Biola students are expected to reach an intermediate level of proficiency in a second language, and to that end students can study Spanish, French, Arabic, Russian, German, or American Sign Language in a 3-semester, 12-unit sequence.
The foreign language requirement is determined by the number of years of foreign language completed in an accredited high school, the degree you are pursuing, and in applicable cases a your level of proficiency in a second language. In order for your high school language study to count towards this requirement, you must pursue the language previously studied at the appropriate level.
Alternatively, you may choose to study a different language, in which case you must complete 12 units (101, 102, 201). You are strongly encouraged to satisfy your foreign language requirements during your freshman and sophomore years; the nature of foreign language acquisition makes it difficult to retain one’s level if continuous enrollment in language study is not maintained.
Students with two years of high school language study must take the 102 and 201 levels of the same language in order to complete the B.A. language requirement. However, the department may require an unprepared student to change to a lower level, and students may be required to take a placement exam at the instructor’s discretion. A placement exam may also be required if a student does not maintain continuous enrollment in a language program. Repeating a lower level for credit will forfeit all prior experience credit for that level and above. All online courses must be approved by the department on a course-by-course basis before they can be transferred in. Biola’s G.E. language courses are four unit classes; students who want to receive transfer credit for courses taken elsewhere for fewer than four units will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to establish their proficiency level; students may be required to take additional language units even if they have completed an intermediate level course in cases where their courses totaled less than 12 units AND they cannot show proficiency at the 201 level. If a student has passed a course sequence (101, 102, 201) totaling at least 12 units through the 102 level, no proficiency assessment will be required. Students are encouraged to visit the Department of Modern Languages for advisement, should they have any questions.
Because many students have some proficiency in a second language before coming to Biola, we strongly encourage all students to discuss placement with the Department of Modern Languages as soon as possible upon arrival at Biola. The nature of second-language study is such that if you do not continue language study right away, you are likely to lose some of what you have already learned, and thus you may have to repeat a level if you procrastinate.
If a student places into a level above 101 in a language offered at Biola, the student may take the appropriate level class and the lower level requirement will be waived. Heritage speakers of a language offered at Biola may be assessed by the Department of Modern Languages, and if they place into a higher level than 101, they will be placed into the appropriate course, in which case the lower level requirement may be waived. Heritage speakers of Spanish may elect to take 220 as a substitute for 201; upon completion of that course with a passing grade the lower level requirement may be waived. Only the requirement is waived; foreign language units must be replaced by electives of the student’s choice. Exceptions to this policy are noted under the appropriate departments (please note the unit difference per semester for biblical Hebrew and Greek).
International students for whom English is a second language may be exempted from the foreign language requirement under certain circumstances. In addition, students who have acquired a foreign language without taking high school or college classes may be eligible for a waiver if they pass a foreign language examination. If the exam is passed, a waiver will be granted for the corresponding G.E. foreign language requirement (101, 102, 201). Credit is not given for these exams. (For advisement, see the Department of Modern Languages.) All non-native speakers of English will be able to count 12 units of English 103-109 toward graduation. For students pursuing the B.A. degree, the 12 units of ESL will satisfy the foreign language requirement unless the student is majoring in Bible, for which the study of Greek and Hebrew is required. For students pursuing the B.S. degree, four units will satisfy the foreign language requirement, and an additional eight units may be counted as electives.
*B.S. students are required to take only 4 units, and are exempt if they have two years of high-school language study.