? About Foreign Language in High School for College Bound Students

[Tink888]

How important is it to have a foreign language in high school for a student who plans on attending college?

DS14, currently a freshman, has taken one year of a foreign language. He is also in band and would like to take an additional music class and is thinking of dropping the foreign language to free up the elective space.

Will this hurt him when it's time to start applying to college?

Thanks in advance.

 

[chisnpeke]

Yes, it will hurt him. Unless he wants to do a 2 year college I would not risk it. He'll only need one more year.

ETA: Is there any way he could take a summer course for the foreign language so he could take the additional music elective? There might be alternatives that you could look into.

 

[akcire]

How important is it to have a foreign language in high school for a student who plans on attending college?

DS14, currently a freshman, has taken one year of a foreign language. He is also in band and would like to take an additional music class and is thinking of dropping the foreign language to free up the elective space.

Will this hurt him when it's time to start applying to college?

Thanks in advance.

Would you let him drop reading or math?

Foreign language is important. IF you have 4 years in high school, many colleges will allow you to skip foreign language in college. I always advise people who are not that interested in foreign language to take all 4 years in high school. College language instruction is much more difficult.

Does he have a study hall he can drop? Can he start school earlier to get in an extra period? There should be another option without dropping the foreign language. You may even see if he can take the foreign language in summer school or at the local community college.

 

[chisnpeke]

OP, if I were you I would look at some college websites that your son might potentially apply to and see what some of their entrance requirements are. I know it can change in a few years but at least get an idea of how strict colleges are being about the foreign language requirements to get into a program.

Also, in my state I believe you only need 3 years of math. However, most 4 year colleges require a fourth year. Same with science (I think). I wouldn't compromise courses that could hinder his entrance into a college that he really wanted to go to for a music elective, but there are other options.

 

[Buckalew11]

My DD is required to have 2 years of a foreign language to graduate. Plus the college of her choice also wants the 2 yrs. We homeschool though and she'll be doing Spanish all 4 years. (I'm a meanie. She'd rather take every science class possibe.)

I dropped typing in HS. All these years later I wished I had not.

 

[Disneycrazymom]

DS (senior next year) took 2 years of Spanish. He is in a good College prep school. He has a lot of music credits. The colleges like the fine arts kids. Talk to his counselor at school. He is not the only one with this issue. All the choir/band kids have to choose. At DS school they told them to get in 2 years and then plan to take it freshmen year of college. I have no problem with that. I don't know of a single one of his friends from school who have not gotten into the college of their choice.

 

[Tink888]

Yes, it will hurt him. Unless he wants to do a 2 year college I would not risk it. He'll only need one more year.

ETA: Is there any way he could take a summer course for the foreign language so he could take the additional music elective? There might be alternatives that you could look into.

He wants to do a 4 year college, is thinking about engineering so his other electives are tied up with courses related to that, one band and the foreign language.

The school doesn't offer anything during the summer.

Would you let him drop reading or math?

Obviously not considering they carry more weight and aren't electives like the language class is.

Foreign language is important. IF you have 4 years in high school, many colleges will allow you to skip foreign language in college. I always advise people who are not that interested in foreign language to take all 4 years in high school. College language instruction is much more difficult.

My first thought when he asked was no, but my thinking is that since he loves music, the extra class would boost his GPA and also might help with scholarships should he choose to participate in a music program at the college level.

Does he have a study hall he can drop? Can he start school earlier to get in an extra period? There should be another option without dropping the foreign language. You may even see if he can take the foreign language in summer school or at the local community college.

As his schedule is right now, he will carry a full course load next year, no study halls. He mentioned another student who takes three music class and gives up his lunch period in order to do so, so that might be an option if he really wanted to do it.

I thought about community college to pick up the language. Their summer classes are non-credit. Would that matter? I'm not sure if, at his age, he'd be allowed to take a credit course.

 

[Tink888]

OP, if I were you I would look at some college websites that your son might potentially apply to and see what some of their entrance requirements are. I know it can change in a few years but at least get an idea of how strict colleges are being about the foreign language requirements to get into a program.

Also, in my state I believe you only need 3 years of math. However, most 4 year colleges require a fourth year. Same with science (I think). I wouldn't compromise courses that could hinder his entrance into a college that he really wanted to go to for a music elective, but there are other options.

Great idea! We will do that.

DS (senior next year) took 2 years of Spanish. He is in a good College prep school. He has a lot of music credits. The colleges like the fine arts kids. Talk to his counselor at school. He is not the only one with this issue. All the choir/band kids have to choose. At DS school they told them to get in 2 years and then plan to take it freshmen year of college. I have no problem with that. I don't know of a single one of his friends from school who have not gotten into the college of their choice.

We will talk to the counselor. He just brought this up tonight. He could always complete the second year (he's already chosen his schedule) and then take the extra band after he completes that......or give up lunch.....depending on how badly he wants to take the class.

 

[FireDancer]

He will most likely need not only two years, but two years of the same language. The H.S. I went to dropped German after my freshman year so everyone that took German needed to start over and take two years of a foreign language.

He is only a freshman so he has 4 years to take those two years. He can take them his junior and senior years if he would like.

At the college I went to not having the two years wouldn't have effected my getting in but I would have had to take the two years had I not in H.S. It would have meant two more classes at a college tuition rate as opposed to free in HS.

 

[Planogirl]

Yes, he needs that second year. He may or may not have to take foreign language in college but either way colleges expect a minimum of two years in high school.

 

[Tink888]

OP here - well, it sounds like I have my answer......he will stay with the foreign language next year to at least get the two years in and then we'll go from there.

I think I'll also tell him to talk with the band director. Maybe there is a way to work something out so that he can participate in the other class he is interested in as well. Where there is a will, there is a way!

Thank you all for your input.

 

[Cindy B]

My son does not take a lunch and takes straight classes.

 

[Art 1]

In Fla. one needs 2 years of a foreign language to get into a college. Most students seem to be taking 4 yrs. Some colleges are now wanting 3 yrs.

 

[golfgal]

Most colleges require at least 2 years of a foreign language for entrance, some more. None require any music classes. If he wants to get into college the decision is made for him. Not that music isn't important but he will have more time as a junior or senior to take that extra music class so he should probably wait.

Our state requires 2 years of a foreign language to graduate, do you have a similar requirement?

 

[georgina]

Nope, no foreign language required in PA! I do think it is a good idea he gets in a second year in high school. You mentioned he is looking at engineering, so he may not have to take a language in college at all, many engineering majors are not required to. It is a good idea to check college websites and see what they say. Good luck - I know my freshman DD is not going to have a full lunch period next year due to lab courses and 2 day a week required PE.

 

[PlutoPony]

Interesting to see the differences in this.

In our county, you need 3 years of a foreign language to get an Advanced Studies Diploma, which is the kind of HS diploma that colleges require. However, the better schools would like to see 4 years (can be 2 years of 2 languages).

Edit: Just did some checking and it's a Virginia state requirement of 3 years foreign language for an Advanced Studies Diploma, there is no provision for this to vary by county.

 

[mom2travel]

Our district notes in the HS course book that if students plan to apply to any of the UNC system schools, they must have credit during HS for 2 classes of the same foreign language

My DS is planning to take language all 4 years so we don't have an issue. He dropped music for soph year but could have fit it into his schedule. Does your district require PE/gym class for 4 years? Ours is only required for freshman and that leaves another space open in their schedules. Just was wondering how music and language wouldn't fit. I know I couldn't have done it in HS but I went to a private Christain school that required a religion class

 

[Rora]

My mom is a High School Spanish Teacher and here in FL 2 years of a foreign language is required. Honestly OP, your DS should take at least 2 years.

 

[paintnolish]

Depending on his major, some colleges might require additional semesters of foreign language (also depending on how much he took in hs). Let me tell you how difficult it is. I am a straight A student otherwise and member of the English honor society. I struggled in Spanish in college, mainly because I had no high school experience with it. People who did take HS Spanish also struggled. So, it is best to take it!

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

Our school district is very small and the Foriegn Language offerings have varied from very poor to non-existant throughout our two DS's time here. They actually went through a couple years of independent study Spanish when they were in 6th-7th grade.... then nothing after that.

DS #1 took a year of Spanish in college and is finished with the requirements. (Accounting/Econ major). I imagine DS #2 will do the same.

Another student who had "endured" four years of Spanish in our high school took the placement test and had to take Spanish 1 just like DS.... so that tells you how poor the situation was to begin with.

So, depending on what you have available and what your child's goals are.... I think every situation is different. But if you don't have Foreign Language in high school it's not the end of the world.