Placement

The Department of World Languages and Cultures (DWLC) follows a simple placement formula based on (1) years of study in high school and (2) grades earned in those classes. The majority of first-year students are placed in our first four semesters of language instruction at the 100 and 200 levels. Placements are sent via email to incoming students early in the summer before they register for fall classes.

If you feel you were placed too low or too high, click on the sections below for more information and guidance related to general placement and specific language programs. This is especially important for students who have completed an AP or IB program, have dual-enroll or transfer credits, or are native, near-native or heritage speakers of one of our languages. If your language is French, German or Spanish, you may also take the WebCAPE online test as a way to verify your placement.

General Information

TAKE YOUR LANGUAGE SOON
If you are able, we encourage you to take a language course during your first semester or first year at Hope College. Taking a course early makes sure you benefit from what you have learned in high school, it allows you to consider continuing in language studies at Hope, and if you have any interest in studying abroad, it helps to prepare and plan for that experience. Language learning takes time, and time away can make it harder to jump back in.

FREE LANGUAGE CREDIT
Students who begin their language studies at Hope College by completing a DWLC course at or above the second-semester level will receive additional credits equivalent to the lower-level courses that they skipped, up to a maximum of 12 credits. For example, if you begin in third-semester FREN 201, upon successful completion of that course you would receive 3 credits plus an additional 6 credits for FREN 101 and 102.

PLACEMENT EXPIRATION

The language placement recommendation you receive as an incoming student is valid for your first year at Hope College. Should you wait to take a language course later in your academic career, please contact our DWLC office manager, Mandy Stephenson, in order to reassess your language proficiency and update your placement recommendation.

WebCAPE Online Test

Students of French, German or Spanish may take the WebCAPE online test as a way to verify their placement if you feel you have been placed too low or too high. In order to take the WebCAPE, please contact DWLC office manager, Mandy Stephenson, who will send you instructions for the testing process. The test should take 20 to 30 minutes to complete and your score will be available immediately. Compare your score with the placement recommendations below.

The WebCAPE only assesses reading comprehension and grammar knowledge, so if you still have questions about your placement, be sure to read the relevant language program sections on this page and connect with the corresponding DWLC professor.

French

Test Score	Placement recommendation
<129	FREN 101
130–199	FREN 102
200–389	FREN 201
390+	FREN 250

German

Test Score	Placement Recommendation
<199	GERM 101
200–399	GERM 102
400–599	GERM 201
600+	GERM 202

Spanish

Test Score	Placement RECOMMENDATION
<224	SPAN 121
225–349	SPAN 122
350+	SPAN 250 or SPAN 251

Chinese Studies

Huānyíng lái dào Hope College! In this section, you will find some orientation information about our first semesters of Mandarin Chinese. If you have any questions about your placement in Mandarin Chinese or the Chinese Studies program in general, please reach out to Prof Fu-Ying (Flora) Chuang. 

CHINESE I & CHINESE II
We offer CHIN 101 Chinese I every fall semester and CHIN 102 Chinese II every spring semester. If you have had any Chinese in high school, we encourage you to take a language course as soon as possible, while what you have learned in high school is still fresh. If you feel like you need a refresher, it's usually okay to start in Chinese I. The course moves quite a bit faster than high school Chinese, so it may be a good choice for you. Also, remember that if you successfully complete CHIN 102, you will receive credit for CHIN 101 as well.

In the first two semesters of Chinese, we use Integrated Chinese and its workbooks as our primary textbook. We supplement the curriculum with authentic listening and reading materials about how Han Chinese traditions have influenced modern Chinese communities in and outside of China, focusing a great deal on cultural knowledge and vocabulary building, and less so on the grammar of the language. Cultural traditions including topics such as education, family, friendship, gender roles, food and medicine are further explored in CHIN 201. 

CHINESE III 
We offer CHIN 201 Chinese III every fall semester, and we encourage you to take this course as soon as possible. Again, remember that if you successfully complete CHIN 201, you will receive credit for CHIN 101 and CHIN 102 as well.

In CHIN 201 Chinese III, we include even more authentic materials. Combined with the Integrated Chinese textbook and workbook audio recordings, these authentic materials enable you to further explore topics such as education, family, friendship, gender roles, food and medicine. Additionally, the Chinese program at Hope hosts a variety of cultural events throughout the year, including Mid-Autumn Festival, Lunar New Year, Asian Christian Fellowship and more. It is also never too early to begin thinking about studying abroad in one of our many partner programs in Taiwan, Hong Kong, China and Singapore.

Classical Studies

Gratam ad Hope College! In this section you will find some orientation information about our first semesters of Latin. Remember that we also offer courses in Greek, should you be interested in taking that language. If you have any questions about your placement in Latin or the Classical Studies program in general, please reach out to Prof Bram ten Berge.

LATIN I & LATIN II
We offer LATN 171 Latin I every fall semester and LATN 172 Latin II every spring semester. If you have had any Latin in high school, we encourage you to take a language course as soon as possible, while what you have learned in high school is still fresh.

For both of these courses, we use a textbook that combines a thorough study of grammar with a wide variety of texts drawn from the diverse history of Latin literature, including advice on farming, love poetry, accounts of war, biographies of the Caesars, the Bible and personal letters to name just a few. Even if you are already familiar with some of the grammar, these readings will serve as an excellent refresher and, at the same time, keep the class interesting and exciting for you. We also spend our time examining how Latin and ancient Rome has influenced the modern world, ranging from vocabulary building in English (especially scientific and medical terminology) to exploring the roots of Christianity, politics and literature.

If you don’t remember much Latin at all, that’s okay! Let me assure you that LATN 171 offers a welcoming environment that provides you with the following: 

• A gradual entry into language learning with concrete advice about how to approach it  
• A primary focus on being able to do things right away
• In classical languages, you will begin with the basic skills you need to read simple sentences from the works that have influenced our society
• An introduction to the basic vocabulary you need to start reading
• A focus on the distinct sounds of the language and some aspects of its grammar
• A priority throughout the course on the cultures that use the language
• All instruction is in English 

LATIN III
We offer LATN 271 Latin III every fall semester, and we encourage you to take this course as soon as possible. Again, remember that if you successfully complete LATN 271, you will receive credit for Latin I & II as well.

In this intermediate Latin course, we combine a thorough review and reintroduction of the more challenging aspects of Latin grammar. At the same time, we begin to read unadapted passages from the ancient authors themselves. Our syllabus includes readings from Cicero’s Pro Caelio, a text that provides a window into Roman life during the late Republic, a world rocked by civil war. We read from the rhetorical, philosophical and personal Latin of Cicero, who witnesses the Republic crumble.

French

Bienvenue à Hope College! In this section you will find some orientation information about our first- and second-year courses in French. If you have any questions about your placement in French, or the French program in general, please reach out to Prof Brigitte Hamon-Porter. 

FRENCH I & II
We offer FREN 101 French I every fall semester and FREN 102 French II throughout the academic year. If you have had any French in high school, we encourage you to take a language course as soon as possible, while what you have learned in high school is still fresh. Also, remember that if you successfully complete FREN 102, you will receive credit for FREN 101 as well.

French I & II offer a welcoming environment that provides you with the following:

• A gradual entry into language learning where, before we crack the textbook open and jump in, we first discuss how best to learn, how different individuals learn differently and, most importantly, what are reasonable expectations about our learning outcomes (do we have to have perfect accents and flawless grammar to take something away from our language study? No!)  
• A primary focus on being able to do things with French: greet people, ask about each other's families, order a sandwich, apologize for being late, etc.  
• An introduction to basic vocabulary (on school, family, food and hobbies)
• A focus on the distinct sounds of French and some aspects of its grammar
• A focus throughout the course on French-speaking cultures around the world through films and other media

FRENCH III & IV
We offer FREN 201 French III and FREN 250 French IV throughout the academic year. If you have had any French in high school, we encourage you to take a language course as soon as possible. Again, remember that if you successfully complete one of these courses, you receive the credits from earlier French courses as well.

Our French 201 program offers:

• A focus throughout the course on oral communication while exploring French-speaking cultures around the world (we cover the first five chapters of the textbook Imaginez which contains short readings and videos on French-speaking cultures)
• A basic review of grammar: we review the verb tenses of the present, imperfect and passé composé as well as forming questions, adjectives and personal pronouns
• Instruction in both French and English the first few weeks to ensure comprehension since students come with different backgrounds
• The option either to complete the language requirement in one semester or to continue with French in order to take advantage of our numerous study abroad programs in France and French-speaking countries

Our French 250 program offers:

• A focus throughout the course on oral communication while exploring French-speaking cultures around the world (we cover the last five chapters of the textbook Imaginez and read short stories)
• A review of grammar: we review for example verbs in the subjunctive and conditional, the relative pronouns such as qui, que, dont among other structures
• Instruction in French only to immerse students in the language
• The possibility of completing a minor with 15 credits of 300-level classes or a major with 24 credits of 300 and 400-level classes (up to 9 credits may be earned abroad) — note that French 250 is the transition course students usually take before enrolling in 300-level courses

Additionally, the French program at Hope hosts a variety of cultural events throughout the year, including guest speakers, a bimonthly conversation group at a local café, a soirée crêpes at the French house, and more. It is also never too early to begin thinking about studying abroad in one of our many partner programs in France, Belgium, Switzerland and French speaking Africa. Every year, a high percentage of our minors and majors in French spend a semester or May/June term in a French-speaking program.

 

German

Willkommen bei Hope College! In this section you will find some orientation information about our first semesters of German. If you have any questions about your placement in German, or the German program in general, please reach out to Prof Lee Forester. 

GERMAN I, II & III
We offer GERM 101 German I, GERM 102 German II, and GERM 201 German III throughout the academic year. If you have had any German in high school, we encourage you to take a language course as soon as possible, while what you have learned in high school is still fresh. If you feel like you need a refresher, it's usually okay to start in German I. The course moves quite a bit faster than high school German, so it may be a good choice for you. Also, remember that if you successfully complete GERM 201, you will receive credit for GERM 101 and 102 as well.

In the first three semesters of German, we use a textbook that Prof Forester helped develop called Auf geht’s! The curriculum focuses a great deal on culture and not so much on grammar. You learn a lot about how Germans relate to each other, how they see friendships, the many differences between the various German regions, among many other things. You can find out more about the text at www.aufgehts.com. 

Japanese Studies

Hope College e yōkoso!

If you have any questions about your placement in Japanese, or the Japanese Studies program in general, please reach out to Prof Yoshiko Tsuda.

Spanish

¡Bienvenidos a Hope College! In this section you will find orientation information about our first- and second-year courses in Spanish as well as information about placement for students with more advanced work in Spanish. If you have any questions about your placement in Spanish, or about the Spanish program in general, please reach out to Prof Berta Carrasco or Prof Daniel Woolsey.

FIRST- AND SECOND-YEAR SPANISH COURSES
Students arriving at Hope from traditional high-school Spanish programs are usually placed into our first-year sequence (SPAN 121 & 122) or our second-year courses (SPAN 250 & 251). Any Spanish course at or above SPAN 122 will meet the Global Language (GL2) general education requirement. SPAN 250 & 251 are the first courses that count toward the Spanish major and minor. We encourage you to take a language course as soon as possible, while what you have learned in high school is still fresh. Most first-year students take one of these four courses. However, more and more students arrive with higher levels of Spanish proficiency, so read on if you still have questions about your placement recommendation. 

ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) OR INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB)
If you have successfully completed the AP or IB programs of study and have taken the corresponding exam, it may be possible for you to begin at the 300-level of instruction. 

• For IB and AP Language students who score a 7 or a 5 on their respective exams, you may sign up for either SPAN 350 or 351, and you will need to take both if you plan to major or minor in Spanish.
• For AP Literature students who score a 4 on the AP exam, you may sign up for either SPAN 350 or 351, and you will need to take only one of those courses if you plan to major or minor in Spanish.
• For AP Literature students who score a 5 on the AP exam, you may sign up for either SPAN 362 or 364, and you may plan on taking one or both of them if you plan to major or minor in Spanish

For questions about IB and AP placement recommendations, please contact Prof Daniel Woolsey.

Program	Score	Placement	Plan to Take
IB Language B (SL or HL)	7	SPAN 350 and 351	Both
AP Spanish Language & Culture	5	SPAN 350 and 351	Both
AP Spanish Literature & Culture	4	SPAN 350 or 351	One
AP Spanish Literature & Culture	5	SPAN 362 or 364	One or both

SPANISH IMMERSION
If you are a student who participated in a Spanish immersion program at your school during your elementary and junior-high years, you may consider beginning in SPAN 350 or 351. Spanish immersion students usually have a higher level of oral proficiency than peers in traditional programs, but still may require instruction in writing and grammar. Feel free to reach out to Prof Daniel Woolsey with any questions.

NATIVE, NEAR-NATIVE, OR HERITAGE SPEAKER OF SPANISH
If you are a native, near-native or heritage speaker of Spanish, of Hispanic descent — if you speak fluent Spanish at home or with family members or friends — you should enroll in SPAN 312 Spanish for Heritage Speakers. This course meets Hope’s Global Language (GL2) general education requirement and counts toward the Spanish major/minor. The course focuses on cultural topics related to Hispanic histories, cultures and identities. If you have questions, please connect with Prof Berta Carrasco.

DUAL ENROLLMENT & TRANSFER CREDITS
If you have directly enrolled in college-level Spanish courses during high school or if you are transferring credits from a different institution of higher education, those courses will count toward equivalent courses at Hope. Keep in mind that you must complete 50% of your major courses at Hope College. However, we offer a number of courses that count both toward the Spanish major/minor and toward general education requirements (see the chart below). If you have any questions about transfer credits, please contact Prof Daniel Woolsey.

Anchor Plan Gen Ed Requirement	Spanish Course
Global Language 2	SPAN 122, SPAN 250, or above
Human Diversities (Global Perspectives)	SPAN 251, SPAN 351, and others
Historical Perspectives (100-level)	SPAN 350
Human Diversities (U.S. Diversities)	SPAN 312, SPAN 472, and others
Human Creative Perspectives (200-level)	SPAN 362/364, SPAN 441/443, and others
Senior Seminar	SPAN 492