Course Selection for Classical & Modern Languages

Diploma requirements 

• Check the diploma requirements by year of entry.

• Please note that students can add a second language in their lower mid year, but must adjust their schedule—usually by deferring science.

Level/placement

• Which level? The teacher of your current language course will inform you if they recommend that you take a course at a level other than your current trajectory (i.e. if you are in CN150Y and they are recommending you for CN270Y, they would let you know). If you have any questions about your placement, please reach out to your current language teacher.

• Diploma requirement. Students who enter Hotchkiss in their prep or lower mid years are required to complete study in one language through the 300 level to be eligible for a diploma. 

• Level changes, teacher-initiated.  Teachers may recommend that a student change levels at any time, based on their observations of how a student is performing in the class.  These recommendations will involve conversations with the student, their families, and their advisor.  

• Level changes, student-initiated.  Students can discuss level changes with their teachers at any time, but there are restrictions on when these changes can take place.  Any level change will have to be approved by the head of the department, after the student, teacher and advisor have discussed the reasons for the change.  Changes cannot take place at the ends of terms (not after November 1 in the First Semester and not after May 1 in the second semester).  Students requesting a change after these dates will have to wait until the start of the following term to change levels. 

Summer study

• Any student wishing to use summer study to move from a non-honors to an honors level course in our language program should speak first with their current language instructor. The Department may require a student to take a placement or condition exam in September before classes begin to verify appropriate placement. Please contact Kristy Doscher, incoming head of the Languages Department, with questions.