The Modern Language program is designed to provide students with a working knowledge of a language.  Students will be able to read and communicate in the language as they become familiar with traditions of that culture.

The program offers those courses necessary to satisfy the foreign language requirement of the Associate of Arts degree and for the Bachelor of Arts degree at most four-year universities.  The program provides the foundation for the students who wish to achieve more advanced degrees in foreign languages, who wish to use it at work, or who plan to work in law enforcement, social work, or education.

Credit may be given to students for previous language experience.

NWCCD Foreign Language Requirements

All candidates for the AA degree are required to complete the equivalent of 8 semester hours of work in a single foreign language.  Normally this requirement is satisfied by completing courses 1010 and 1020 with a letter grade of C or better in a single language, but completion of 1020 with a grade of C or better also satisfies the requirement.  There are also other ways to satisfy the requirement (1) a more advanced language course with a grade of C or better also constitutes the completion of the language requirement; (2) an advanced placement, AP, examination in the language with a score of 4 or higher satisfies the language requirement, as do CLEP scores.

Students who do not wish college credit for previous high school language study should register in classes appropriate to their level of training.  Those who have had two years of a foreign language in high school normally enter 1020 of that language, while those who have had three or more years of study should take the AP exam while in high school or take the CLEP exam to determine the course in which they should enroll and to avail themselves of the opportunity to receive credit by examination.  Students in doubt about their ability are advised to discuss their options with a college advisor and/or language faculty member.  Students who have completed their language requirement can enroll in additional language courses of their choice.

AP & CLEP Placement Exams

Students with previous knowledge of a foreign language may be asked to be placed in intermediate or advanced college courses after consulting with a language instructor.

Upon application by the student, NWCCD also accepts the “AP” and “CLEP” Placement exams for language credit:

“AP” French, German, Spanish:

Score of 3 = 4 hours beginning language (=1010)
Score of 4 = 8 hours beginning language (=1020)
Score of 5 = 12 hours beginning language (=2030)

“CLEP” in French:

Score of 41 - 49 = 4 hours beginning language (=1010)
Score of 50 - 56 = 8 hours beginning language (=1020)
Score of 57 or above = 12 hours beginning language (=2030)

“CLEP” in German:

Score of 40 - 47 = 4 hours beginning language (=1010)
Score of 48 - 53 = 8 hours beginning language (=1020)
Score of 54 or above = 12 hours beginning language (=2030)

“CLEP” in Spanish:

Score of 41 - 49 = 4 hours beginning language (=1010)
Score of 50 - 53 = 8 hours beginning language (=1020)
Score of 54 or above = 12 hours beginning language (=2030)

Modern Languages Program Outcomes

• Present information, concepts, and ideas about and/or in the target language to an audience of listeners or readers.
• Interpret the target language on a variety of topics.
• Express feelings, emotions, and opinions in conversations or correspondence in the target language to provide and obtain information.
• Determine the relationship between the practices and perspectives in cultures.
• Identify distinctive viewpoints of various cultures.
• Compare their own culture and that of other cultures.

Required Course of Study of AA Degree