Language Courses and Requirements at Gustavus

Learning a second language is a key piece of a well-rounded education in the reality of today’s global world. No matter what you choose to study, learning another language will open new possibilities for you in the future and will enhance your resumes in an increasingly competitive job market. Language study is central to the college experience in exploring how as individuals we relate to the rest of the planet. Deepening the study of another language opens your eyes to new realities and other ways to see the world. Whether you want to explore a new language, expand your knowledge of another language and cultural understanding of the world, or meet the minimum college requirements, the following table will guide you on how to start or continue your language studies at Gustavus.

Starting with the registration for fall 2023, the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures does not place students according to a placement test. Rather, the department will use your previous experience in language courses as credentials that indicate the level at which you should begin your two-semester sequence.

Years you have taken the language in highschool courses	French	German	Japanese	Russian	Spanish
No classroom experience in the language or 1 year or less	FRE 101	GER 101	JPN 101 or talk with instructor to confirm	RUS 101	SPA 101
2 years of classroom experience	FRE 102	GER 102	JPN 102	RUS 101	SPA 102
3 years of classroom experience	FRE 201	GER 201	JPN 201	RUS 102	SPA 103
4 years of classroom experience	FRE 202	GER 202	JPN 202	RUS 201 upon discussion with Russian section faculty	SPA 200
More than 4 years of classroom experience	FRE 251 or FRE 252	Contact German section faculty	Contact Japanese section faculty	RUS 202 upon discussion with Russian section faculty	SPA 250
More than 4 years of classroom experience with immersion or Native speakers	FRE 251 or FRE 252	Contact German section faculty	Contact Japanese section faculty	RUS 251 or RUS 253 upon discussion with Russian section faculty	SPA 250
Heritage speakers*	Placement to be determined after conversation with faculty in the French section.	Placement to be determined after conversation with faculty in the German section.	Placement to be determined after conversation with faculty in the Japanese section.	Placement to be determined after conversation with faculty in the Russian section.	Placement to be determined after conversation with faculty in the Spanish section.

*Heritage speaker: “a person who has learned a language informally by being exposed to it at home as opposed to having learned it formally in a school setting.” (Language Testing International)

Only for the registration process for fall 2023: If you took the placement test before March 31st, 2023, you can also use those results to register in the class indicated in your placement test result.

Students with a documented language learning disability

If you have previous coursework in a non-English language, it is to your benefit to register for language courses as soon as possible in your freshman year to avoid long gaps. We highly recommend you register in a language course your first semester at Gustavus. If you are unable to take a language course in the Fall, make sure to add it to your Spring registration.