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Modern Languages Department Placement Policy, effective Fall 2009

Welcome to Modern Languages at Taylor University!

As Department Chair, my hope is that you will be satisfied with your experiences in the department.
 
As you enter, our first goal is to provide the best placement for you.
 
Beginning Fall 2009, we will be basing incoming students' language placement on their high school language background. The guidelines for student placement are listed below.
 
Note that one year of Spanish and one year of French does not add up to two years of language; it only adds up to one year of Spanish and/or one year of French.
 
Based on these guidelines, where do you see yourself being placed?
 
Here is a summary of languages here at Taylor, as I see them:
101 (Language 1): basic vocabulary, present and past verb tenses
102 (Language 2): all grammar, introduction to subjunctive
201 (Language 3): all grammar; students are expected to have reasonable grasp
202 (Language 4): all grammar; unmodified readings from target-language countries
Beyond: student has satisfactorily completed all the above and wishes to take more classes
 
Based on these class descriptions, are you comfortable with your probable placement? Are there other issues that are not addressed by a straight reading of these factors?
 
Note that taking an on-campus placement exam on campus IS an option for students who hope to test higher that the high-school-based placement would place them. Testing dates will be announced through standard campus media. Note also that since 201 and 202 count toward a major or minor, starting in either of these classes instead of at the 300 level will not necessarily thwart a student's pursuit of a major or minor. We do get a number of students who arrive at Taylor with reasonable confidence that they are ready for upper-level classes. We especially encourage these students to take the placement exam; successful testing is the only way to advance directly to upper-level classes.
 
Please do not hesitate to contact Pam Pegg (pmpegg@taylor.edu) or me (dntreber@taylor.edu) if you have questions or concerns. In your inquiries, please respond to the questions raised on this form. If there are other issues not addressed by this form, please address them here:
 
 
-Dan Treber; Chair, Taylor University Department of Modern Languages

Modern Languages Placement Policy

A Placement Exam is still required for ALL Taylor University students enrolled before Fall 2009.  Please contact the Modern Languages Department  at 85141 or pmpegg@taylor.edu for upcoming placement exams.

 
For incoming Freshmen, Fall 2009 the following applies:
  1. Students who wish to test out of the language sequence or achieve a higher placement level can do so by passing a CLEP exam, or with an AP language test score of 3 (for 201 placement) or 4 (to test completely out and meet the foreign language requirement), or by taking the Language Placement testing offered at Taylor University.
     
  2. Students with up to 2 full years of high school foreign language (French or Spanish) will be placed in FRE 101 or SPA 101. 
     
  3. Students with up to 3 full years of high school foreign language (French or Spanish) will be placed in FRE 102 or SPA 102. 
     
  4. Students with up to 4 full years of high school foreign language (French or Spanish) will be placed in FRE 201 or SPA 201. 
     
  5. Placement testing will be offered at Taylor University on Monday morning 8/31/09 from 9-11 am for students who wish to try to place into a higher class or to test out of taking a foreign language.  Students wishing to take the testing should meet in Reade 143 by 9:00 am.
     
  6. The testing procedure is optional and may serve to help a student place higher in the language course sequence at a level where the student can succeed. Students who are automatically eligible for certain levels based on high school performance are allowed to take a placement exam to begin at a higher level. This exam will be administered on the Taylor University campus by members of the Modern Languages Department. While most students will probably choose not to take this exam, one group tending to take it will be students who are reasonably sure that they will test into 300-level courses. Since 202 counts toward a major or minor, and since taking a class (202 or higher) is generally the way that test-out students receive their credit, the change from previous procedure will be minimal. As before, the only way to receive Taylor 201/202 credit without taking any Taylor (or transfer) classes is through successful completion of CLEP or AP exams, or through the Language Placement test.