Academic & Student Services

University of Wisconsin
Competency-Based Admission (CBA)

Foreign Language

Foreign language is not a general admission requirement of UW System institutions, but institutions that do require foreign language require two years at the high school level. These competencies are, therefore, based on expected competency levels for third semester foreign language instruction at UW System institutions.

A. Culture:

A student who demonstrates competency in culture can

  1. Demonstrate basic familiarity with the role of important social institutions within the target culture or cultures; and
  2. Identify and evaluate superficial stereotypes of the target culture or cultures.

B. Writing:

A student who demonstrates competency in writing can

  1. Communicate information on familiar topics in the target language; and
  2. Communicate using language that conveys present, past and future time.

C. Speaking:

A student who demonstrates competency in speaking can

  1. Respond appropriately to an inquiry;
  2. Participate in discussion about familiar topics;
  3. Use the target language to accomplish everyday tasks; and
  4. Address everyday problems by asking pertinent, contextually-appropriate questions and making suggestions.

D. Listening:

A student who demonstrates competency in listening can

  1. Understand and respond to native or near-native speech in familiar situations and on familiar topics.

E. Reading:

A student who demonstrates competency in reading can

  1. Comprehend authentic written materials on familiar topics; and
  2. Extract particular information from a variety of authentic documents and make reasonable comments about style, tone, purpose, and audience.

We welcome your questions and comments. If you would like to discuss the possibility of using Competency-Based Admission for some or all students from your high school, please contact:

 
Page content last updated December 27, 2000.