Language Placement Policy
All students must fulfill Austin College’s Foreign Language Competency requirement. To determine their placement in a language, they should follow the guidelines below. See more information by clicking the image at the right.
OPTION ONE:
Students interested in French, German, Greek, Latin or Spanish
- Students who have NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE in a language or wish TO BEGIN A NEW LANGUAGE, different from the one that they have previously studied in high school, are not required to take a placement test. They simply register for level 101 in the language they wish to take.
- Students who have taken ONE YEAR in any of the languages mentioned above should enter that same language at the 101 level.
- Students who have taken TWO YEARS in any of the languages mentioned above should enter that same language at the 102 level.
- Students who have taken THREE OR MORE YEARS in any of the languages mentioned above MUST take the placement test to be placed at the appropriate level.
- Note: If any change in level needs to be made, the student should talk to his/her language instructor. The change will be at the instructor’s discretion, based on the student’s best interest.
French (Dr. Colin Foss)
German (Dr. Ruth Cape)
Greek/Latin (Dr. Robert Cape)
Spanish (Dr. Patrick Duffey)
Note: Students interested in Latin should take the Latin Placement Survey.
OPTION TWO:
Students interested in Chinese, or Japanese
- Students who have NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE in a language or wish TO BEGIN A NEW LANGUAGE, different from the one that they have previously studied in high school, are not required to take a placement test. They simply register for level 101 in the language they wish to take.
- Students who have already studied one of these languages need to contact the faculty member responsible for placement in that language for a five to ten minute conversation about your background in the language and your interest for future study. Through this conversation, they will determine which course will best serve your needs.
FACULTY TO CONTACT FOR QUESTIONS:
Chinese (Dr. Jennifer Johnson)
Japanese (Dr. Scott Langton)
OPTION THREE:
International Students or students with fluency in a language not listed in option one or two must see the Chair of CML about the possibility of a waiver of the Language Competency Requirement.