St. Cloud State University

Academic Programs and Policies, Courses

Retro-Credit Policy | Major/Minor Info | Foreign Language Prep Standards
Proficiency Assessment | Placement | Planning a BA/BS Program | CPIA

Undergraduate Bulletin program descriptions and course descriptions

Non-native speakers of a language who begin their college-level study of that language at SCSU in a course numbered above 101 and earn a grade of "B" or higher in that course, may be granted retroactive credits for one or more prior courses upon payment of a "credit-by-examination" fee. Students will be allowed to apply for retro­credits according to the guidelines at any time before graduation. Post-secondary option and senior to sophomore students through SCSU's programs will be eligible to purchase retro-credits. This option is not available to students with prior college-level study of the language such as college in the schools, transfers, etc.

Students entering 102 and earning a grade of "B" or higher could request credits for 101; those entering at 201 could request credits for 102 and 101; those entering in 202 could request credits for 201 and 102; students entering in 301 could request credits for 202 and 201; and students entering in 302 could request credits for 301 and 202.
Students may request up to a maximum of two classes, but they do not have to request that many.

Students with an AP score of 3,4 or 5 who begin their college-level study of that language at 301, and who earn at least a "B," should consult FORL faculty about automatic retro-credits.

Major / Minor Programs (96) Students may earn a major (teaching and non-teaching) in French, German, and Spanish and a minor (non-teaching) in French, German, Russian, Spanish and a Foreign Languages minor, an option in which students study three languages (French, German, Japanese, Russian, Spanish) at least through 200-level courses. Since teaching licensure depends upon demonstrated oral and written proficiency as defined by the American Council on the Teaching of Languages and Cultures, it is rare that a student with only a minor could attain that proficiency level. In some cases, a student with a major in one foreign language may be able to add a minor in a second language. Please consult with an adviser in the department with knowledge of the licensure standards for Minnesota if you have an interest in this program.

Only courses at the 200- 300- or 400-level may count towards a major or minor in one of the language programs in the FLL department. Many courses have pre-requisites and/or must be taken sequentially.

Admission Standards for Major / Minor Programs (96) Students must demonstrate communicative proficiency according to the ACTFL Guidelines prior to being admitted to a major/minor in the FLL department. At this level students are "...able to handle successfully ... communicative tasks and social situations. [Students] can ask and answer questions and participate in simple conversations on topics beyond the most immediate needs..." (ACTFL). The majority of the students will meet this requirement with the successful completion of the 220 course in each language. 220 should be completed prior to registration for any courses at the 300-level, but may be taken concurrently with 301, as in the case of transfer students.

Courses at the 400-level will be limited to the students who have been admitted to a major/minor in the language and who have completed all the prerequisite courses prior to registration for the courses numbered above 400.

Students entering with a non-teaching degree from another institution and desiring to add teaching licensure will take a minimum of three language courses at SCSU. In addition, they will enroll in the methods courses (FORL 453 and/or 455 in 1999-2000 and FORL 453 and 455 thereafter). English 361 is a pre-requisite for 451 and 452 in each language. The BS capstone course is taken concurrently with student teaching. These students must meet the proficiency standards for admission to the major/minor program and for licensure, according to the standards of the department and the State of Minnesota.

Minimum GPA (96) Students with a major / minor in the FLL Department will maintain a 2.5 GPA overall and a 2.5 GPA in courses above first year in their language/s in order to graduate with the declared major/minor in a foreign language.

Capstone Courses are taken during the last semester of registration. For the BA degree the students will design a project in consultation with the major adviser that focuses on the student's interest and level of linguistic competence. For the BS program, students enroll in a two-credit concurrently with student teaching.

Certificate Program for International Awareness (CPIA) (97) This program centers around the beginning and intermediate level language and culture courses. Students may also take courses in another department with the College of Fine Arts and Humanities if those courses have an international focus. Students complete the program through a Simulated Oral Proficiency Interview and enrollment in a Media Literacy course at the second year level. In French and German, students may earn a certificate for cultural awareness. Students should contact the advisers of each language for the specifics of the program as it is designed by that language section.

Entering freshmen who enter with less than successful completion of two years of the same language in high school will complete two courses of one language at the 100-level in the FLL Department at SCSU prior to graduation from the university.

What is proficiency?
Proficiency is a measure of how well one is able to use the language studied in certain communicative events in a sustained conversation.

How is this level determined in the FLL Department at SCSU?
Students will either participate in a face-to-face taped oral interview with trained testers, or they will take a taped simulated oral interview. The level is determined by how much students say and how well they communicate their ideas. Evaluators use the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Proficiency Scale.

Who must take these proficiency exams?

• Students will enroll in 220 in preparation for the exams (oral and/or written). Successful completion of the course and passing the exam at a minimal level are indicators of probable success in upper division courses. Students who believe that they already can demonstrate that proficiency level should contact faculty in the department.

• Students will pass this exam prior to declaring a major or minor program in the department.

• BS (teaching) major and minor students will demonstrate a pre-determined level of proficiency prior to being certified ready for student teaching. Prior to the completion of the student teaching experience, these students will demonstrate oral and written proficiency in the language/s in which they will seek licensure. The proficiency levels are determined by the Minnesota Board of Teaching.

• International Business majors will demonstrate oral proficiency at the professional level threshold in the semester immediately prior to graduation from SCSU.

Students with prior knowledge of a language, attained from either previous study or extended experience in an environment where the language is spoken, may not earn credit for 101 in the same language without special permission. Students with such prior language experience should consult with FLL Department faculty regarding appropriate placement if they feel that they can not apply the following guideline.

If students have:	then enter:
only jr. high classes in the language	101
one year of study of language at sr. high	101
3 or more years since completion of last course in that language	101
2 years of study of that language at sr. high and less than 3 years since last course in that language	102
3 years of study of that language at sr. high	102 or 201
4 or more years of study of that language	201 or 202 or 301

Planning Your Way Through a BA Major / Minor in French

Typical 4-year plan for Student A in French: (BA)		Typical 4-year plan for Student B in French: (BA)
Fall Semester	Spring Semester	Fall Semester	Spring Semester
101,110	102		101
201, 230	202, 220	102, 110	201
301, 331	302, 431	202, 230	220, 301
421 or 432, 451 or 452	411, (457)	302, 331	411, 431
		421 or 432, 451 or 452, (457)
One course with adviser's prior approval taken out of the department		One course with adviser's prior approval taken out of the department

Planning Your Way Through a BS Major / Minor in French

* Students graduating after Spring Semester, 2000, must meet the requirements for PreK-12 licensure as described by the Board of Teaching.

Typical 4-year plan for Student A in French: (BS)		Typical 4-year plan for Student B in French: (BS)
Fall Semester	Spring Semester	Fall Semester	Spring Semester
101,110	102		101
201, 231	202, 220	102, 110	201
301, 331, 431	302, 411, FORL 455	202, 230	220, 301
421 or 432, 451 or 452	454/456	302, 331	411, 431, FORL 455
English 361 is pre-requisite to either French 451 or 452.		421 or 432, 451 or 452, FORL 453	454/456

Planning Your Way Through a BA Major / Minor in German

Typical 4-year plan for Student A in German: (BA)		Typical 4-year plan for Student B in German: (BA)
Fall Semester	Spring Semester	Fall Semester	Spring Semester
101,110	102		101
201, 230	202, 220	102, 110	201
301, 303	302, 403	202, 230	220, 301
411, 451 or 452	421, (457)	302, 303	403, 421
		411, 451 or 452, (457)
One course with adviser's prior approval may be taken out of the department.		One course with adviser's prior approval taken out of the department.

Planning Your Way Through a BS Major / Minor in German

* Students graduating after Spring Semester, 2000, must meet the requirements for PreK-12 licensure as described by the Board of Teaching

Typical 4 year plan for Student A in German: (BS)		Typical 4 year plan for Student B in German: (BS)
Fall Semester	Spring Semester	Fall Semester	Spring Semester
101,110	102		101
201, 230	202, 220	102, 110	201
301, 303	302, 403, 421, FORL 455	202, 230	220, 301
411, 451 or 452, FORL 453	454/456	302, 303	403, 421, FORL 455
English 361 is pre-requisite to either German 451 or 452.		411, 451 or 452, FORL 453	454/456
		English 361 is pre-requisite to either German 451 or 452.

Planning Your Way Through a BA Major / Minor in Spanish

Typical 4-year plan for Student A in Spanish: (BA)		Typical 4-year plan for Student B in Spanish: (BA)
Fall Semester	Spring Semester	Fall Semester	Spring Semester
101	102		101
210, 230	202, 220	102, 230	201
301, 331 or 341	302, 331 or 341	202, 220	301, 331 or 341
43X	44X, (457)	302, 331 or 341	44X, 451
		43X, 452, (457)	44X, 451
One course with adviser's prior approval may be taken out of the department.		One course with adviser's prior approval taken out of the department.

Planning Your Way Through a BS Major / Minor in Spanish

* Students graduating after Spring Semester, 2000, must meet the requirements for PreK-12 licensure as described by the Board of Teaching

Typical 4 year plan for Student A in Spanish: (BS)		Typical 4 year plan for Student B in Spanish: (BS)
Fall Semester	Spring Semester	Fall Semester	Spring Semester
101	102		101
201, 230	202, 220	102	201, 230
301, 331 or 341	302, 331 or 341, 44X, 451, FORL 455	202, 220	301, 331 or 341
43X, 452, FORL 453	454/456	302, 303, 331 or 341	44X, 451, FORL 455
English 361 is pre-requisite to either Spanish 451 or 452.		43X, 452, FORL 453	454/456
		English 361 is pre-requisite to either Spanish 451 or 452.

Planning Your Way Through Classes in Japanese

Typical 2-year plan for Student A in Japanese: (BA)
Fall Semester	Spring Semester
101	102
201	202
Additional courses are taught on an independent study basis. Consult with the Japanese instructors for additional information.

Planning Your Way Through a BA Minor in Russian

Typical 4-year plan for Student A in Russian: (BA)
Fall Semester	Spring Semester
101	102
201	202
301	302, 320
323	452, 457