Foreign Language Advising Guide

Q: Which languages departments consistently offer their first semester introductory course in both the fall and spring semesters, allowing students to begin a new language at any time during the academic year?

A: 

• American Sign Language (SLHS)
• French (FRIT)
• German (GER)
• Hebrew - Modern (JSTU)
• Italian (FRIT)
• Latin (CLAS)
• Portuguese (HISP) * Intensive Introductory course, combining first two semesters, in Spring
• Spanish (HISP)
• Turkish (CEUS)

Q: Which languages/departments consistently offer all 4 courses in their basic language sequence in the summer?

A: American Sign Language (SLHS), Arabic (NELC), Chinese (EALC), French (FRIT), Italian (FRIT), Korean (EALC), Russian (SLAV), Spanish (HISP), Turkish (CEUS)

Q: Which languages/departments offer accelerated or intensive courses, allowing a student to complete a language sequence in less than 4 semesters?

A: Dutch: GER-N105: Accelerated Elementary Dutch – Recommended for motivated students or those with proficiency in another foreign language.
French: FRIT F115: Accelerated Elementary French; FRIT F265: Accelerated Second-Year French
Italian: FRIT M115: Accelerated Elementary Italian; FRIT M215: Accelerated Second-Year Italian
Portuguese: HISP-P 135 Intensive Portuguese - For students from secondary school placed into the second semester of first-year study or those with prior knowledge of another Romance language.
Spanish: HISP-S 105 First-Year Spanish - For students with any prior experience in Spanish.
Turkish: CEUS offers Introductory Turkish I and II as 1^stand 2^nd 8-week courses in the Spring, allowing students to complete a year’s worth of language in one semester. Other CEUS languages may be offered, but not on a regular basis.
Ukrainian: SLAV-U182 and SLAV-U282 Ukrainian Through Russian I & II - Each semester covers a full year (two semesters) of language, but these courses are not offered regularly.
See also: Language Workshop 

Q: Which languages/departments offer online or hybrid options for some/all introductory language courses?

A: Dutch (GER), French (FRIT), Italian (FRIT), Pasto (CEUS – summer only); Portuguese (HISP); Spanish (HISP); Zulu (AFRI)

Q: What’s the difference between a placement test and a proficiency test?

A: A placement test score indicates which IU language course is most appropriate for the student’s current level of language learning.  Proficiency tests are intended to give students an opportunity to demonstrate language proficiency (exemption) without having to enroll in additional language coursework.  Students interested in this option should contact the appropriate language department as soon as possible upon matriculating to IUB to determine if a proficiency test is available. 

• Online placement exams are available in the following languages: Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Russian, Spanish.  Refer to the following website: https://foreignlanguageplacement.indiana.edu/.
• In-person placement exams are regularly scheduled for the following languages:
  • Arabic: Contact Dr. Nader Morkus (nmorkus@indiana.edu) to make arrangements.
  • Indic languages - Bengali, Hindi, Sanskrit, Urdu: Refer to Dhar India Studies Program.
• Contact the appropriate department’s main office to schedule a placement exam for the following languages: Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, Czech, Estonian, Finnish, Greek (classical), Hungarian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Mongolian, Pashto, Persian (Farsi), Polish, Tibetan, Turkish, Ukrainian, Uyghur, Uzbek.
• Contact the faculty coordinator for the specific language to schedule a placement exam for the following languages: Akan, American Sign Language, Bamana, Dutch, Egyptian (ancient), Greek (modern), Kinyarwanda, Norwegian, Portuguese, Swahili, Yiddish, Yoruba, Zulu. Check the faculty list on the appropriate department’s website to identify the current coordinator for a particular language.

Q: What is the policy for special credit?

A: Degree-seeking students can earn a maximum of two semesters of special credit for foreign language and this special credit is limited to two semesters of second-year study (the third and fourth semesters). The number of credits varies according to the language. To earn special credit, students must take the placement test offered by the appropriate department at IUB, complete a validating course on the IUB campus with a grade of C or higher, and apply for the special credit to be posted retroactively. If a student earns a grade of C- or below in the validating course, s/he will not earn special credit. Students interested in special credit in foreign language should complete their validating course as soon as they begin their studies at IUB. For more information, refer to the full policy in the College Bulletin.

Additional Resources

• Application for Establishment of Foreign Language Proficiency for International Students who are Non-Native Speakers of English (PDF Form)
• College of Arts and Sciences Bulletin (contains information about policies related to foreign language placement, foreign language proficiency, and foreign language special credit)
• How Long Does it Take to Become Proficient? (Source: Language Testing International)
• Language Workshop (formerly known as the “Summer Language Workshop” and “SWEESL”)
• UD Guides: Foreign Language Placement 

Revised September 2024

The Student Records and Services (SRS) team in the College of Arts and Sciences automatically reviews documents submitted to the Office of International Admissions by students when they apply to IU. SRS reviews these documents for new matriculants and add a proficiency notation to student records if the documents confirm that the student meets the criteria for satisfying the General Education World Languages and Cultures requirement and the CASE Foreign Language requirement (for students in the College). If additional documentation is needed to establish proficiency, SRS contacts students directly via email with additional information and instructions.

Please note: The documentation review process can take ten weeks or longer after international students matriculate to IU Bloomington. Students will receive an email message from the College Recorder’s Office that informs them of the outcome of the review. If the documentation available shows that the student has fulfilled the General Education World Languages and Cultures requirement and the CASE Foreign Language requirements, the student’s record is updated and no further action is required.

If international admissions documents are not available (e.g., for students who transfer to IU Bloomington from other US institutions), students should compete the Foreign Language Proficiency form, which is available in the Undergraduate Student Portal on the College of Arts and Sciences website > Student Portal > Information for Undergraduate Students > Let's get down to business: Forms. Students should submit the form to the College Recorder’s office as soon as possible after matriculation if they have been notified that supporting documentation is required.

• Documentation: Students may need to submit documentation to establish their language proficiency. This can be any of the following:
  • High School Transcript showing at least two years of instruction in the student’s native language,
  • Non-US High School Diploma,
  • National Exam Results (for example, A-level or O-level exams), or
  • Leaving Certificate issued by the Ministry of Education in their home country.
• Students can satisfy the General Education World Languages and Cultures requirement through this process.
• Students in the College of Arts and Sciences can also satisfy the CASE Foreign Language requirement through this process.
• Students whose foreign language proficiency is established automatically by the College Recorder or through the Foreign Language Proficiency form are not eligible for special credit.

International students who are unable to provide one of the documents listed above and are speakers of languages for which a test option is not available (see chart below) or whose native language is English:

• Must fulfill the General Education World Languages and Cultures requirement and CASE Foreign Language requirement in the same ways as domestic students. Students should be encouraged to begin their language study as early as possible, if needed.
  • General Education World Languages and Cultures: Complete the fourth semester of a language offered on campus, complete two World Cultures courses, or complete an approved overseas study experience.
  • CASE Foreign Language requirement: Students pursuing BA and BFA degrees in the College must complete the fourth semester of a language in order to fulfill the CASE Foreign Language requirement. All students in the College pursuing other degree objectives should check their foreign language degree requirement on the Academic Advisement Report (available through SOAR on One.iu.edu) or consult with their academic advisor.

Please see the College’s Foreign Language Special Credit policy for additional information.

Native speakers of Chinese, Japanese, or Korean who do not have high school documentation from their home country but who completed middle school (5th through 8th grade) in their home country:

• should obtain an official copy of their middle school transcript (6^th grade and above). They should complete the EALC Language Proficiency form and upload a PDF copy of their official documentation. The appropriate language program coordinator will review the completed form and documentation. Once the information has been verified, if the form is approved, EALC staff will submit this information to the College Recorder’s office. The SRS team will certify the foreign language proficiency for the General Education World Languages and Cultures requirement and the CASE Foreign Language requirement (for students in the College). Please note that no special credit is available through this process.

Revised September 2024 

Test options are currently available in the languages listed in the chart below; however, the list is subject to change, and tests may not be available each year.

International students who are native speakers of the languages listed below should complete the Foreign Language Proficiency form rather than taking a proctored test, when possible. Establishing proficiency through the application process is generally much quicker and easier for students.

• Students who demonstrate proficiency beyond the fourth-semester level will be able to satisfy the General Education World Languages and Cultures requirement as well as the CASE Foreign Language No special credit is awarded through this process for students who matriculated in Summer 2013 or later.

  Language	Department	Language	Department	Language	Department
  Akan/Twi	African Studies Program	Indonesian	Southeast Asian Studies	Russian	Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures
  Arabic	Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures	IsiZulu/Zulu	African Studies Program	Sanskrit	Dhar India Studies Program
  Bamana	African Studies Program	Japanese	East Asian Languages and Cultures	Serbian	Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures
  Bengali	Dhar India Studies Program	Kazakh	Central Eurasian Studies	Tagalog	Southeast Asian & ASEAN Studies
  Bosnian	Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures	Kiswahili/Swahili	African Studies Program	Tajik	Central Eurasian Studies (subject to availability)
  Burmese	Department of Linguistics (Prof. Kelly Berkson)	Korean	East Asian Languages and Cultures	Tamil	Dhar India Studies Program (subject to availability)
  Chinese	East Asian Languages and Cultures	Kurdish	Central Eurasian Studies	Thai	Southeast Asian & ASEAN Studies
  Croatian	Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures	Kyrgyz	Central Eurasian Studies	Tibetan	Central Eurasian Studies
  Czech	Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures	Maya	Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies	Turkish	Central Eurasian Studies
  Dari	Central Eurasian Studies (subject to availability)	Modern Greek	Institute for European Studies (Dr. Frank Hess)	Ukrainian	Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures
  Dutch	Germanic Studies	Modern Hebrew	Borns Jewish Studies Program	Urdu	Dhar India Studies Program
  Estonian	Central Eurasian Studies	Mongolian	Central Eurasian Studies	Uyghur	Central Eurasian Studies
  Finnish	Central Eurasian Studies	Norwegian	Germanic Studies	Uzbek	Central Eurasian Studies
  Haitian Creole	Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies	Pashto	Central Eurasian Studies	Yiddish	Germanic Studies
  Hakha Chin/Hakha Lai/Falam Chin	Department of Linguistics (Prof. Kelly Berkson)	Persian	Central Eurasian Studies	Yoruba	African Studies
  Hindi	Dhar India Studies Program	Polish	Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures
  Hungarian	Central Eurasian Studies	Quechua	Center for Latin Am. and Caribbean Studies