Ph.D language requirements

[Mizmoon]

I'm filling out a graduate school application and it asks what I plan to do to meet my language requirements. I have to get to reading knowledge level in French and German by the time my dissertation defense rolls around. Sadly I've only taken Spanish so I'm going to have a lot of work to do in this area.

What do other people do? Do they simply take undergrad language courses? Do they travel abroad for the summer for immersion programs? Any idea what I should write on this thing so they'll be satisfied? :)

[Midlodemocrat]

1. What are you getting your PhD in, language?

I am wondering because I didn't have that much of a language requirement to get mine.

[Mizmoon]

3. History eom

[Midlodemocrat]

5. Okay, that makes sense.

I had language through college, to the point where I was fluent, so I guess I must have met my language requirement prior to grad school.

Can't remember, honestly. A long time ago.

[JVS]

2. Schools often offer language courses for graduate students that...

teach one how to read and write, but not really speak a language. Often students take a course during the summer

[Mizmoon]

7. I didn't know that

that works. I think I'll have to do a summer of immersion, though. I can't see learning enough in a few summers to really get good at it.

[JVS]

12. Here look a this page

http://courses.uiuc.edu/cis/catalog/urbana/2005/Fall/FR/index.html

Courses 500 and 501 are designed to give a grad student the necessary background to have a reading knowledge of French.

[Doctor_J]

8. THat's what my school has

A summer course w/ high-intensity reading proficiency. It's just for this requirement.

[JVS]

13. What school?

[mike_c]

4. my language requirement was waived...

...which was not a good thing in the end, because now I need Spanish proficiency beyond my rudimentary level.

[greekspeak]

6. Fret not Mizmoon

I am not sure what your requirements will be for meeting your langauge goals. But at FSU, I did my French Reading Knowledge course and passed the proficiency exam all in about 6 weeks. I already have German, but I am sure the same is possible for that. So, do not worry about it!

[Mizmoon]

9. That makes me feel better

I was getting nervous about it! :hi:

[enlightenment]

10. Depends on your needs

If you need one of those languages, take the undergrad classes. If you need to pass the reading comprehension tests, find out if your school offers the reading only type classes.
My school does, occasionally -- with the added benefit that if you pass with a B or better my department accepts the class in lieu of the test.
You might push the foreign language department to offer the courses, if they don't -- I suspect you'll find plenty of support from other grad students in your department and the English department (the two that seem to stick that requirement at my school).
You might also ask your department if there is a class you can take instead of language -- we can take a grad level statistics class in place of one of the languages.

[Runcible Spoon]

11. for my program, (anthropology), it's surprisingly basic.

I mean, everyone KNOWS you should be proficient in at least one other language, esp. Spanish and to a lesser extent German/French (since many primary sources are in these languages), but the language requirement is a very simple reading/comprehension test, given by a member of your diss. committee. In my program you can take it any time and hypothetically retake it if need be. I've never heard of anyone failing it or seeing it as a major obstacle. Long story short, in your field I doubt that your diss. committee would look at a language requirement as a make/break kind of thing. I wouldn't sweat it, just brush up on your high school language skills, unless you really want/need it for your dissertation...

[cssmall]

17. If I stay where I am, I have to learn German.

I'm also in anthropology (historical archaeology actually) and they really want us to have French (all ready done and proven) and German too. My advice to the OP is that you probably could take enough classes really quick to take the skills test. That being said, talk to your chair.

[democrat in Tallahassee]

14. Take graduate reading knowledge courses. They will fulfill

your requirement and you will also be able to read a bit of the language when you are done. FSU offers them in almost every language--one semester and then pass a reading test.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

15. You don't have to speak the language, only read it

Yale offered low-cost summer courses for Ph. D. students. At the time I was there, passing one of those courses was considered equivalent to passing the reading exam.

I had already studied a lot of German and French. On my first day on campus, the graduate study advisor looked at my undergraduate transcripts, took a French book from his shelf and told me to sight-translate the first paragraph. I did. He then took a German book from his shelf and asked me to do the same. I did. He then marked down, "Passed language exams, September 1973" on my official record.

In any case, you only have to be able to read a passage written in the language using a dictionary.

[Mizmoon]

16. Very good to know

TY!

[OldLeftieLawyer]

18. You don't have a choice?

I got to pick my languages. French and German?

Check out Berlitz.

http://tinyurl.com/8ftg6

Seriously. I've heard amazing stories from friends who had to learn languages fast before being sent abroad to live and work. You can at least get really comfortable with the languages.

But, in fact, the language requirements turned out to be the easiest part of my doctoral work, so don't sweat it a whole lot.

And best of luck to you. What's your field?

[DrDan]

19. I had no language requirement (thank goodness)

but friends who did have to pass that part hired tutors for intense study - no travel was needed

[alarcojon]

20. My school had "Reading French for Grad Students"

likewise for the other languages. I was in math - we got to choose two from: French, German, Russian, Chinese. I guess those are the languages other than English the most math research is published in. The courses required some work but not that much, and in fact provided something of a welcome break from all the hardcore math coursework.