# College Foreign Language Requirement



## Darko (Jul 29, 2010)

At my college we are required to take four semesters of a FL if you are pursuing a BA degree. I am shooting for the BA so I'm in this camp. Well, have you guys ever experienced this: the professor talks (in my case French) and no one really understands what the hell is being said. But they just smile and nod like they know what's going on. At least that's what I do. 

Then, I have this oral presentation to do, which is I have to talk in french for 10 minutes about some poem of my choosing. Ten minutes struggling to speak in french. I'm not sure I could even speak in English for 10 solid minutes. I just picture myself standing in front of the class and struggling to think of how to say something, as I'm not very good at the language anyway. Do all ppl with SAD hate foreign language class as much as I do? I mean, it's practically a speech class.


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## pita (Jan 17, 2004)

I didn't like French class very much. I got A's on my written work, but the oral component dragged my final mark to a B-minus. I had no idea what the professor was saying and I couldn't have responded coherently even if I had understood her.

In my case, everyone else in the class had attended French immersion in high school, so they knew exactly what the prof was saying. I felt pretty left out.

However, since you're required to take a second language at your school, you'll probably be surrounded by other students who don't really want to be there. I think that'd make it quite a bit more bearable.

Re: talking for 10 minutes in French: try asking the professor if he or she will let you do the presentation outside of class; that way, you'll only have to talk to 1 person instead of 30. Some profs are pretty open to this.


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## sansd (Mar 22, 2006)

Do you personally have to talk for all ten minutes? Can you ask discussion questions to get other people talking for part of that time?

I think I was the only person who understood much in my high school French class. I don't know how much others understood in my college foreign language classes.


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## FallenofTrack (Jul 23, 2010)

I really disliked foreign language classes in high school and college. In college, I was required to take two semesters of foreign language. I chose French. I DID NOT enjoy the experience because off course the foreign language courses are all about class participation and getting into groups or with a partner in order to practice speaking the language. I did well on the written tests, but I always felt awkward and nervous for the oral exercises. My professor used to joke with me because I always got good grades on the tests, but I never spoke up in class. At that time, I didn't know what SAD was, so I had no way of explaining to him why I behaved the way I did in class. The only thing I probably could have told him was that I got really nervous in the class.

A lot of the other students loved the oral exercises because it gave them a chance to talk and practice what they had learned in the lessons, but I absolutely dreaded that part of it.


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## utopian_grrl (Jun 26, 2008)

I had to take 4 semesters of a foreign language (French) for graduation too. Just wrapped up my last. And yes, the professors spoke almost entirely in French. It was a bit stressful at times dealing with group work and public speaking, but after a while, even with SAD, you get used to it. And maybe even enjoy learning a new langue.

I also had to do oral presentations, and along with everyone in the class, I pretty much sucked. With graduation requirement courses, no one should really expect you to be speaking like Gerard Depardieu after a few semesters unless you're a French major. If you can approach it with the right midset it is possible to get through with a decent grade.


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## VanDamMan (Nov 2, 2009)

To be honest I found myself much less anxious while speaking in a foreign language. Its not your first language, everyone knows it, so no one expects you to get it perfect.


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## sansd (Mar 22, 2006)

utopian_grrl said:


> I also had to do oral presentations, and along with everyone in the class, I pretty much sucked. With graduation requirement courses, no one should really expect you to be speaking like Gerard Depardieu after a few semesters unless you're a French major.


Even French majors usually don't speak very well unless they've lived in France for a while.


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## creativedissent (Oct 25, 2008)

blah... maybe take some courses outside of college so you will get at least the basics right... that's what I learned. Maybe study some french history, philosophy, critiques, finance and economics.


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## SilentLoner (Jan 30, 2006)

I got out of the requirement in college as I already spoke fluent Spanish and had AP credits. But I wish I had picked up another language during my time, I actually enjoy the learning process and no one can blame you for trying to think up words.


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## jmoop (Jul 12, 2009)

I started off taking French but switched to Latin. It is much more interesting and you spend most of the time translating classics rather than practicing conversation (for obvious reasons). Plus it helps you to understand parts of the romantic languages since many of the words are derived from Latin.


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## Akane (Jan 2, 2008)

I just download rosetta stone and pimsleur to use several semesters before my foreign language requirement so I am ahead of everyone else.


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