Modern Languages and Literatures Department

The Language Requirement and Placement

Developing into an ethical leader for a global society requires linguistic skill and cultural knowledge. It is for this reason, in part, that you are required to study a foreign language in order to graduate from Saint Anselm College. Majoring or minoring in a modern foreign language can facilitate graduate studies, and make you more competitive in a wide range of fields and careers:

 All students planning to enroll in a modern language must complete either a Survey or both a Survey and Placement Exam for the language you plan to study (directions below). 

You can fulfill the requirement by studying any of the following modern languages: 

CHINESE

China is one of the fastest-growing economic powers in the world; it has one of the oldest civilizations, boasting a rich culture and a unique writing system.

FRENCH

French is spoken on all five continents and is the official language of 29 countries around the world and an important second language in many more. French is one of the working languages of NATO, the UN, the World Trade Organization, the European Commission, and the International Red Cross.

GERMAN

The German-speaking countries of central Europe (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) play a key role in Europe and the world. In the countries of the European Union, more people (about 85 million) are native speakers of German than of any other language.

RUSSIAN

The Russian Federation is the largest country in the world, with an immensely rich culture, natural and human resources. The Russian economy has greatly benefited in recent years from exports of crude oil and natural gas to the rest of the world.  

SPANISH

Spanish is the most frequently used foreign language in the United States. Although there are 21 countries in which Spanish is the primary language, the United States has the fifth-highest total of Spanish speakers in the world!

You may also take a classical language to fulfill the requirement. The Classics Department offers Latin and ancient Greek.  Please contact Professor Gentilcore if you have any questions.

Placement Directions 

Prior to registering for a modern language, you must complete either a Survey or both a Survey and Placement Exam for the language you plan to study, as appropriate.

If you have never studied (and have no life experience with) the language you would like to take, please complete an online survey.

If you have ever studied (or have experience with the language you would like to take—it was spoken at home, you lived abroad, etc.), please complete an online survey (it takes 2-3 minutes). When you are done with the survey, you will be given a link to an online Placement Exam (which takes 15-20 minutes). Be sure to click it and complete the exam

Step-by-step instructions for the Placement Exam:

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  1. Only do the EXAM once you’ve completed the  SURVEY

  2. Navigate to: http://bit.ly/354HHAd

  Make sure you use either Mozilla Firefox or
  Google Chrome

  3. Create an account

Make sure you use Saint Anselm College’s email, and student id number.

4. Sign in to your new account

5. Choose the language you want to study. Click Take Test.

7. Answer the questions to the best of your knowledge. Keep in mind that this is a placement exam—the best outcome is an accurate placement, not a specific score.

8. When you are done, the results are displayed (and they go to Modern Languages). Please save your results. You’ll need them when you register (take a photo with your phone, e-mail them to yourself, print them out—just make a note of them).

9. To check your placement score later, log back in.

All done! We look forward to meeting you! If you have questions please contact:

Professor Orrego for Spanish

Professor Rossbach for Chinese, French, German, Russian