Frequently asked questions
- What languages does PLU offer?
- What if I am bilingual? Can my second language count towards the entrance or the CAS language requirement?
- Tell me more about independent study opportunities.
What languages does PLU offer?
PLU offers language studies in Chinese, Classics, French, German, Norwegian and Spanish.
What if I am bilingual? Can my second language count towards the entrance or the CAS language requirement?
Students seeking to fulfill the CAS language requirement through a claim of bilingual background must provide evidence or verification of their language proficiency, that is, they must be able to speak, write, listen, and read in the target language at a level comparable to a 202 language course or above at PLU. Evidence or verification of their proficiency level may be presented in at least one of the following ways: • letter from a member of the community where the target language is spoken that addresses the student’s level of proficiency in all four skill areas and/or the dimensions of the student’s “true bilingualism”; • documentation related to Korean, German, Japanese, Chinese, Yiddish, etc. weekend school; • an interview of the student by a PLU faculty member who speaks the target language in question with a follow-up message from the faculty member to the Chair of the Department of Languages and Literatures (X7678 or williatr@plu.edu) describing the students language proficiency level; • other comparable evidence (proficiency test by area community college or university in the target language, etc.) upon consultation with the Chair of Languages and Literatures. Students who fulfill their CAS language requirement in the manner described above will not receive PLU credit (this, in essence, would constitute giving PLU credit for background and experience). Students who fulfill their CAS language requirement in the manner described above may not receive cross-cultural credit. PROCEDURES 1) Students seeking to fulfill their CAS language requirement through a claim of bilingualism should be advised to acquire the evidence of documentation of their language proficiency as soon as possible in their PLU career. 2) Once they have the documentation, they should make an appointment with the Chair of the Department of Languages and Literatures (X7678 or williatr@plu.edu) to receive their CAS credit.
Tell me more about independent study opportunities.
Students may, with the consent of a faculty member and the Chair of the Department of Languages and Literatures, earn one to four academic credits through an Independent Study course. These courses will normally be numbered 291 or 491. Independent Study involves “advanced tutorial or guidance for individual students” and exists “to provide individual undergraduate students with advanced study not available in the regular curriculum.” Thus Independent Study is not normally used to earn credit for courses offered by the Department of Languages and Literatures, or for the Senior Seminar/Project (the “capstone”). There is no obligation or expectation that faculty accept student proposals for Independent Study