Many students have questions about which course is the most appropriate entry point into the study of a foreign language. To insure success, it is important that students choose the proper level. Choosing a level too high can create frustration, but a level too low can cause you to lose interest quickly. The following guidelines should be of help.
When you are deciding among the entry-level courses, 101, 102 and 201, the factors to consider are: 1) the amount of previous experience with the language; 2) the quality of the previous experience; 3) the amount of time which has elapsed since you last studied the language; and 4) your placement test score.
All students beginning Spanish, French or German at Baldwin-Wallace College who have not taken the foreign language placement exam before enrolling will be asked by their language teachers to take the test at the beginning of the first week of classes.
Level 101 is meant for true beginners and is most appropriate for students who have had no previous knowledge of the language. Students with up to 2 years of high school instruction may take this course, if their preparation is not sufficient to take 102 or 201. If other factors such as those listed above make you feel that you need to take 101, despite having had more than two years of previous experience, you should take the placement exam and contact the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures for advice.
Level 102 is most appropriate for students who have previous knowledge of the language such as that equivalent to the catalog course description of 101, but who still need an introduction to the topics listed in the catalog description of 102.
Level 201 is most appropriate for students who have been introduced to and have some understanding of the basic grammar, but who now need to review and refine what they know. Typically, students with 3 or more years of high school instruction and those who have completed the 102 level enroll in 201. This course builds upon the foundation laid in the 101-102 sequence by providing an expansion of the 4 skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening.
During the first week of classes you should speak to your instructor if you feel you are not placed in the most appropriate course. Students who seek initial placement in foreign language courses at the 202 level and above must get special permission from the professor in the Department who is responsible for that language.
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