted, no translators or other assistance permitted) on any topic after meeting with the faculty at the Academic Fair.

The Italian Studies Department looks forward to welcoming you in its classes this fall.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch with Professors Roberta Ricci (chair) and Michele Monserrati (coordinator)

Japanese

Entering students who have already begun their study of Japanese (or have learned it at home) and who want to continue their studies must take the Japanese placement exam scheduled for Thursday morning, August 29.  Interested students submit the Japanese Placement Registration form by July 8.  On Thursday, August 29, the exam will be administered at Haverford.  Vans will transport Bryn Mawr students to the test departing the McBride Gateway/Pembroke Arch and return after the exam from Stokes bus stop. The Japanese Placement will be listed in the final Customs Week schedule of events.

Latin

Entering students who have already begun their study of Latin should consult the representative from the Greek, Latin and Classical Studies Department at the Academic Fair on August 29 (or email Prof. Radcliffe Edmonds - redmonds@brynmawr.edu) to determine proper placement at the college.  Most students who have had two or more years of high school Latin will be placed in Latin 110 (Intermediate Latin), but they, as well as students who have done AP work in Latin, should consult the faculty in order to confirm the best placement or to arrange to take a placement exam before classes begin. 

Russian

Entering students who have already begun their study of Russian should consult the representative from the Russian Department at the Academic Fair on August 29.  Students will then meet individually with the major advisor or another faculty member at the beginning of the year to take a written examination and to have an oral interview to determine proper placement.

Spanish

Entering students who have already begun their studies of Spanish (or have learned it at home) and who want to continue their studies must take the online placement exam between June 3 and July 8. The placement test is a 20-25 minute adaptive multiple-choice test of grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension developed by Brigham Young University. Remember that you are bound by the Bryn Mawr Honor Code and may not consult dictionaries, other websites or written materials during the online test. You are permitted to take the test only once, so follow the instructions below very carefully.

Accessing the test: Make sure that the web browser you are using (Firefox, Mozilla, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape, Opera, or Safari) has JavaScript turned on. Click on the link below and log into the WebCAPE test using the password brynmawrplacement1. Select the Spanish link and fill out the required user information. For the student ID, use your date of birth without dashes (e.g., 08201992). Select continue and begin the test. Refrain from using the "BACK" button at any time, as that will terminate the test. Once you have finished, write down your numerical score and you will immediately receive placement recommendations.

If your placement recommendation is Spanish 102 or higher, you are required to (1) submit a 400-word essay on a topic of your choosing (written within the past year) to Dr. Kaylea Mayer (kmayer@brynmawr.edu) by July 8 and (2) attend the Academic Fair on Aug 29 to meet with a faculty adviser from the Spanish Department to receive your placement. An unedited essay from a previous course is acceptable. Please send it as a Word or pdf attachment, and bring a copy of the essay to the meeting. At the beginning of the semester, efforts will be made to place any improperly-placed students into the appropriate course, as well.

If you have no prior experience with Spanish, you are not required to take the test.

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