Note: This information sheet will highlight some options for you, but it does not replace reading the full text of the distribution requirement regulations, found in the Yale College Programs of Study.

So I placed into L2 - Now What?

How you got here:

Most likely by placing into L2 on a placement test.

What you need to do to fulfill the requirement:

To fulfill the Foreign Language Requirement, you'll need to complete three semesters, designated L2, L3, and L4, or an approved equivalent.

Some things you need to know up front:

Deadline: You need to do at least the L2 part of this by the end of your sophomore year, and you must complete all three parts, thereby fulfilling the requirement, by the end of your junior year. Don't jeopardize your promotion to senior year by putting this off too long!
At any level, fulfilling the Foreign Language Requirement only gives you minimal proficiency in your foreign language. If you plan to make any practical use of your language, you should seriously consider taking at least four semesters of it at Yale, and going abroad at some point wouldn't be a bad idea, either. Be sure to read Eight Reasons the Foreign Language Requirement Isn't Enough to find out why you (yes, you--no matter what you're planning to major in) should keep taking language courses even after completing the requirement.

Your options:

If your language program offers L2 and L4 in the fall, and L3 in the spring, you're set. Take those three right in a row--L2, then L3, then L4 the next fall (at which point you'll have fulfilled the language requirement)--and you'll be able to tackle a really interesting L5 course even before the end of your sophomore year. You'll be smooth with the lingo in no time. Maybe follow it up with some study abroad during the summer or during your junior year--you'll know enough language at that point to have a really great time abroad--and your language skills will be super solid by the time you hit your senior year.

However, if you place into L2, but your language program doesn't offer the L2 course until spring, your decision is a little tougher. You could wait until spring of your freshman year to start foreign language, but that's a whole semester you'd be spending forgetting what you knew when you took the placement test--you'd risk sliding backward. One good way to combat that problem is to practice or study on your own during the fall semester. Another is to talk with the instructor or Language Program Director in your language about whether you could take L1 during the fall anyway--at least it'll keep you from forgetting what you knew--or whether they have any other suggestions for you to help maintain your language skills before you can take L2. (Even if your language program is one that allows you to take L1 in the fall though you don't need it, you would still have to complete L2, L3, and L4 to fulfill the Foreign Language Requirement.)

Another option, of course, would be to start an entirely new language at this point. You would have to take the new language through the L3 level to fulfill the requirement.

No matter what you do, you should seriously consider continuing your language study for at least a semester or two after you've fulfilled the requirement. Take a look at Eight Reasons the Foreign Language Requirement Isn't Enough for some points you might not have considered about the usefulness of advanced language skills!

A few alternatives:

Intensive courses at Yale during the academic year. Some languages offer the opportunity to take intensive courses, which fit twice the language learning into each semester. For example, you could take your L2 class, and if you find you're able to pick up the language very quickly, you could consider taking a course that lets you complete L3 & L4 in a single semester. (Another option might be to take an intensive course that completes L1 & L2 in a single semester, though chances are the L1 part of that course might be repetitive.)

Things to consider with this approach:

a. Intensive courses are not for everyone. If you're thinking of taking an intensive course just to get the foreign language requirement over with faster, think again: intensive courses are designed for students who are willing to work hard to get to advanced-level proficiency as quickly as possible.

b. In foreign language learning, there are two kinds of "time" that are important. Let's call the first "contact time," which refers to the number of hours you spend in class or doing homework. This is the kind of activity you can speed up by simply spending more hours per day or per week on language study. The second kind we'll call "calendar time." No matter how quickly you initially acquire new information about a foreign language, you will likely need to spend months practicing it and hearing it spoken in order to gain real comfort and experience with its use. There is no real substitute for investing calendar time in language study--though study abroad can help somewhat. (Consider this analogy: baking a cake at 350 degrees for an hour isn't the same as baking it at 700 degrees for 30 minutes.) In language learning, you can "turn up the heat" a little to learn faster, but because it still takes time for the language to sink in, you won't be successful if you just rush through it and then quit. To be effective, an intensive course should be followed up by another course the next semester. For example, if you do L1 through L4 all in a single year, you should strongly consider taking an L5 course the following fall (or even during the summer) to solidify what you've learned. If you don't, the language you've learned so quickly can be forgotten just as fast.
Summer Courses. For the L2 piece of your requirement, you could take a course in Yale Summer Session. (This would be an intensive course that would cover L1 & L2 content.) For the L3 and L4 pieces, you could take a course in Yale Summer Session or another approved summer study program.

Some things to consider about this:

a. Summer courses are intensive courses, so read everything we said above about how they're not for everyone. (You don't want to end up feeling like burnt cake.)

b. If you take your L3 and/or L4 course in a non-Yale program, you will have to pass an additional exam when you return to campus before your experience will count toward the Foreign Language Requirement.

c. During the summer, you might have the opportunity to complete some of your language requirement abroad. The Yale Summer Session offers study abroad courses in some languages that fulfill L3 and L4 requirements in just eight weeks.

d. However, depending on the summer program you choose, you also risk missing out on some of the cultural experiences available on campus during the academic year. Many language programs offer language tables, film series, and other outside-of-class learning opportunities that do not run during the summer. Though summer is a good opportunity to complete some of your language study course work, you should be sure a healthy amount of it is done during the academic year.

e. Summer courses are most effective when immediately followed up by a an "anchoring" language course in the fall. For example, if you complete the L3 & L4 parts of your requirement during the summer, you should take an L5 course, such as Advanced Conversation, in the fall. If you do, you'll be amazed at how much language you'll have learned in a very short period of time, and you'll be well-positioned to go on to learning a great deal more of that language. If you don't follow up your summer study with an L5 course, you're likely to forget what you've learned very quickly.
Academic year study abroad (non-Yale). Technically, you can complete the L3 and/or L4 portion of your requirement while studying abroad during the academic year. (You would have to take an exam upon return to campus before your experience would count as part of the Foreign Language Requirement.) However, you'll likely find that most study abroad programs have more demanding prerequisites for participation than just two semesters. (Check on this early so you have time to fulfill any prerequisites before you apply to a program!) Study abroad during the academic year is a wonderful opportunity to expand your knowledge of a language and culture of a foreign country. However, if you plan to do this, it is strongly recommended that you complete the L4 level at Yale first, so you can be as prepared as possible for the challenging language situations you will likely encounter abroad.
These are some of your options for fulfilling the requirement. Obviously, there are ways to combine options and invent imaginative alternatives. Some creative solutions are likely to be very successful. Some paths, though technically allowed by the requirement, are likely to be counterproductive or even disastrous. (For example, it is not recommended that you take no language your first year, take L1 and L2 during the summer, followed by no language the next academic year, and then plan to do L3 and L4 in following summer. Your second intensive summer is likely to be extremely difficult after a year devoid of language practice. Don't say we didn't warn you!)

The CLS staff can offer guidance to students who are considering the various alternative paths to fulfilling the requirement. (See our Getting Help page.) If you have questions about a particular language program, be sure to speak with the programs's Language Program Director or with an instructor of that language.

A few final tips:

How do you know which courses carry which "L" designations? Check out our FAQ page for the answer to this and other frequently asked questions.

Consult the rest of the Guide to Language Study for Undergraduates for more information and helpful suggestions.

Don't be the last one on campus to read Eight Reasons the Foreign Language Requirement Isn't Enough.

And if you have any questions at all about language study or the Foreign Language Requirement, don't be afraid to ask us! See our Getting Help page or send e-mail to cls@yale.edu.

Good luck!