Online Foreign Language Placement Test?

SD Academy Bound

5-Year Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
Messages
37
I just read in my Instruction to Appointees handbook that students that have a background in Spanish or German are required to take a placement exam prior to reporting to the Academy. It is hidden on the bottom of page 17. Has anyone taken this test yet, or know anything about it?
 
Yeah, take it, do well. Hopefully you'll show enough skill to get placed in it. Makes life much easier (compared to Russian or Chinese).
 
Thanks Zooming. What if you do not want to take spanish, say you would like to try Arabic or another less common language?
 
During basic, you will have the option to rank which top three languages you would like to take. Put what you want as the first option to get the best chance of getting it. Be weary though, the language department is known for placing cadets in the strategic languages if you are "good" enough in another like German or French.
 
B
During basic, you will have the option to rank which top three languages you would like to take. Put what you want as the first option to get the best chance of getting it. Be weary though, the language department is known for placing cadets in the strategic languages if you are "good" enough in another like German or French.

So if you just want to take Spanish what is the best strategy?
 
I took the Spanish one, and felt neutral about it. It's never been my strong suit.
 
B

So if you just want to take Spanish what is the best strategy?

Put it at the top of your picks, and hope that the language department doesn't place you in anything else. I took 3 years of German in high school, taking a break from it my senior year. Needless to say my German wasn't all that great after a year off, and it showed in the placement test. I was placed in 200 level here at USAFA though. After this semester I am finished with language altogether.
 
I just took that test and it took a pretty long time (for me anyways). Does this determine if we take the language we want or not? I did the Spanish one by the way.
 
I just took that test and it took a pretty long time (for me anyways). Does this determine if we take the language we want or not? I did the Spanish one by the way.

You will also take a general language aptitude test once you report for BCT. The language department uses the results of this test, combined with your online specific language test and your language request sheet to assign you to a language. In our son's case, he had 5 years of Spanish coming into the Academy,and did very well on the online test. When he got to USAFA he put Russian and Arabic on his request sheet, and was assigned to Spanish. I can't say I know how it is all decided.

Stealth_81
 
Are there any classes required to be taken in a foreign language?

For example, if you are an engineer and you take your 'normal' foreign language classes in your freshman and sophomore years, will you still have to take an upper level non-foreign language class in your foreign language?

I can't remember where I read it but I thought I read (Raimius?) that Astro had to be taught in a foreign language, as an example of what we're wondering about. My son said he's starting to think about taking Russian instead of Spanish but if he has to get up the the level where he has to take an engineering class in Russian then he'd rather just stick with Spanish so this isn't an easy dilemna.
 
Last edited:
The only sentence my DD wrote on the German test was "Ich spreche kein Deutsch" (I do not speak German) and Spanish " no hablo español " (I do not speak Spanish) . She took French and Latin in high school.

She is now in her second semester of German and loves it :thumb:

Deb Berg
C4C Alivia - CS11 Rebels
Class of 2014 - Like a Machine
 
The only sentence my DD wrote on the German test was "Ich spreche kein Deutsch" (I do not speak German) and Spanish " no hablo español " (I do not speak Spanish) . She took French and Latin in high school.

She is now in her second semester of German and loves it :thumb:

Deb Berg
C4C Alivia - CS11 Rebels
Class of 2014 - Like a Machine

what was the preference order of her 3 languages she wrote down?
 
I got this information from somewhere (I can't remember where) last year when my 2014 cadet was still an appointee.


Strategic, Non Strategic , and Critical Investment Languages Explained!

A Parent asked a personal question in the Parents Private forum about the process of selection for language and why Cadets are placed in certain Languages. BARBARA GUTIERREZ, the Parents liaison for the Academy was kind of enough to research this for us, and she was given this reply from the Department head of the Language Department. After getting the permission from the Parent who ask the personal question, we are now posting in the public forums so that Cadets, other register users and guest (lurkers) visiting the site can be aware of this great info.

This is from Col Dan Uribe, Professor and Head of Foreign Languages. Thank you to the Col for taking the time to provide a complete answer that will help us all to understand the importance of Foreign Languages and Cadet Placement.

We teach 8 languages at USAFA: Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian (Strategic Languages) and French, German, Spanish and Portuguese (Non-Strategic). All of these languages, with the exception of German, are considered “critical, investment languages” by the Department of Defense and by the AF. These labels will become important as I discuss the placement process.

During Basic Cadet Training (BCT) we administer the Defense Language Aptitude Battery (DLAB), which is a test designed to predict success in learning a foreign language. We also give the cadets placement exams in the language they studied in High School or in the language they have considerable knowledge/experience (i.e. learned it at home, lived in the country, etc.) At this time, we also ask the cadets to give us three choices. At least one of these choices must be a Strategic Language or a non-strategic language. In other words, the three choices can’t all be from the same category.

We then use the cadet’s choice, DLAB score, Academic Composite, and placement exam to place her/him in a language. Because we know that our strategic languages (Arabic, Chinese, Japanese and Russian) can be more difficult to learn, we only place cadets into these languages if it was their first or second choice, and only if they have high scores on the DLAB and the Academic Composite.

Cadets are placed into the other non-strategic languages (French, German, Spanish and Portuguese) based on choice, placement exam scores and space availability. In most cases, we’ll place cadets into their first choice, unless they asked for a strategic language and did not qualify, or if we run out of room in a particular language. Incoming cadets who have not studied a language we teach here and who do not qualify for a Strategic Language are placed into French, Spanish or Portuguese.

Since German is not considered an “investment” language by the DoD and the AF, we have a limited number of slots available in that language. These limited slots are usually filled by cadets who have already studied German in High School.
 
Where can I take the online test? I have not yet recieved Instructions to Appointees. Is it avaliable to me yet?
 
Back
Top