Language Course Placement

For course descriptions go here.

For the Spanish WebCape placement test go here.

Placement

Proper initial placement is determined ideally in consultation with a faculty member of the Department of Foreign Languages and with the help of a placement test (available currently only for Spanish).  Note that improper self-placement may result in the student having to change courses after the course starts if the instructor feels he or she was improperly placed. Note also that all students are required to attend class and do all the required work and homework to complete a language course.

Students who have had previous experience with the foreign language should start at a level appropriate to their current knowledge.  Typically, students who have completed two years of high school or equivalent foreign language study with a satisfactory grade should be placed in 102.  Students who have completed three years should be placed in 201. Students who have completed four or more years should place no lower than 202.  Heritage speakers of the language in question, that is, speakers who learned the language in a non-academic setting, cannot receive credit for the elementary courses (101-102).  Students who believe they have extenuating circumstances must consult with the Chairperson of the Department of Foreign Languages, who may make exceptions to these guidelines.

There is currently a placement test for Spanish to help determine the level at which students should start.  All students who have studied Spanish before coming to Salem State College must take the language placement test at the language laboratory or online. Visit the Language Laboratory’s Web site for details (www.lrc.salemstate.edu/placement.htm) or contact Dr. Aske, the Language Laboratory coordinator, if you have any questions. The results of the placement test, together with the guidelines above, will be used to determine the appropriate level for placement with the assistance of a Spanish instructor or faculty advisor. [Taking the placement test is required of all students who have studied Spanish in High School or in some other non-college setting.]

The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) Test for French, German or Spanish can also be used for placement and college credits may be obtained if a sufficiently high score is obtained [the following is from the Foreign Language Requirement section of the Competency-Based Skills Requirements pages at the beginning of this catalog]. (CLEP test centers in Massachusetts)

• A score of 66 will exempt students from the 202 level; exemption carries 6 credits (for 201 and 202; both of which also count towards a minor) and results in automatic satisfaction of the language requirement

• A score of 55 will exempt students from the 201 level; exemption carries 6 credits for 102 and 201; 201 counts towards the minor).  The student still needs to take the advanced intermediate course (202 or equivalent) to fulfill the language requirement

• A score of 50 will exempt students from the 102 level; exemption carries 3 credits (for 101 and 102). The student still needs to take the intermediate courses (201, and 202 or equivalent) to fulfill the language requirement

• A score of 42 will exempt students from the 101 level; exemption carries no credits. The student still needs to take 102 and the intermediate courses (201, and 202 or equivalent) to fulfill the language requirement

Students who have taken an Advanced Placement (AP) language test (currently available for French, German and Spanish), may use those scores to ascertain placement according to the following guidelines and college credits may be obtained if a sufficiently high score is obtained [the following is from the Foreign Language Requirement section of the Competency-Based Skills Requirements pages at the beginning of this catalog].

• A score of 5 results in automatic satisfaction of the language requirement; and carries 9 credits (for 201, 202 and the Advanced Grammar course of the particular language, all three of which count towards the minor as well)
• A score of 4 results in automatic satisfaction of the language requirement; and carries 6 credits (for 201 and 202, both of which count towards the minor as well)
• A score of 3 will exempt students from the 201 level; exemption carries 3 credits (for 201, which counts towards the minor). The student still needs to take the advanced intermediate course (202 or equivalent)

Students who have taken an Scholastic Aptitude language test (SAT-II), may use those scores to ascertain placement according to the following guidelines (no credits will be awarded for these scores):

• 101 level: SAT-II score under 400
• 102 level: SAT-II scores between 410 and 450
• 201 level: SAT-II scores between 460 and 550
• 202 level: SAT-II score of 560 or above

Students who have satisfied the foreign language requirement and who wish to continue with language study, may either select an advanced course in the language they have already studied, or begin a new language.

Students are strongly encouraged to take the SAT-II test (no college credit given) or the CLEP test (college credit given) to ascertain placement.

To sumarize, the following guidelines should be used for placement. If there are extenuating circumstances, in borderline cases, or if you are otherwise not sure as to where you should start, check with a faculty member in the Department of Foreign Languages before registering or even right after the selected class starts.

Go to the WebCAPE page at the Language Laboratory's Web site to take the Spanish placement test online.

• Up to the top

Other Placement Tests

For other languages, or to get a second opinion on Spanish, students may use the following online placement tests on their own. The results will not be sent to us.

• Oxford University Language Centre Online Placement Tests: French, German, Italian, and Spanish
• Instituto Cervantes - Aula Virtual de Español: Prueba de nivel
• DIALANG's testing for 14 languages: Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Icelandic, Irish, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish (you must download and install the DIALANG software onto your computer)
• BBC Languages: Gauge your level in French, Spanish, German, Italian (VERY BASIC; NOT VERY HELPFUL)

What is covered in 101, 102 and 201

In order to help you determine whether you should bypass 101, 102, and/or 201, you may also take a look at the textbooks used in those classes to determine whether you could handle the material. The Language Resource Center has copies of the textbooks, which the lab attendant will let you peruse on the premises.

The current textbook being used for elementary Spanish and 201 is called Vistas, by Vista Higher Learning:

• SPN 101: Chapters 0-6
• SPN 102: Chapters 7-12
• SPN 201: Chapters 13-18

The textbook being used for elementary French is Chez Nous: Chapters 0-6 in FRE 101 and chapters 7-12 in FRE 102.

The textbook being used for elementary Italian is Oggi: Chapters 0-6 in FRE 101 and chapters 7-12 in FRE 102.

• Up to the top