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Registration for the November 2009 exam will take place in September 2009. Please check with your school's guidance department for further details or contact the Office of World Languages at 703-208-7724.
2009 Exam Dates and Locations to be determined.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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What is the purpose of the Foreign Language Credit Program?
This program is designed to assess students' native language proficiency so that they earn credit toward fulfilling the foreign language requirement for the Advanced Studies Diploma. The following information will answer questions concerning the program. If you have additional questions, please call the Foreign Language Office, 703-208-7724.
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Who is eligible?
The exam is for students in grades 7-12 who have experience outside of school with a language other than English. Also, students must not already have two or more credits in that language on their transcript (from another country or from the U.S.) nor be enrolled in an FCPS course in that language.
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What languages are included in the program?
For the 2008-2009 school year there are 16 languages included in the program: Amharic, Arabic, Bengali/Bangla, Chinese/Mandarin, Farsi/Persian, French, Hindi, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog/Pilipino, Twi, Urdu, and Vietnamese.
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What language proficiency is expected?
Students must demonstrate in writing that they have reached the intermediate range of proficiency as described by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) K-12 Performance Guidelines. This means that students can write about personal experiences using complete sentences in cohesive paragraphs on a variety of topics.
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What are the foreign language requirements for the Advanced Studies Diploma?
In order to earn the Advanced Studies Diploma, students must earn three credits in one foreign language or two credits in each of two different foreign languages. The credit program addresses the second option because students who pass the exam earn two foreign language credits in the two-plus-two option.
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Are there other ways to earn the additional two foreign language credits?
Students who participate in the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program during grades 7-12 may apply two units of credit from Level 2 (course code 5720) towards fulfillment of requirement for the Advanced Studies Diploma.
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Can a student take Level 3 of the language and fulfill the requirement?
Yes, if a student earns two credits in the program and the third level is offered at the school, successful completion of Level 3 would complete the required courses.
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How and where does the exam take place?
Students take the written exam at a designated high school. The schedule for this year's exam is at the top of this web page. Students are given two topics and must write two compositions. Each composition must consist of at least three well-written, cohesive paragraphs.
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How will students and their schools be notified of the results?
Students will receive a certificate indicating their successful exam results. A copy of this certificate will also be sent to the Director of Student Services at the middle or high school. Students who are not successful will receive a letter indicating this with a copy also sent to the Director of Student Services.
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How many times may a student participate in the exam?
A student may participate in the exam twice between grades 7-12. In other words, students who are not successful the first time may try once more.
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What should students bring to the exam?
Students must bring a photo ID to the testing site. Examples of a photo ID are a driver's license, photo school ID, or passport. Students should also bring a pen or a pencil and their student ID number. They may not bring texts, dictionaries or other materials into the exam room.
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Who do I contact for more information?
If you have questions about the exam, speak to your guidance counselor or ESOL teacher. If you need further help, contact the Foreign Language Office at (703) 208-7724.
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