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What are the recommended prerequisites for language courses?

If you have not taken the prerequisite course at IVC but have completed its equivalent at another institution (high school or college), the IVC computer system is not aware of such a completion. Therefore, it will not allow you to register for the course.

Go to “What are the recommended prerequisites for language courses?” and complete the three steps described at the bottom of the page to clear the prerequisite.

The World Languages Department does not grant credit by examination. Our department believes that language classes do not lend themselves to credit by examination. Taking a test is not the same as actually attending a class and doing all the assignments, which include participation, written essays, and cultural activities.

There are no courses here at IVC that are truly appropriate for educated native speakers. State mandate does not allow us to offer upper division courses, so even our most advanced class, Lang 4, is below the level of native speakers who attended school in the respective language.

If you have a language requirement, we encourage you to study another language. At IVC we offer ASL (American Sign Language), Chinese, French, Japanese, and Spanish. The UCs do not usually allow students to receive credit for anything below first year in their native language. Please check with a counselor or the institution you're planning to transfer to.

In “What are the recommended prerequisites for language courses?” look at the “Recommended Prerequisites” chart and read the “Guided Self-Placement” document for the language you’re interested in. Once you have identified the language level course, complete the three steps described.

Heritage speakers are encouraged to enroll in a hybrid course that meets only once a week or in an online course. Alternatively, students may enroll in levels 3 or 4 where reading and writing receive more emphasis. Heritage speakers who choose to enroll in a course below their level will still be required to complete all course requirements regardless of proficiency level. Your instructor will only give credit for what you accomplish in the course and not for what you already know. Be advised that some four-year institutions will not give credit to native speakers for first year level courses. If you are a native speaker, check with your transfer institution before taking first year courses in your native language.

APCs will only be given once class starts and only if there are spaces available. The first day of class, your instructor will drop the students who do not show up and did not notify him/her of their absence in advance. If there are openings in the class, your instructor will then add students from the "waitlist" by giving those students an Add Permit Code (APC). This code is only given by the instructor to students who show up to class.Make sure to add your name to the waitlist (refer to the FAQs section "The class is full. How can I add the class?").

If a class is full, add your name to the "waitlist" through your MySite by clicking on the "Add/Drop Classes" button. Enter the ticket number and on the "Select Classes" page, click on the "Add Class" button. Your instructor cannot do this for you.

Prior to the start of the course, if a space becomes available, the computer system will automatically send a notification via email or text (depending on your selected setting) to the first student in the waitlist. The student will then have 24 hours to register for the course. If no action is taken, the computer will send a notification to the next student in the waitlist, and you will lose your place in line.

You can see the required books and materials on the online schedule of classes. Next to the course you're interested in or registered for, click on the "Details" link on the far right. If you need to reach out to your instructor for further clarification, you will find their email address under the column "Instructor(s)."

K-12 Students Taking IVC Language Courses

Many high school students have successfully completed language courses at IVC. However, students and their parents must keep in mind that these are college courses with age-appropriate discussions and college level assignments. These courses are not intended to be used to make-up for failed courses at the high school level. Be advised that to succeed in a five-unit course, the student is expected to spend approximately 10 hours a week on outside assignments; this means a fifteen hour a week commitment.

Students will be treated as college students: instructors will not remind students to turn in assignments, they will not accept assignments late, there will be no extra credit work to make up missed assignments, and if students have a problem with anything related to the class, they (not their parents) must speak to the instructor. All instructors adhere to FERPA (privacy act) regulations and can't communicate with parents without prior written consent from the student.

For information on prerequisites and appropriate course levels, visit “What are the recommended prerequisites for language courses?”

If you are new to IVC:  

  1. The first step is to apply for admission; you will get an IVC student ID number and an IVC email address. You will need the IVC student ID number in order to fill out the K-12 Special Admissions form (see #2 below). 
     
  2. The second step is to fill out the K-12 Special Admissions form. You will need to activate your IVC email address in order to have access to the K-12 portal and be able to fill out the K-12 form. The K-12 Special Admissions form is a DocuSign form that will request electronic signatures from the following three people in this order: the student, the parent/guardian, and the designated high school official. Once the last signature is submitted, IVC Admissions and Records has 5 business days to process the form.  

Students who are currently enrolled in K-8 must obtain approval from the instructor(s) of the desired course(s) AND the Dean’s approval in addition to the steps above.

If you’re in the Dual Enrollment program, you will need to take the same two steps described above. Please contact your high school counselor with additional questions.

The submission of the General Dual Enrollment form means that your school approved for you to take the course(s) listed in the form; it does NOT enroll you in the course(s) and does NOT waive any prerequisites.

  • If you're a high school student, you must register online through your IVC MySite account for the course(s) on or after your assigned registration date and time.
  • If you're a K-8 student, you must register in person at the Office of Admissions and Records.
  • All K-12 students must also clear the prerequisite of the language course prior to the registration date in order to be able to enroll. For more information on how to clear a prerequisite, complete the three steps described in“What are the recommended prerequisites for language courses?”

For more details about the K-12 admissions process, please visit IVC Admissions and Records: Dual Enrollment Special Admissions Steps

YES! You need to fill out the General Dual Enrollment form each semester you plan to take a course at IVC. This is required every time because you need to list and have your school approve the specific course(s) you plan to take. Fill out the e-form early to ensure it is approved prior to your registration date.

Since you're taking a college course, you will be receiving college credit/units for the course(s) taken. When you apply for college, you will need to request copies of your IVC transcript to be sent to the college(s) for which you are applying. Language courses taken at IVC will fulfill the UC languages requirement. If you're taking language courses at IVC to fulfill your high school graduation requirement, check with your high school counselor for details. Some high schools accept a limited amount of college credit towards high school graduation requirement.

No, they do not. AP (Advanced Placement) courses are only taken in high school, and if a student chooses to take the AP exam, s/he will submit the score to the university s/he is transferring to in order to request college credit for the course(s). College and university courses don't offer AP exams at the end of the semester because the student is taking a college course and receiving college credit.

Yes. All IVC language courses (ASL, Chinese, French, Japanese and Spanish) meet the UC language requirement. The UCs require a minimum of 2 years of a language taken in high school, but the recommended length of study is 3 years; therefore, it’s recommended that a high school student take Lang 1, 2, and 3 at IVC.

High school students taking language courses at IVC will be receiving college credit. When applying for college, the student will list the courses taken at IVC and will request transcripts to be sent directly from IVC to the college(s) of his/her choice. It is separate from the high school transcript.

Yes! Students in the Honors Program have priority in registering for honors courses, but if an honors course is open at the time of your registration, you can enroll in the course without being a member of the Honors Program. Should you decide later on to join the program, the honors course(s) will count towards the required minimum of 5 honors courses in order to receive recognition on the IVC academic transcript.

  • You're accumulating college credit while in high school.
  • Successfully completing college courses while in high school looks great on your college application.
  • Tuition is free; you only need to pay for the health fee, the textbook/course materials, and parking if applicable.