French, Spanish Ra Enrollments Reduced In Department Move

The department of Romance Languages has acted this year to restrict the hordes of freshmen who have previously enrolled in French or Spanish Ra as an easy way of fulfilling the College's language requirement.

Before this fall, any freshman who had scored less than 430 on the College Board test in French or Spanish and had taken two or more years of the language in high school was advised to enter an Ra course. This year, only those whose College Board score was below 350 were allowed to take the Ra courses.

The enrollment in French Ra has, as a result, dropped from about 150 last year to only 35 this fall. According to Edward J. Geary, assistant professor of Romance Languages and Coordinator of the Language Program, this will permit instructors to give closer attention to poorer language students who have not been able to get this attention in the past.

Change in Methods

The teaching methods in French and Spanish Ra have also undergone a radical change. Pictures, films, and recordings are now employed in an effort to establish a direct association between a foreign word and its sense rather than a mere translation into English.

The Romance Language department has also added two new courses, French Cb and Spanish Cb, which are designed for freshmen who barely missed passing the language requirement test and for sophomores who have already taken one of the introductory French or Spanish courses.