Common questions about the second language requirement are answered here. For additional information, contact your CLA Student Community. Student Community staff members are prepared to any answer questions you might have about the requirement.

Take me to:

• What is the second language requirement?
• Do I need to take a second language?
• Languages that fulfill the second language requirement
• Placement and getting in to your second language course
• Transfer issues and the second language requirement
• Quarter system courses and the previous language requirement
• What should I do if I stopped out of my second language courses?

WHAT IS THE SECOND LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT?

The second language requirement gives you firsthand knowledge of a language and culture other than your own. Students must satisfy the second language requirement in one of the following ways:

• Completion of fourth-semester college course with a grade of C-, S, or better at University of Minnesota or equivalent course to demonstrate functional language proficiency.
• Certified proficiency, demonstrated by passing the Language Proficiency Exam (LPE). This examination usually tests writing, speaking, reading, and listening skills at a level usually attained after four semesters of study.

Q: I earned less than a C- in a fourth-semester language course and failed the GPT (Graduation Proficiency Test). What must I do to fulfill the second language requirement? Can I simply retake the GPT?
Once you have failed to pass the GPT, you must retake the fourth-semester course and earn a C- or better in order to fulfill the second language requirement.

Q: I have attempted and failed the GPT (Graduation Proficiency Test) and have not taken any language courses at U of M.
To fulfill your second language requirement, you need to earn a C- or better in a fourth-semester course. Please refer to http://entrance.langtest.umn.edu for information on how to be placed into the French, German, or Spanish course that is appropriate for your level of proficiency. For other languages, please go directly to the specific language department or your CLA adviser for placement assistance.

Q: I am a transfer student and have language credits from my previous college. Will these credits fulfill the second language requirement?
Your CLA adviser can help you determine whether your transfer credits will fulfill the second language requirement, but in general, you need to have a C- or better in a fourth-semester course of at least four credits.

Q: I took four semesters (or six quarters) of a second language but did not take the GPT. What do I do now?
If the grade in the fourth semester (or sixth quarter) University of Minnesota second language course was a C-, S, or better, you are done with the second language requirement. If the grade was below that, you will need to retake the fourth semester course.

Q: What is the screening test?
French, German, and Spanish require students to pass the LPE Screening Test before taking the LPE, unless they are enrolled in Fren 1004, Ger 1004, or Span 1004.

The Screening Tests are administered through the Language Testing Program in 52 Folwell Hall and cost $20. They are currently available only at specific times during the year. Incoming freshmen and transfer students with language skills equivalent to two years of college level instruction from another institution may take the LPE without taking the screening exam.

Q: Can I take the Language Proficiency Exam (LPE) if I am enrolled in French, German, or Spanish 1001 or 1002 or 1022?
You would need to take and pass the Screening Test in order to take the LPE. However, you should first discuss this with your adviser or a staff member from the Language Testing Program to see if this is realistic.

Q: Can I take the screening exam in 1001, 1002, or 1022, to see if I am ready for the LPE?
Yes, but it is unlikely that you could pass either the Screening Test or LPE with only the first year of language completed.

Q: I have passed the Graduation Proficiency Test (GPT). Is there anything more I need to do to meet the second language requirement?
If you have passed the GPT, you have successfully satisfied the requirement.

DO I NEED TO TAKE A SECOND LANGUAGE?

Q: Why do I need a second language?
A large part of what defines a liberal arts degree is knowledge of a language other than one's own. In addition to the value of enhanced cultural understanding and awareness, second-language study has increasingly become a necessary component in preparing students for a globally driven economy and society.

All B.A. and B.I.S. degrees require a second language, as does the B.F.A. in art, and you will not be exempted from the requirement even if you have all the other degree requirements completed or don't think you would need a second language. You cannot substitute culture courses for second language study.

Q: Why should I take a language if I'm planning to graduate with a major that doesn't require it?
Because the study of a second language is a degree requirement and not a major requirement; whether you need to satisfy the second language requirement depends on what degree you are earning.

All B.A. and B.I.S. degrees (regardless of major) and the B.F.A. degree for art majors require a second language.

A few majors have more than one degree option, and those other degrees do not have a second language requirement (although in many cases students must apply or audition for the alternative degree program within that major):

• geography, sociology, economics, child psychology, and urban studies offer B.S. degrees
• music offers B.M. degrees
  
• theatre arts or dance offer B.F.A. degrees
  

In the event that you are not admitted to your first choice of a major, you should have a Plan B or second choice. Many majors and programs at the University are highly competitive and you cannot be sure from the outset that you will be admitted. You may also find that your interests change as you begin taking course work in your first choice of major, or when you begin sampling other classes. By taking a second language you leave open the greatest number of options in choosing or changing your major.

Q: Can I do a B.S. degree instead?
The B.S. degree is offered only by the departments of geography, sociology, economics, child psychology, and urban studies. The degree requires supportive work in advanced math, statistics, computer science, or other quantitative/research-oriented courses.

Q: I already have a degree and do not intend to graduate from CLA with either a B.A. or a B.I.S.; do I still have a second language requirement?
If you have a degree and are completing prerequisites for graduate programs or pre-med, the second language requirement does not apply to you.

Q: I plan to transfer to another University of Minnesota college.
If you have not already transferred, but are planning to do so, you should meet with an adviser in your chosen program and begin the transfer process (most students who transfer to other colleges do so by the time they reach 60 credits). However, you should begin your language study early on in your time here, preferably in your first year of coursework, to keep all of your options open. It is important to have a Plan B or second choice major in case you are not admitted to your first choice program. You should make an appointment and meet with your CLA adviser to discuss your options.

Q: I am already proficient in another language. How can I get exemption from the language requirement?
If you consider yourself bilingual, or if you studied language at another institution or non-accredited school, make an appointment with your CLA adviser to discuss your language requirement. If your language skills are approved as being equivalent to those required by the Language Proficiency Test (LPE), you might be exempted from the requirement.

LANGUAGES THAT FULFILL THE SECOND LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT

Q: What languages fulfill the second language requirement?
You can fulfill the requirement with any of the following languages:

• American Sign Language
• Arabic
• Chinese
• Dakota
• Danish
• Dutch
• Finnish
• French
• German
• Greek (biblical)
• Greek (classical)
• Greek (modern)
• Hebrew (biblical)
• Hebrew (modern)
• Hindi
• Hmong
• Irish (2nd year must be done abroad)
• Italian
• Japanese
• Korean
• Latin
• Norwegian
• Ojibwe
• Polish
• Portuguese
• Russian
• Spanish
• Swedish
• Urdu

Q: Is the Language Proficiency Exam (LPE) available for all of these languages?
The LPE is available for most, but not all, of these languages. The LPE is available for:
Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Hebrew (modern), Hindi, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish.

All parts of the LPE (listening, reading, writing, and oral) are integrated into the 1004 courses for Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Norwegian, and Swedish. Portions of the LPE are integrated into 1004 courses for Portuguese and Spanish. The LPE is given separately for Chinese, French, Hebrew (modern), Hindi, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Russian.

The following languages fulfill the second language requirement, but they currently have no LPE:
Arabic, Dakota, Greek (biblical), Greek (classical), Greek (modern), Hebrew (biblical), Hmong, Korean, Latin, Ojibwe, and Urdu.

Information about the availability of an LPE in ASL is forthcoming.

PLACEMENT AND GETTING INTO YOUR SECOND LANGUAGE COURSE

Q: I studied a second language in high school, but that was years before I started at the University of Minnesota.
If you studied French, German or Spanish in high school or at another college or university, you may need to take the Entrance Proficiency Test (EPT). The EPT is a prerequisite for 1003 or 1004 (intermediate French, German and Spanish). Go to the Language Testing Program website at entrance.langtest.umn.edu to register or for more information. The French, German, and Spanish departments also offer the class Alternate Second-Semester French/German/Spanish-1022, for students who have had some instruction but need a review. This class begins with a basic review of the first semester of language and then covers the same material as the second semester. If your only language study was in high school, you are still required to fulfill the second language requirement.

Q: I want to study Spanish or American Sign Language (ASL), but cannot get into the class.
Spanish and ASL continue to be two of the college's most popular second languages; however, in addition to Spanish and ASL, CLA offers instruction in the many foreign languages. See the above list or consult with your adviser for a complete list of languages that fulfill the second language requirement.

Spanish language study can be taken through study abroad opportunities during semesters, winter break, May session and in summer. The University's Study Abroad program offers language study in Cuernavaca, including three-week short-term programs of language courses only. The 3-week courses cover one full semester of language, including Span 1001. If this interests you, go to the Learning Abroad Center website at www.UMabroad.umn.edu for more information.

TRANSFER ISSUES AND THE SECOND LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT

Q: I satisfied the second language requirement at my other school.
Every school has its own graduation requirements, and although you may have satisfied a second language requirement at your previous school, you must meet all of the requirements for a CLA degree, including those that include a second language requirement. Your CLA adviser can help you determine whether your transfer credits will fulfill the second language requirement, but in general, you need to have a C- or better in a fourth-semester (or sixth quarter) course of at least four credits.

Q: I took all my language courses at another University of Minnesota campus.
If you received a C-, S grade, or better in a 4-credit fourth semester (or sixth quarter) class, you have fulfilled your second language requirement. Please make an appointment with your CLA adviser for assistance.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I STOPPED OUT OF MY SECOND LANGUAGE COURSES?

Q: I stopped out because I could not get into the next class, or was not doing well, or decided to try another language. What are my options now?
You should get back into second language study as soon as possible. While high-demand languages such as Spanish and American Sign Language (ASL) might be hard to get into, there are more than 20 other languages that will meet the second language requirement. If the course or section you want is closed, keep checking the on-line schedule, as departments will often open up more seats or sections as the start of the term draws closer. Some departments keep a waiting list and contact students if seats open up. Contact the department to find out what your options are.

DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION THAT ISN'T ADDRESSED HERE?
Drop the Office of the Assistant Dean an email; we will find an answer to your question.