Foreign Language Placement and Proficiency Testing

On this page:

• Overview
• How to Demonstrate Foreign Language Proficiency
  • Native speaker of English without previous exposure to foreign languages
  • Native speakers of English with previous exposure to a foreign language
  • Took an AP (Advanced Placement) exam
  • Taking American Sign Language (ASL) or Latin or Greek
  • Students with a documented disability preventing them from successfully learning to comprehend, speak, read or write a foreign language or American Sign Language
  • Testing out of the language requirement
• Prior Learning Assessment Policy and Procedure

Overview

The placement test determines which language you should take next. It does not award credit or provide an exemption from language study. 

If you wish to test out of the foreign language requirement in French, German, or Spanish you can take a CLEP Test  and indicate that your results should be sent to Wright State University. For Spanish, please take the CLEP test with the writing option. Find the CLEP Test equivalencies here.

There are multiple ways to demonstrate foreign language proficiency depending on your previous familiarity with foreign languages and cultures. To determine your path to demonstrating proficiency, review the description below that best reflects your experience with foreign language or languages.

Frequently Asked Questions

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How to Demonstrate Foreign Language Proficiency

Native speaker of English without previous exposure to foreign languages

Native speakers of English who have never studied or spoken a foreign language demonstrate proficiency in a modern language by taking a sequence of four progressive courses: 1010, 1020, 2010, and 2020 in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, or Spanish.

Placement testing is available in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. If you have studied these languages, you can take an online test administered via Avant Assessment to see what level course (beginning, intermediate, advanced) you should take. Note: There is a $10 fee per test.

To access Avant’s testing portal, a unique testing code and password are required. These codes are provided after purchasing the placement test.

• Purchase access to the testing portal
• Avant Assessment testing portal 
  • Please use your Wright State UID as a login name. This will enable the Modern Languages Program to locate your placement test score.
• Avant Testing Portal User Support and Instruction Guide (PDF)
   

Native speakers of English with previous exposure to a foreign language

You have studied a foreign language either formally (e.g. in high school or at another college or university), informally (e.g. by living or traveling extensively in a foreign country) or through some combination of formal and informal study (e.g. by taking language classes while living abroad).

As soon as you enroll at Wright State, you should either:

1. Take the Avant placement test in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese or Spanish to determine your level of placement. Avant usually takes around 25-30 minutes. After taking the exam, see your recommended course, above, or,
2. Contact your advisor for placement.

Once you begin language study at a certain level, you may not skip courses in the sequence without permission from the Chair.

Placement testing is available in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. If you have studied these languages, you can take an online test administered via Avant Assessment to see what level course (beginning, intermediate, advanced) you should take. Note: There is a $10 fee per test.

To access Avant’s testing portal, a unique testing code and password are required. These codes are provided after purchasing the placement test.

• Purchase access to the testing portal
• Avant Assessment testing portal
  • Please use your Wright State UID as a login name. This will enable the Modern Languages Program to locate your placement test score.
• Avant Testing Portal User Support and Instruction Guide (PDF)
   

Took an AP (Advanced Placement) exam

Wright State University follows the Ohio Board of Regents Advanced Placement (AP) policy governing the application of transfer credit for a score of 3 on AP examinations. Course equivalencies for this score have been identified by individual academic departments in accordance with the guidelines in the statewide policy.

Individual academic departments have determined the equivalent courses for which credit will be granted for scores of 4 and 5. Learn more about AP Credit and Credit by Examination.

Taking American Sign Language (ASL) or Latin or Greek

You may fulfill the language requirement by taking four semesters of ASL or Latin or Greek. American Sign Language is offered through the College of Health, Education, and Human Services; Latin and Greek are offered by the School of Humanities and Cultural Studies.

Students with a documented disability preventing them from successfully learning to comprehend, speak, read or write a foreign language or American Sign Language

Please contact the Office of Disability Services.

Testing out of the Language Requirement

Students wishing to test out of the language requirement in French, German or Spanish can take a CLEP test.  Indicate that you want your testing scores to be submitted to Wright State University. Consult the WSU Transfer page for information about college credit.

If you are a College of Liberal Arts major, native and near-native speakers of less commonly taught languages, including languages not offered by WSU, can request for the foreign language portion of the COLA requirement to be waived based on the following external assessments:
 

-passing both the ACTFL OPI (Oral Proficiency) and ACTFL WPT (Writing Proficiency) tests, if available in your language of proficiency, with a minimum rating of Intermediate Low. Students are responsible for their own testing arrangements with and payment of applicable fees to the ACTFL Language Testing Office. 

or,

-having outside assessment credentials evaluated by Modern Language faculty advisors.

Waiving the CoLA language requirement does not award WSU credit.

Students seeking to have the language requirement waived are encouraged to contact their college advisor as soon as possible upon entering WSU.

Students who claim English as a foreign language can fulfill the language requirement by passing ENG 1100 and ENG 2100 AND demonstrating advanced proficiency in the foreign language (usually via a proctored proficiency test with ACTFL LTI or based on a notarized translated HS diploma, as worded in the PLA policy).

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Prior Learning Assessment Policy and Procedure in Modern Languages

 

I. Credit for Beginning and Intermediate Language Skills when Taking Language Classes at WSU

Those students who place into French or Spanish language classes higher than the 1010 level, and attain a grade of C or better may earn “Pass” credits for sequenced courses below that level. Students who place into a 3000-level course and attain a grade of C or better may earn ungraded credit for 1010, 1020, 2010, and 2020.

In order to qualify for these credits, students fill out a “Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Registration Form” (email SoSSIS@wright.edu). Once approval has been obtained, students will take the PLA Registration form to the Bursar, along with a check for $150. As long as the student passes the class with a C or better, this payment will ensure the receipt of PLA credits, which will be added to the student’s transcript at the end of the semester and will count toward credits earned. See the following chart for details:

Student takes:	Student passes with a C or better	Student submits PLA form to ML Dept.	Student takes form & $150 to Bursar	Student earns ____# credits on transcript	Courses Earned
1010	√	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
1020	√	√	√	3 credits	1010
2010	√	√	√	6 credits	1010, 1020
2020	√	√	√	9 credits	1010, 1020, 2010
Any 3000/4000-level course	√	√	√	12 credits	1010, 1020, 2010, 2020

Native and near-native speakers majoring and minoring in French and Spanish may additionally take the Language Proficiency Test in two areas (Conversation and/or Composition) and receive Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) “Pass” credits for 3110 and/or 3210 for an additional fee of $150.

Some students may have already earned credit for AP or CLEP. This credit will not be duplicated.

If students have any questions about which level is appropriate for them, they should speak with their language instructor for guidance.

Transfer Credit

Transfer students wishing to have PLA credits transcripted should do so in their first semester at WSU. If this is missed, the student may start the process later.

Students who began studies at Wright State prior to Fall 2015

Students who qualified for credit under the pre-PLA policy may apply for credit under the current PLA policy.