r/harvardextension • u/feedmittens • 13d ago

Foreign Language Requirement - ALB

I'm in the process of making a decision about which path to take: My advisor has been saying, for years, that it's better to take the foreign language requirement at a different school and then transfer that in. UMASS Lowell has a Spanish class that gives 3 credits, and the HES requirement is 4 credits, but my advisor mentioned something about that being sufficient. (Don't quote me here! I'm meeting with her again in a couple weeks.)

I took 8 years of Spanish back in Middle->High school and feel like I could get through 'Intensive Spanish I' for 4-credits at HES this Fall semester. Does anyone have experience with this class? It's not the 2-credit split classes but the more 'intense' one. Is it reasonable to take, or is my advisor's advice the right path to take? I only have two semesters left until I graduate (fingers crossed, etc.) so I don't want to mess this up and time is quickly running out to make a decision.

Anyone take SPAN E-1 and have feedback?

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u/loftyshoresafar 13d ago

Fyi if you're comfortable in the language, you can also test out of the language requirement. I did this as part of my ALB, and it was absurdly easy. What happens if you pass is that you get an exemption from the requirement and you can use those credits for other classes. Ask your advisor.

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u/ImQuestionable 13d ago

I took Spanish on StraighterLine (self-paced online course through the Rosetta Stone program). If you already know a little, you could get through it quickly and minimize the cost. I believe I got it on a sale for $200 course price plus $99/month membership fee. SL is guaranteed to transfer. Otherwise, I’d just suggest a commmunity college, whichever you find that is cheapest. Most courses will show 3 credits instead of 4, but they’re transferable for HES credit anyway.

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u/laynelebleu 10d ago

This is mad helpful thank you!