Spanish Language Placement Exam Frequently Asked Questions: Placement and Drop/Add

Below you will find answers to questions about:

• placement
• placement and continuing from Emory at Oxford
• adding and changing classes and enrollment
• AP/IB credit
• completing Emory College’s foreign language requirement in Spanish, including study abroad
• native heritage speakers  
• first-day anxiety 

1. I haven't studied Spanish at Emory and haven't taken the Spanish Placement Exam. What should I do? Complete the Spanish Placement Exam immediately. You cannot enroll or remain enrolled in any Spanish course without completing it and receiving an Official Spanish Placement (OSP).

2. When do students normally take the Spanish Placement Exam? Most students take it during the summer before entering their freshman year (normally before the third week of August), but the exam can be taken at anytime during the college career.

3. How long will it take to receive my Official Spanish Placement (OSP)? If you complete the exam during the summer and before the end of August, you will receive it before advising begins. If you take the exam after your arrive on campus, you will receive your OSP as soon as the Director can evaluate your results. In some cases, this may be several days after completing the exam and after the first day of classes.

4. Do all new Spanish students need to take the Spanish Placement Exam? Yes, and this includes native speakers, heritage speakers (see question 16), absolute beginners (no Spanish in high school), transfer students and those continuing from Emory at Oxford.

5. How will I get my OSP? An email, which we encourage you to save until you register for Spanish at Emory (even if you are not planning on taking Spanish until after your freshman year), will be sent to your LearnLink account. Print a copy of the OSP email and give it to your teacher the first day of class.

6. I am worried that my Official Spanish Placement may be too high. What should I do? Register for the class indicated on your OSP, and understand that is extremely important to attend the first two days of class so that you can participate in the level-checks our instructors perform to verify placement. You will NOT be allowed to remain in a level lower than that indicated in your OSP email without a teacher recommendation approved by the Director of Placement. The teacher recommendation MUST come from the instructor of the level into which you were placed, i.e., a Spanish 101instructor cannot approve a drop from Spanish 201.

7. I am worried that my Official Spanish Placement may be too low. What should I do? Register for the class indicated on your OSP, but contact Robyn Clarke (hrclark@learnlink.emory.edu), who can authorize a visit to a higher level.

8. I've already taken a Spanish course at Emory or at Emory at Oxford. Do I need to take the Spanish Placement Exam again? No, just take the next course in our sequence. For example, if you completed 101, then take 102, or if you completed 212, then you should move to 215 or 300. The full sequence is as follows: 101-102 (beginning Spanish), 201-202 (intermediate Spanish), 212-215 or 300 (advanced intermediate-advanced), then other 300- and 400-level courses. To see a listing of upper-level major and minor courses, please go to http://www.spanish.emory.edu/courses/UGSpanishCourses_F08.htm

9.  I am a continuing student from Emory at Oxford, took a placement exam there but did not take any Spanish courses at Emory at Oxford.  Do I need to take the Spanish Placement Exam at Emory? Yes, you do.  While Oxford is a part of Emory, the placement procedures on the two campuses are different.

10. How can I add a class, change sections or add a section that is full? Use the OPUS system to add, drop or swap a class, and do not ask Department Staff or Faculty to do this for you. There is a lot of movement throughout the Add/Drop/Swap period, and you can usually change your schedule by checking OPUS several times a day.  Also, please be aware of the following:
• There is usually enough space in Spanish 201, 212, 215, or 300 for all students interested in continuing their studies of Spanish, but Spanish 101 tends to fill up early; again, by checking OPUS regularly you may be able to add this course.
• Teachers rarely grant overloads. If you obtain this permission, you will be asked to sign (along with the instructor) and complete an Overload Authorization Form with detailed information (Emory ID, OPUS numbers, etc.).
• Finally, you may also want to consider completing the language requirement abroad or by waiting until the following academic year when you are more likely to enroll in the class of your choice simply because you will be registering early in the spring.

11. Do I have to be enrolled in a course or section in order to attend? Yes, unless the Director of Placement authorizes a visit.

12. Can I make changes in my schedule after Add/Drop/Swap ends? No. Make certain you are properly enrolled in the course and section you are attending before the end of Add/Drop/Swap.  (Go to http://www.registrar.emory.edu/pdf/20072008Approved.pdf to find important deadlines.) If you are not, you will not be allowed to continue attending that course/section.

13. I would like to complete the foreign language requirement in a Spanish study abroad program. Is this possible? Yes, and this is an excellent idea! We have made it very easy to complete the foreign language requirement in Spanish while on study abroad. You can go for the summer or for a semester and can complete two Spanish courses in one term (along with other courses). It is also cheaper to study abroad than at Emory! There are, however, a couple of restrictions: (1) you must have completed one year of high school Spanish or one semester of college Spanish, and (2) you can only complete the language requirement on an Emory Spanish Language program.

14. I received a 4 or 5 on the Language and/or Literature Advanced Placement Test (or a 5, 6 or 7 on the IB exam) and received credit at Emory for Spanish 102. Does this mean I’ve satisfied Emory’s General Education Requirement (GER) for language?  If not, what should I do? No, you have not satisfied the GER; you have, however, completed 4 of the 8 semester hours required (or the first of the two-semester sequence) required by the College, but you still have to take one course at Emory (or abroad) and still have to take the placement exam and should register for the course indicated on your Official Spanish Placement, which will probably be Spanish 212, 215 or 300. You can, of course, choose to begin another language at the 101 level, but you must complete two sequential semesters of coursework in that language.  For more information on Emory’s GERs, please see http://www.college.emory.edu/current/courses/ger.html

15. I took the AP Test/IB Exam and received a 1, 2, or 3. Do I get any credit for this? No, which means you will have to complete two sequential courses, but your scores on the AP or IB are used in determining your Official Spanish Placement.

16. I am a native speaker of Spanish, and all my elementary and high school studies were in Spanish (except for foreign language courses). Can I take Spanish to complete the foreign language requirement? No, but you should check with the Director of Placement to make sure you are correctly classified as a native speaker. We also invite you to take upper-level courses in the study of Hispanic/Latino/Luso-Brazilian culture, literature, and linguistics.

17. My parents speak Spanish at home, and I understand it, but I always went to schools in which classes were in English and never really learned to write in Spanish. Can I take Spanish to complete the foreign language requirement? Yes. People with your background are often referred to as heritage speakers. You should complete the Spanish Placement Exam, register for the class indicated on your Official Spanish Placement, and speak with your instructor on the first day of class. If you have any question/concerns, please email Robyn Clarke at hrclark@learnlink.emory.edu.

18. Can I complete the foreign language requirement by taking classes at another university during the summer? Yes, but this can be done only during the summer after your freshman year. Furthermore, you must take coursework that is considered academically rigorous and at a level comparable to that of Emory Spanish classes. (The Transient Study Office, not the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, determines this.) Be aware that if you choose to take Spanish at another institution, you will only receive GER credit if you sign up and complete courses at the level indicated on your Official Spanish Placement, which will not be altered if you choose to study elsewhere. For example, if you receive an Official Spanish Placement of 201, you cannot take courses at the 101 or 102 level to fulfill the language requirement. Official Spanish Placements can only be altered if you enroll in and complete Emory Spanish classes or meet personally with the Director of Placement.

19. Can I take Portuguese to complete the foreign language requirement? Yes, and Portuguese is an excellent option. It is, after all, one of the most spoken languages in the world, and demand for it in the professions and business continues to rise.

20. I was placed in 201 (or 212), was already nervous, went to class and found I couldn't understand everything the first day of class. Now I'm really nervous and would like to drop a level. Is this possible? Yes, by following the proper procedure (see questions 6 and 20), but it is probably not necessary. After the first day of class, you don't need to understand every detail—getting the gist is often enough, and instructors speak Spanish from the very first day of class in Spanish 101! It is also entirely normal to feel a little overwhelmed after the first day of class since it may have been a while since you really listened to any Spanish. Nervousness makes it harder to understand and speak a foreign language! Talk to your teacher about your feelings and concerns after class, but be aware that after a few days, you will probably begin to feel more comfortable. Rest assured that your teacher will be checking to make sure you are in the right level and will recommend a change if necessary.

21. Who should I contact with questions about my placement? If you have not received your OSP email from the Department of Spanish and Portuguese AND have already taken the online placement exam, contact Dasef Weems (dhweems@learnlink.emory.edu). If you have not taken the placement exam, do so right away.
If you are concerned about your placement level, please follow the procedure below:
• enroll in the class into which you placed; for example, do NOT enroll in a 101 class with an OSP for 201 and expect a 101 teacher to initiate a change of placement—the system in place works the other way with your attending a 201 class and following the instructor’s recommendations;
• attend the first two days of class and participate actively in the level-checks;
• discuss any concerns with your instructor.
After completing the above three steps, you may meet with the Director of Placement, who will have special office hours posted on her door (506S Callaway) during Add/Drop/Swap. However, a consultation with the Director of Placement should only be considered if the issue cannot be resolved between the student and instructor or the instructor and the Director but can almost never be resolved via email. When you arrive on campus, ask your FAME advisor for details about a follow-up meeting scheduled in Cox Hall before the first day of class. The Director of Placement will be there, and you can ask questions and/or discuss any concerns with her.