Monday, January 12, 2015

10 things not enough kids know before going to college. From Vox.com.

6) Do the minimum foreign language classes

3 comments:

  1. Hmmm ... I agree with his logic but I've never managed to gain significant ground on languages outside of the classroom (and only gained a little in them). On the other hand I've learned that the merest native pleasantry in my French is enough to convert most Parisians into fluent English speakers. ::sigh::

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  2. When I was in high school, I took the minimum foreign language requirement because I WOULDN'T BE ACCEPTED WITHOUT IT. Seemed to make sense to me to call it a minimum requirement if failing to meet it resulted in a rejection letter, even from a state university.

    Four years later, when I started graduate school, we had students successfully enrolling in Calc 1 who could not factor simple polynomials and who couldn't even add fractions without crying. If the Elementary Math Exam was supposed to determine who needed remedial math (*gag*) then why were these guys allowed to enroll?

    I gather that this advice was submitted because there are college students who don't take the minimum foreign language class in high school. So, I guess my question is this: Are college admission requirements merely requests now?

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    Replies
    1. "Are college admission requirements merely requests now?"

      Yup.

      "...and who couldn't even add fractions without crying."

      What you do in cases like this is give them a good, swift, solid, smack in the head. It makes them cry even more, as you giggle in malicious delight.

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