Resources for Faculty - Language Advising

Over the years, both students and colleagues in other departments have raised numerous questions regarding languages and language placement at The Citadel. Some of the recurring issues are addressed here. If you have additional questions, please contact Mark Del Mastro in the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures.

First, students who take their core-curriculum language courses out of sequence over the summer at other institutions and then return to The Citadel to continue language study are generally ill-equipped for the sequel course. The 101 through 202 language sequence at The Citadel is carefully designed to prepare the student for the subsequent course at this college; however, and despite the faithfulness of another institutions' course descriptions to our language courses, there is no way to ensure the material covered in those courses prepares our students appropriately for the sequels at The Citadel. For this reason, in Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures we consistently advise students to consider carefully the likely challenges created when pursuing language coursework out of sequence at other colleges and universities.

Students who decide to "take a break" from the language by delaying a semester or more the completion of the sequence create huge academic challenges for themselves. The reason is simple: if the prequel gives you the tools necessary to succeed in the subsequent language course, just a single semester break strips many of these tools rendering the student unprepared for the sequel. This is why each year so many of our juniors and seniors struggle to succeed in the 201 and 202 courses: they compromised their language arsenals by "taking a break." We tell students who consider such a rest that one can not train for a marathon, stop running three weeks before the race, then expect to cross the finish line. The same is true for the language sequence.

Perhaps one of the most overlooked aspects of the language placement process is that students who place in the higher language course (102 or above) and pass it with a grade of "C" or better not only receive three hours credit for the course completed, but they also receive ALL the by-pass credit for the language courses preceding it. For example, if an incoming freshman scores high enough on the placement exam to be put into French 202, and he/she passes this course with a "C" or better, he/she gets a total of 12 credits: three credit hours for the 202 course plus nine by-pass credit hours. This situation is an enormous benefit for the student who not only frees up three courses in his/her schedule to pursue other courses of interest, but who also is able to pursue minors and double majors in our departments with greater ease-a potential boon for all of us.

Despite these benefits favoring placement, we recognize that some students are legitimately misplaced, and after attending a few language classes, they become convinced they are ill-equipped to succeed. Please know that in such situations the student must consult with his/her professor and the Modern Languages, Literatures & Cultures Head about performance and placement adjustment. We want to be sure all our language students are adequately prepared for the course in which they are placed, so we adjust placement when necessary.

For those placed students who remain in the higher level language course (102 or above), and he/she earns a grade of D in this course, he/she is given a choice. If he/she wishes to gain by-pass credit for the lower level language courses, the higher level course may be repeated ONCE in an attempt to earn a grade of C or higher. If the student does not wish to attempt to earn by pass credit, he/she may move forward in the language sequence. If the student earns the grade of C or higher in any of the subsequent courses, he/she will be given by-pass credit for all by-passed lower-level language courses. If the student completes the remaining language courses but does not earn a grade of C in any, the by-passed courses must be replaced with General Electives.

Finally, placed students who fail the higher course may place themselves in a lower course in subsequent semesters. Placed students who withdraw from the higher course and then place themselves in a lower level in subsequent semesters will be contacted by Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures faculty to determine if their self-placements are justified; these determinations will be made in consultation with the department head.

Your efforts to consider these points when advising your students is appreciated.