Second Language Requirement

BA Students

Students seeking a BA degree in any of the following majors are required to complete a 2000-level second language course or demonstrate equivalent proficiency as measured by a competency test.

Languages which may be used to meet the second language requirement include French, German, Spanish, American Sign Language, and other languages as approved and arranged through the Department of International and Second Language Studies.

Students may meet the requirement in one of the following ways:

1. The student has a valid degree plan on file which specifies requirements for more than one major or minor.
2. The student completes an application for graduation which indicates that a total of seven or fewer hours remain to complete the additional major(s)/minor(s).

BSE Students

Students seeking a BSE in Early Childhood Education are required to complete 3 hours of a second language and 3 hours of English as a Second Language.

Students seeking a BSE in Middle Childhood Education are required to complete 6 hours of a second language or English as a Second Language in any combination or level. Students may meet the requirement in one of the following ways:

1. Successfully completing a second language course at UALR and satisfying all the prerequisites for that course
2. Transferring the equivalent courses from another institution of higher education
3. Demonstrating equivalent proficiency on a language test.

BSW Students

Students seeking a BSW degree are required to complete the elementary I and II levels of a second language sequence of courses (Foreign Language 1311 and 1312 or Interpretation 1320 and 1321) or demonstrate equivalent proficiency as measured by a competency test.

Languages which may be used to meet the second language requirement include French, German, Spanish, and American Sign Language. Students may meet the requirement in one of the following ways:

1. Successfully completing six hours of an approved sequence of second language courses at UALR
2. Transferring the equivalent courses from another institution of higher education to UALR
3. Demonstrating equivalent proficiency on a language test.

Demonstrating Proficiency in a Second Language to Satisfy the Requirements for BA, BSE, and BSW Degrees

Students who wish to meet second language requirements by demonstrating proficiency should take either the CAPE test or the American Sign Language Proficiency test before enrolling in UALR language courses. These tests are also used to determine placement in the appropriate language courses.

The following students do not need to take the test before enrolling in a language course:

• Students who have already completed UALR second language courses
• Students who have completed university-level courses for transfer credit in French, German, Spanish, or ASL*
• Students who have never studied French, German, Spanish, or ASL before and are enrolling in first semester courses in these languages.

*Courses in signing systems other than ASL such as manually coded English and conversational sign language will normally not apply. Contact the Department of Counseling, Adult and Rehabilitation Education (CARE) for more information.

Second language course waivers may be granted to students with verified disabilities, after examination by a special committee. Students seeking such a waiver should contact the Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at (501) 569-3204.

French, German, or Spanish

Students must take a computerized, multiple-choice test (the F- CAPE, the G-CAPE, or the S-CAPE) coordinated by the Office of Testing Services and Student Life Research.

To demonstrate proficiency in a language other than French, German, or Spanish, students should contact the Department of International and Second Language Studies, Stabler Hall 201 at (501) 569- 3272.

The Interpreter Education: American Sign Language/English Program

The Interpreter Education: American Sign Language/English program prepares individuals in the field of deafness who wish to specialize in interpreting and transliterating for persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind in educational, medical, mental health and other community settings. UALR provides a core curriculum program of general education and specialized instruction in American Sign Language, signed English systems, and manipulation of two languages during the interpretation process. Extensive studies in the areas of deafness; the profession of interpreting; and the deaf community and deaf culture are included in the associate of science and bachelor of arts curriculum. Admission to the program is determined by grades of B or better in ASL I and II. Once admitted, students must achieve a Sign Communication Proficiency Interview (SCPI) score of Intermediate or above to advance from language classes to interpreting courses. Upon completion of the first interpreting series, students must achieve a Quality Assurance Screening Test (QAST) Level I/I before proceeding to upper-level interpreting courses.

English as a Second Language

Students whose first language is not English may use the following core courses (9 credit hours) to satisfy the second language requirement:

• RHET 1311 Composition I,
• RHET 1312 Composition II, and
• ENGL 2337 World Literature or ENGL 2338 World Literature Themes or PHIL 2320 Ethics and Society