All students in the School of American and International Studies, including internal and external transfer students, are required to fulfill a language requirement. All undergraduate degree candidates in AIS are required to show proficiency in a language other than English at the “intermediate low level” as described by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Proficiency Guidelines.* This minimum proficiency standard is only a stepping-stone to mastery. Therefore, we encourage students to continue coursework, immersion activities, and study abroad that will help them reach the ultimate goal of linguistic and cultural competency in more than one world language context.
Fulfilling the requirement:
Satisfactory evidence of intermediate low proficiency can be demonstrated in the following ways:
Credit options:
Successfully completing at least one world language course, Intermediate I or higher. [Foundations II is the prerequisite for Intermediate I]
Completing equivalent coursework in an approved study abroad program.
Receiving transfer credit for equivalent coursework.
Taking a CLEP test (available in French, German and Spanish) or the NYU Language Test (for other languages) may allow you to earn up to 12 credits depending on your score.
Receiving a score of 4 or 5 on the College Board Advanced Placement Test
These options will not provide credits, but will mean you have fulfilled the requirement:
International high school graduates whose native language is not English
International Baccalaureate (IB) graduates
Do I need to take a world language placement test?
Yes, if…
No, if…
You wish to continue in the same world language that you've studied previously.
You are beginning a world language that you've never studied before.
You are a native speaker or the language is spoken in your home.
You are a student transferring world language courses to Ramapo equivalent to Intermediate I or higher.
Five or more years have passed since your last world language course.
You fulfill one of the credit options listed above.
The placement test:
The STAMP test will place you into the appropriate course Foundations I, II or Intermediate I, II or higher. The test must be taken at the testing center prior to or during your first semester of enrollment. Please visit the Testing Center website for instructions and practice tests. The STAMP tests are available in Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish. Students wishing to place into other languages offered at Ramapo should inquire with the AIS office.
Additional notes to language students:
If you wish to pursue a major in Spanish, a major Liberal Studies with a concentration in Italian or a minor in Spanish, Italian or French, are encouraged to take the most advanced level world language course. Your skills will progress much more rapidly if the level of language in your class is challenging for you. Additionally, advancing optimally will allow you to increase the number of courses you can take outside your major program. This is particularly important for students interested in pursuing world language teaching certification.
Foundations I classes are meant for true beginners. Native speakers and non-native speakers with training in a language will not be permitted to take Foundations I classes unless they place into that level after taking the STAMP placement test.
* Summary of ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines for Speaking and Writing: Intermediate Low speakers can maintain simple face-to-face conversation by asking and responding to simple questions in informal settings dealing with topics related primarily to one’s self and immediate environment. In writing, they create statements and formulate simple questions by recombining familiar structures and vocabulary in order to meet elementary needs. These speakers and writers can be understood, with some repetition or additional effort, by speakers unaccustomed to non-native speakers.
