General
Information for Foreign Language Majors
- The exit exam is required for each
foreign language major, but a satisfactory evaluation is not
a requirement for graduation.
- Only majors will take the exit exam.
If the student passes he/she will earn a seal of distinction
on the diploma. If the student does not pass, he/she will
still graduate.
- An Assessment Committee of two or
three members in each language group will conduct and assess
each exit exam.
- The exit exam will consist of an interview,
a portfolio, and an on-site writing sample.
- The student will take the exam during
the last semester (excluding summer) of the senior year. The
second Monday of March or October, he or she will submit the
portfolio to the Assessment Committee in his or her language
group and will prepare and submit the on-site writing sample.
The student will complete the interview two weeks later.
- Students must receive a satisfactory
evaluation on all parts of the exit exam: interview, portfolio
and on-site writing sample, in order to receive the
seal of distinction on the diploma.
- Five school days after completing
the interview, the Department will send written notification
of the Assessment Committee’s evaluation of the interview,
the portfolio and the on-site writing sample.
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Portfolio
The student’s portfolio should
consist of one three-ring binder with each section of the portfolio
separated by dividers. The student, in consultation with the
advisor, will select the material for the portfolio. It should
include sample work from each 3000- and 4000-level class. All
materials should be organized in a neat and professional manner.
Required
Materials
- A table of contents page
- A statement from the student
(minimum of two pages in English) detailing his/her
philosophy of language learning, what he/she learned
from his/her classes, study abroad experiences, interactions
with international students, etc. Students may also
want to describe any challenges they overcame related
to learning another language and/or experiencing another
culture.
- After consultation with the
advisor, the student should include a sample of work
for each upper-level class: projects, research papers,
tests, compositions, summaries, essays, skits and
homework assignments. Students who do not have sample
work from a class, need to write a narrative (500
words in the target language) about the course content
and what they learned in that class.
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Optional
Materials
Creative work may also be
included in the portfolio. Examples may include student
poetry, short stories, artwork, collages, photos,
etc. that pertain to the student’s language
learning experience.
Students may include any services
they provided such as:
- Oratorical Contest
- High School German Convention
- Latino Outreach Program
- National French Week
- Conversation groups
- Tutorials
- ArtsFest
- Language Club
- Fundraisers
- Students may list membership(s)
in language honor societies and also awards received.
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Writing
Sample
- Students will complete the writing
sample in the Language Laboratory at a scheduled time.
- Students will write about two themes.
- Students will have ninety minutes
to complete the essays.
- A student must score at the advanced
low level based on the ACTFL “Proficiency Guidelines-Writing”
in order to receive a satisfactory evaluation of the on-site
writing sample portion of the exit exam.
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Oral
Interview
Each student will complete an oral interview
with one professor which will be tape recorded to be evaluated
by the exit exam committee at a later date. No evaluation is done
during the interview.
The oral interview will consist of the
following three components:
- Basic dialogue.
- Description of a picture.
- Narrating a series of images that
tell a story.
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ATTENTION
STUDENTS!
Please see the following
ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) Proficiency
Guidelines:
ACTFL
Writing Guidelines
ACTFL
Speaking Guidelines
For questions or concerns not addressed here, please
consult your advisor or the Departmental Chair, Dr. Eric Kartchner.
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