Language

Language acquisition is a crucial part of the educational process in the International Studies Program. Our requirements for majors and minors differ, and should be noted clearly:

  • The IS Major: All students completing the IS major, regardless of school (MCAS, CSOM, Lynch, etc.) must demonstrate advanced proficiency in one modern foreign language or intermediate proficiency in two modern foreign languages. This is a more strenuous requirement than the MCAS minimum, and it must be met by all majors.
  • The IS Minor: All students completing the IS minor, regardless of school (MCAS, CSOM, Lynch, etc.) must demonstrate intermediate proficiency in one modern foreign language. This matches the MCAS minimum, but exceeds the languages requirements for CSOM, LSOE, and CSON.

 

Advanced proficiency can be demonstrated in several ways:

  1. Successful completion (with a passing letter grade) of the second semester of the third-year sequence of a modern foreign language (e.g. Spanish or French CCRII, or Third Year Russian part II.)  
    Exceptions: Arabic and Chinese courses have 2x the credits as others, so the IS Program considers advanced proficiency to be reached after the Intermediate I course is completed.

  2. Successful completion (with a passing letter grade) of one semester of a modern foreign language course beyond the advanced level, taught in that language (e.g. French courses in the 3000 level or above)

  3. Earning a 5 on an AP exam, or a 700+ on an SAT subject test, in a modern foreign language;

  4. demonstrating advanced proficiency to a faculty member in one of BC’s language departments. (That faculty member must certify a student's advanced language proficiency in an email to Ms. Patricia Joyce [patricia.joyce@bc.edu] in the IS Program office.)

Note: Language courses that count in any way toward your IS major or minor language proficiency requirements must be taken for a grade, and cannot be taken pass/fail. (Such courses taken pass/fail through Spring 2020 will be honored.) 

 

Intermediate proficiency in a language can be demonstrated in several ways:

  1. Successful completion (with a passing letter grade) of the second semester of the intermediate-level sequence of a modern foreign language course.

  2. Earning the following minimum scores on an AP language exam or SAT Subject Test:
    Chinese (AP4/SAT650)                       French (AP3/SAT550)
    German (AP4/SAT600)                       Italian (AP3/SAT550)
    Japanese (AP4/SAT650)                     Korean (AP4/SAT650)
    Modern Hebrew (AP4/SAT650)            Spanish (AP3/550)

  3. Demonstrating intermediate proficiency to a faculty member in one of BC’s language departments. (That faculty member must certify a student's intermediate language proficiency in an email to Ms. Patricia Joyce [patricia.joyce@bc.edu] in the IS Program office.)

Note: Language courses that count in any way toward your IS major or minor language proficiency requirements must be taken for a grade, and cannot be taken pass/fail. (Such courses taken pass/fail through Spring 2020 will be honored.)

 

Note:    Language instruction courses beyond Intermediate II, such as CCR, may not be used as IS electives; but subject courses taught in a foreign language may be used as electives where applicable, if approved by the DUS/Director.

Also note: Effective after the end of the spring 2020 semester, language courses that count in any way toward your IS major or minor language proficiency requirements must be taken for a grade, and cannot be taken pass/fail. Pass/Fail arrangements with faculty made before summer 2020 will be honored. 

If your situation is not covered by the above rules, please contact Prof. Hiroshi Nakazato, Director of Undergraduate Studies in the IS Program.  

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