Degrees, Foreign Languages, and Life Lessons

I love learning new information. And, I am intentional about sharing that information with parents so they can be empowered and help their learners move closer toward the best, well-informed decisions about their future.

Yesterday I called a college in the State of Florida to get some answers. In the process of talking with an advisor in the Bachelor's Degree office, I learned some new tidbits about degrees and foreign language. The information below relates to all students, unless specifically mentioned as pertaining to homeschooled graduates. 

1. The AS degree is considered a terminal degree. The goal is to provide the graduate with enough career specific content and skills to enter the workforce without continued education.

2. The State of Florida requires 36 General Education semester hours for the AA and BA, but not for the AS. If the student obtains an AS degree and then decides to transfer to another college to earn a BA or BS degree, additional General Education hours may have to be taken in addition to the degree requirements. 

3. The General Education credits required for the AS are reduced in order to make room for career specific content. For example, the AS degree our family is researching requires only one semester of English (as opposed to two) and no foreign language coursework. In addition, College Algebra is not required for the AS of our interest (check the AS of interest as this may vary per career field). 

4. Foreign language is required for AA and Bachelor's degrees in Florida. However, we were personally told by the Office for Students with Disabilities at Valencia this requirement may be waived by an appeal process IF the student with documented disabilities enrolls in a course, demonstrates disability, and successfully wins an appeal for course substitution. When I asked the representative at the college I contacted yesterday about whether an AA appeal would stand should the AA graduate then transfer to a four-year university to continue post-secondary study toward a BS or BA, the advisor said the decision would rest with the institution conferring the bachelor's. At her college, the student would be required to take the foreign language before being awarded the BS or BA.  In other words, the foreign language though waived for the AA, would have to be taken later at the college or university granting the BS or BA. For students with diagnosed learning differences, this question would need to be posed to the Office of Student Disabilities at the college or university granting the BS or BA. This is one of those decisions which could be college specific. (Updated 11-3-2018: Read Florida State University’s policy here).

5. While I had the advisor on the phone, I asked questions about foreign language as this is always a debated topic in homeschooling circles and I want to stay current. How universities handle foreign language varies per institution and policies can change. Therefore, I specifically asked if they accepted high school foreign language credit to waive the college language requirement for the AA. She hesitated and responded, "It depends." I then specifically asked whether two years of foreign language with FLVS would be used to satisfy the college requirement and she said yes without hesitation (which has been our experience with two other home ed grads). All other methods of learning foreign language would be evaluated by the institution. Once transferring with the AA to the institution granting the BS or BA, the high school transcript would re-evaluated, specifically determining where the foreign language was taken. If this could not be validated to their satisfaction, the student would have to take the foreign language before earning the BS or BA, even though the student earned the AA. We personally experienced this with one of our learners. Valencia verified the language was taken in high school (we used FLVS) for the AA requirement and when our son transferred to UCF to move toward the BA, they contacted us and verified our two years of FLVS.  

At the end of the phone conversation, I had several takeaways. The most important takeaway reinforced what I knew: 

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High school foreign language decisions follow our learners through the college years. 

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Seems weighty. It does to me anyway (and I've graduated three with another two close behind; they are all different). However, this statement doesn't have to keep me fearful that we (parent and young adult) will make wrong decisions. Instead, the information can empower us. With what we know information can be discuss, options can be considered, questions can be asked, and we can weigh future implications to make the best decisions we can at any given time, for each learner. This statement also reminds us that in our temporary inconveniences (not liking an instructor or a delivery method) we must consider long-term consequences (not completing a course may affect us later). 

That's a life lesson which reaches beyond degrees and foreign languages.

It's real-life learning! 

Looking for more information about foreign languages? Consider these blog posts. 

Foreign Language: Questions You Need to Ask

Foreign Language: What Homeschoolers Need to Know

Foreign Language: Which Language

Dual Enrollment? Not So Fast

College Admission Requirements for Home Educated Students

As stated in this post, information changes—sometimes rapidly. Here are some links to updates you may find helpful (updated 11-3-2018).

Florida State University’s 2018-2019 Foreign Language Policy for their College of Arts and Sciences

University of Central Florida Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement (Bachelor of Arts Degree)

University of North Florida’s 2018-2019 Foreign Language Requirement for Bachelor of Arts Degree

University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Graduation Requirements and CLAS Foreign Language Requirement

Foreign Language in High School: Questions YOU Need to Ask

In Part I, I shared common concerns homeschooling parents have in regards to high school foreign language requirements. 

We learned what questions we might need to ask as we walked the foreign language journey. In fact, when our family began researching foreign language possibilities twelve years ago,  we knew nothing about what questions to ask or to whom we should ask our questions.

Our journey was hands-on and experiential--just like yours--meaning we learned by walking through the experience and making mistakes.

In this post, I hope you can learn--not only from our experiences--but the experiences of hundreds of families with whom we have encouraged. These are only samples of the questions YOU may find necessary to ask dependent upon your unique situation. 

The foreign language journey with our first was fairly uneventful. Four of his five top university choices required two consecutive years of the same foreign language. By making sure he completed two years of the same language we would meet the requirements of every school in which he was interested. 

It is also helpful to know that our son did not want to dual enroll, so that was not an option. Therefore, we researched every other potential avenue. In the end, he simply completed two years of Spanish with FLVS, an online public school.

During his senior year, he applied to six colleges in total, all required two years of the same language. In the end, he chose a local four-year university honors college. At the end of his senior year, the university requested I send the final copy of his parent-generated transcript. 

Two weeks later, I received a letter in the mail. 

"Your high school foreign language credits have been verified from a valid source. We have waived the undergraduate foreign language graduation requirements."

Fantastic! We didn't see this coming. Of all the homeschooling high school meetings and conference workshops I had attended, no one had ever mentioned there was a potential for a college to use the earned high school foreign language credits to fulfill undergraduate requirements (outside of dual enrollment). We were pleasantly surprised and grateful!

Lesson learned: High school foreign language courses may be used to fulfill the undergraduate foreign language requirement IF the courses are taken from an entity approved by the college. 

Ask: From what entity could a student take foreign language and earn both high school and undergraduate college foreign language credit, aside from dual enrollment?

From our lesson with the first grad, our second son charted an intentional plan. Knowing university language courses can be more difficult due to depth of subject and amount of content covered in each class, we brainstormed with our young adult potential language options. He chose to follow the same path as his brother and take two years with the public online school. When he applied to attend a local state college, the admissions department asked for verification (transcript from the online school) that the foreign language was completed. They waived the foreign language requirement for his AA. Yes!

Interestingly, once our son earned his AA and continued seamlessly to the four-year university for the completion of his Bachelors degree (the same one from which our first graduated), I received a letter in the mail. 

"Please submit the final high school transcript so that we may verify completion of high school foreign language."

Our second son had his AA and BS foreign language requirements waived because we had taken the foreign language from a source each school considered valid. 

Side note here for those who wonder if the high school transcript is ever needed after earning an AA. In some cases (like this one), YES! 

When our third high schooler began to consider foreign languages, knowing what we experienced with the first two graduates, her primary consideration...get it done in high school!

She, however, had an interest in American Sign Language. We had to look for an entity where she could learn ASL fluently.  Interestingly, as we were deciding next steps, an email came from a friend, a certified interpreter, who was offering ASL 1 the coming year. I knew from research some universities won't recognize ASL as a foreign language. If they did recognize ASL as a language, they may not accept the means by which it would be taught.

As a mom, knowing what my daughter might face, I was hesitant to let her pursue this interest. 

Yet, I knew ASL was a genuine interest and I wanted my daughter to have an opportunity to learn a language that mattered to her. We researched. I connected with one college asking if they would accept ASL as a foreign language. Indeed, the college verified in writing via email that they would accept the ASL. My daughter took the class, realizing that though one college of choice accepted the credit, another may not. They would not, however, used her ASL course to fulfill the university foreign language requirement for her undergraduate degree. 

But remember, every situation is unique and individual depended upon the career and college choices. For example, last week, a family contacted me with a similar situation. A homeschooled high schooler had actively participated in the deaf ministry at their church where the student interacted and communicated with attendees who were deaf. Other studies were completed. The local state college told the family the student's studies would not likely be accepted for credit. 

Again, what one college deems acceptable for foreign language, another may not. Ask questions. 

What about learning challenges?

A student  we know sought accommodations for learning challenges. The student was eager to attend college, however knew accommodations would be needed to be successful. The educational psychologist recommended the student, due to the significant learning challenges--dyslexia and dysgraphia--should be allowed to take a substitute course for foreign language.  

Research and testing--on adult scales which most college require--provided information regarding documented learning challenges and foreign languages. In regards to significant learning disabilities and current, accurate documentation, some colleges may waive or offer substitute courses toward foreign language requirements. This is not true of all schools and is highly variable school to school. Therefore, parents must inquire and must be able to provide psychological reports as needed. 

Ask: Are college admission foreign language requirements waived--or are substitute courses accepted--for students with documented learning disabilities (on adult scales)? 

When we began our high school journey we had no idea what foreign language questions to ask. In most cases, we learned along the way, either by personal experience or the experience of families with whom we work closely. 

And, with two current high schoolers (and several on behind) we are likely to learn even more.

Do you have experience with high school foreign languages which my help readers? Please share in the comments.  

Up next, Part III.

This blog post is intended to offer an example of personal experience. It is in no way intended to be legal advice and should not be taken as such. Parents own the sole responsibility for the training and education of their children. 

Foreign Language in High School: What Homeschoolers Need to Know

I spoke to another group of parents home educating their high school young adults. 

One of the questions I am asked most often is,

"What about foreign languages?"

This is tough question to answer. There are many factors, perspectives, and varied college requirements.

Considering why a language is being pursued is essential. Motivation is important. Oh yes, I know we all have to do things we don't like--and that may include learning a language--however, motivation remains a prominent factor in learning and retention for any subject. In the case of world languages (the new term often used for foreign languages), a student motivated to learn a language due to interest or as a means to an end goal (desiring to apply to a specific university), will be more likely to stay the course (with limited nagging and fighting). In the case of foreign languages, staying the course (no pun intended) may mean TWO YEARS or MORE of study in one language. Most young adults--and we've worked with many--couldn't achieve this goal without some type of personal motivation...because learning a language is hard!

Knowing the college admission requirements may answer the question for you. Not all colleges require foreign language for admission. Check college websites for admission requirements. Knowing whether or not language is required may help alleviate unnecessary aggravation and stress and most importantly, preserve a relationship. In part 2, I will dig into another factor to this equation. Consider:

• Montreat College requires one year of foreign language
• Arizona State University requires two years of the same foreign language
• Covenant College requires two years of the same language
• University of Notre Dame requires two years, but prefers three or four
• Furman requires two years of the same language
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology requires two years of the same foreign language
• Patrick Henry College requires one year but recommends two years of the same language
• University of North Florida posts their requirements online
• College of William and Mary likes to see four years of the same foreign language
• Illinois State University requires two years of language OR two years of fine arts

Asking important questions may help. Knowing a college requires foreign language for admission is not enough. Unfortunately, some colleges will not accept foreign language credits if they are completed with certain curricula. Or, they may accept the credits only if a student passes (or gets a certain score) an entrance exam, SAT II Subject Test, CLEP, or AP exam. The only way to know what the college will accept is to ask. Don't assume or fear the worse, even if your friend told you their experience with a particular school. Always ask the source and get it in writing if necessary.

Learning a language is difficult. It will take work, unless a student has a natural gifting for linguistics. In twenty-four years of seeing hundreds of families, many children and young adults have had to work fairly hard to complete two years in the same language. 

Counting the cost is wise. All four of our high schoolers had different reasons for pursuing a language. One completed two years because his universities of choice required such. There were no questions asked because, well, it had to be done. The second learner completed two years of language in high school because the alternative would be to take it at the college (usually more difficult). His story will be told in part 2 of this series post. Another high schooler of ours was determined to finish her two years of foreign language in ninth and tenth grade to "get it out of the way" so other courses could be pursued. She knows according to her top college choices, foreign language will be required for college admission. A fourth scenario, a friend of ours, tried and tried with valiant and diligent study to no avail because learning challenges made study extremely difficult if not impossible. The lessons learned by that family will be told in part 2 as well. 

All four high schoolers--as well as the high schoolers we work with--benefited from counting the costs of ALL possible options and choices, at least all that were known at the time. Each situation was unique. Each young adult would have to live with their decisions and choices, including how, when, where, and whether to complete foreign languages. As with any decision parents and students must make in the high school years, fear should not be the basis of our educational choices. 

Up next, Part II in this series-- Foreign Language Questions YOU Need to Ask

This blog post is intended to offer an example of personal experience. It is in no way intended to be legal advice and should not be taken as such. Parents own the sole responsibility for the training and education of their children.