A.5.f. Language and Intercultural Competency (ICC) Requirements at the Middlebury Institute
A. Background to the Language and ICC Component
Language is central to all degree programs at the Middlebury Institute, therefore a Language and ICC component is included as part of the core requirements of most degree programs. Most of our language courses are content-based, which means that we aim to develop field-specific content knowledge while at the same time focusing on the development of linguistic skills.
All degree students except TESOL, TI, and PC MBA, have a Language and ICC component in their degree program. Students cannot take a competency exam (standardized test in the language) to bypass language study.
B. Regularly Taught Languages at the Middlebury Institute
Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish are offered as a regular part of the academic year curriculum, subject to sufficient student enrollment.
C. Languages Not Regularly Taught at the Middlebury Institute
Requests to fulfill the language component in a language not regularly offered by the Institute must be directed at the time of admission to the Middlebury Institute to the Language Studies Advisor. The feasibility of offering certain language courses is assessed at the time of request, but fully determined at the time of enrollment. The non-regular language courses have the same proficiency level and credit requirement and adhere to the same standards as the other regular language courses. Applicants requesting a special language must be able to demonstrate 200-level proficiency in their requested language. Students who request non-regular language courses should also know that setting up a course in non-regular languages will incur additional costs.
D. Required Language Levels
To enroll in Language Studies courses at the Middlebury Institute, students must have attained 200-level/second year university level/Intermediate for all languages offered.
During the admission process, any students who may have insufficient proficiency to place into the LS program are required to work on Language Plans to build sufficient proficiency. If prior language study proves insufficient to meet the placement at the required levels (indicated above), students will not be allowed to begin in the language program until they acquire the minimum required proficiency in the language. Note that a delay in beginning the language component of the degree program may delay graduation, and may incur additional expenses.
Students whose first (native) language is a language other than English, or students who did not have secondary and post-secondary education (high school and college) in an English-speaking country, are considered to be non-native speakers of English. They are required to take English for Academic and Professional Purposes (EAPP) courses to fulfill the requirement in the language component.
Students whose first (native) language is English, or students who have had secondary and post-secondary education (high school and college) in an English-speaking environment, are considered to be native speakers of English. EAPP courses do not count toward fulfillment of the language requirement for native speakers of English.
1. Provisional Admits with low TOEFL scores
Non-native speakers of English who are provisionally admitted to the Middlebury Institute with TOEFL scores below the stated minimum must either obtain the required minimum score before beginning their degree programs, or enroll in (and successfully complete) English Preparation for Graduate Study (EPGS) the summer before beginning their degree programs.
Some non-native speakers of English who meet the stated minimum TOEFL test scores may still be required to take 200-level EAPP courses or equivalent courses in the first semester of their degree program based on the results of the EAPP placement test. As this coursework is below the 300-level minimum required to fulfill the language component of the degree programs, this coursework will not count toward fulfillment of the language requirement. Note that this required coursework may also delay graduation and/or incur additional expenses.
2. Prospective/New students with Lower Language Proficiency than required
Prospective students who do not have sufficient language study history on their transcripts or who have outdated language coursework are required to contact the Language Study Advisor to work out a Language Plan (LP) during the admission process. This Language Plan will lay out a concrete plan to assist in equipping students with sufficient proficiency in their chosen language (LOS) prior to enrollment in the degree programs. Failure to complete the LP may result in revoking or deferring admission.
New students who take the language placement test and fail to place at the required language levels will meet with Language Studies Advisor to work out an In-Degree Language Plan (IDLP) which will determine a concrete plan and timeline for raising the student’s language proficiency to the necessary level for LS study and completing the language component of the degree program. Registration for courses may be put on hold until students have an acceptable IDLP.
E. Language Studies Placement
Language level placement in the Language Studies (LS) program is determined by online placement tests taken just prior to Orientation week each semester. Previous language coursework is not considered for placement purposes. Students are contacted prior to orientation with details about taking the placement tests.
On the basis of placement test performance, Language Studies faculty will suggest or require certain level courses that best fit the students’ current language proficiency and development needs. Each subsequent semester, the Language Studies instructors give pre-approval for certain courses to be taken in following semester. The result of the placement test, or the pre-approved course placement by an LS instructor, is only honored for the particular semester that the test is taken or the pre-approval was intended. If taking a leave of absence from language study, or from MIIS, students are required to take language placement test again when they return in order to determine the course that best fits their proficiency level at the time of their return.
If a student feels that he/she possesses sufficient level of professional proficiency in the language to waive some of his/her language requirement, a waiver exam can be requested. The results of the waiver exam may waive a student from 0-12 units of Language Studies courses. (For details, please see below: L. Applying for a waiver of Language Studies credits)
F. Fulfilling the Language and ICC Component
1. Requirements
The following table summarizes the Language and ICC component minimum-unit credit requirements for the different degree programs at the Institute. All requirements pertain to units of credit in a single language. (LS = Language Studies, ICC = Intercultural Communication)
Degree Program | Language Component (12 credits) | Minimum Course Level |
BA in International Studies; All Three-Year BA/MA Programs; All MA programs in GSIPM except MAIEM and MANPTS (see below) | Minimum 8 credits in LS courses and up to 4 credits in ICC courses | 200 all languages |
MAIEM | 8 credits of LS courses and 4 credits in ICC courses | 200 for all languages |
MANPTS | 12 credits of LS courses | 200 for all languages |
MATFL program | 12 credits of LS courses | 400+ for all languages |
Advanced Entry GSIPM degrees | 8 credits of LS courses | 200 for Spanish and Arabic, 300 for all other languages |
Peace Corps Masters International program (except Peace Corps MBA) | Minimum 8 credits of LS courses prior to Peace Corps service and up to 4 credits in ICC courses | 200 for all languages |
2. Higher language skills requirement
The following programs require superior language proficiency: Teaching Foreign Language (TFL); Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL); and all degrees in Translation, Interpretation, and Localization Management (TILM). Proficiency in languages required for these degrees is assessed at the time of admission.
3. Options for Fulfilling LS and ICC Requirements
There are a number of options for fulfilling the Language and ICC component requirement at MIIS. Students may complete the Language and ICC component in successive semesters, or may skip a semester from language study. Students may also participate in one of the many Study Abroad programs that we have with Middlebury College, and may earn up to 12 credits while abroad to meet the language component. Those who have at least mid-300 level language proficiency may also earn credits while participating in an overseas internship completed during the J-term or summer. If desired, students may also transfer 2-4 credits of language or ICC courses from an outside institution (with pre-approval) to augment the credits earned at MIIS.
Students may also take more language courses than required, or take a third or fourth language, as long as they have room in their schedule and they can count them as electives in their degree programs.
The Language Studies Advisor can assist in developing an appropriate plan to incorporate language study into the degree map for those who would like to plan a semester away.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to the distribution of language level courses, it is not normally possible to take multiple language courses (to “double-up”) in a single language in any given semester. Thus, it is strongly recommended to carefully map out all language coursework for the degree track. Postponing the start of Language Studies is strongly discouraged and may lead to a delay in graduation.
4. Directed Study for Language and ICC courses
Students may request a Directed Study (DS) in language courses at 300-level or above for 2 or 4 credits. In order to propose a Directed Study course, students need to have a concrete self-initiated project in mind, and they must seek a faculty member who agrees to supervise the project in advance. It is entirely the prerogative of the faculty member whether or not he/she agrees to work with a student on a Directed Study. Students who wish to earn language credits by taking a Directed Study course need to complete and submit a LS DS proposal form and obtain the faculty supervisor’s signature.
Students may also request a Directed Study (DS) in ICC courses for 2 or 4 credits. A DS in ICC is approved (a) to pursue in greater depth a subject to which she/he has already been introduced in a MIIS course, but is unable to find more advanced treatment of the topic in the regular menu of seminars; or (b) to research a question or topic not offered by the MIIS curriculum, but which the advising professor and the Dean agree has intellectual/professional merit, and is operationally feasible. The student and the faculty advisor together develop a work plan, including a timeline and specified deliverables. Students need to seek a faculty member who agrees to supervise the project in advance. Only regular/full-time faculty members may act as ICC DS advisors. Supervising faculty are expected to have expertise in ICC. This includes faculty serving on the ICC steering committee or teaching ICC courses at MIIS. Exceptions may be made with the approval of the ICC chair.
5. Transfer of language and ICC credits
a. Transferring credit from an outside institution
To be eligible for transfer, coursework in language or intercultural competence (ICC) must be completed after a student has started in the Language Studies program at MIIS, which means that s/he has taken the placement test, and has been assigned an appropriate level of study for the degree program.
If a student’s degree program requires 12 credits of language study, s/he may transfer up to 4 credits of language from an outside institution. If a student’s degree program requires 8 credits of language study, s/he may transfer up to 2 credits of language from an outside institution. Outside institutions include any accredited school/institution outside of Middlebury. Credits earned at any outside institutions and transferred to MIIS will not be calculated as part of the student’s GPA.
The student must obtain pre-approval from the GSTILE Dean before taking courses elsewhere. This is achieved by submitting a petition for transfer of credit, which is reviewed by the appropriate language or ICC faculty member to determine the course’s equivalence to Institute courses that fulfill the same requirement.
Students must earn a grade of B or above in in order to receive transfer credit for a course. Transfer credit will not be added to the students’ transcript until the Records Office receives an official transcript from the institution where the credit was earned.
b. Transferring credit from a Middlebury program
Normally students may transfer 2-4 credits earned in the Summer Intensive Language Program (SILP) at MIIS and/or a Middlebury Summer Language School. Students may petition to transfer more than 2-4 credits.
Up to 12 credits may be transferred if they are earned in a Middlebury School Abroad program.
Students must earn a grade of B or above in order to receive credit toward the MIIS degree for a course from another Middlebury program. Credits earned at any of the Middlebury programs that are used toward the MIIS language requirement will be included in the calculation of the student’s GPA.
c. Credits earned prior to matriculation
Language or ICC coursework taken prior to enrolling in the Language Studies program at MIIS is not transferrable. The only exception is coursework taken in SILP or Middlebury’s Summer Language School in the summer directly preceding enrollment in the MA program. Students may apply to use 2-4 SILP or Middlebury Summer Language School credits toward their MIIS degree.
6. GSIPM courses which fulfill the LS credit requirement
There are occasionally courses offered in GSIPM that are cross-listed between the GSIPM program schedule and LS program schedule. Students can choose which requirement they want the course credits to fulfill: Language Studies or IPM program requirements.
7. TILM courses that fulfill the LS credit requirement
Some LS students may wish to take Translation and Interpretation (T&I) courses to fulfill their language component. They may do so if 1) their LS Program Coordinator indicates that their level is at or beyond our highest course offering, and 2) they take the T&I Language Skills Test (LST) and gain approval from the relevant T&I Program Coordinator. T&I course credits are considered as ‘credits outside of LS’, and thus, students can only earn 2 to 4 T&I credits to fulfill their requirement in the language component (see above: 5) Transfer of language credits from outside program/institution).
G. Instructional Hours
All 300-level and 400-level language courses regularly meet for 4 hours a week for 15 weeks for a total of 60 hours of instruction per semester for a 4-unit course, and 2 hours a week for 15 weeks (or 4 hours a week for 7.5 weeks) for a total of 30 hours of instruction for a 2-unit course. All 200-level courses regularly meet for 6 hours a week, 4 hours with the course professor and 2 additional hours with a Language Teaching Assistant for additional skill building, for a total of 90 hours per semester for a 4-unit course. The time with the TA is spent doing augmentative work and is part of the required class time. The extra 2 hours in the 200-level courses do not incur any additional charges for the students.
H. Language Specialization Certificate
A language specialization certificate may be requested when a student has completed one of the following combinations of language coursework (all units must be in a single language):
1. 16 units of Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, or Russian at the 400-level with all grades A- or above; OR
2. 20 units of any language at the 400-level with all grades B or above; OR
3. 20 units of any language at any level above 300 with all grades A- or above.
I. Option to Study More Than One Language or Change Language of Study
If students choose to take 12 credits of language courses and take 8 credits at the 400-level in a single language, they have an option of switching to another language for their 4 remaining credits, as long as they meet the minimum proficiency level requirement in the language.
If students would like to change their Language of Study while completing the 8-12 language course credits, they need to submit petition for waiver of academic regulations to the Dean of GSTILE. Approval may be given on a case-by-case basis.
Those students who have their language requirement waived may elect to pursue another Language of Study (LOS) for their degree. If they wish this new language to be listed on their transcript, they will be held to the 12-credit language/ICC requirement associated with their degree for this language. (Students who wish to pursue additional language study without formally declaring it and listing it on their transcript are not bound by this rule.)
J. Minimum Passing Grade for LS courses
As long as students earn a passing grade (A to D-) for LS courses, it will count for credits necessary for graduation. However, if students earn a grade lower than B-, they are required to repeat the same level course in the following semester, rather than advancing to the next level course. If students earn a grade of an F, they do not receive any credits for the course.
K. Auditing LS courses
Full-time students are entitled to audit up to 4 units per semester without charge, including any regularly offered language courses. No audit is allowed in non-regular language courses. Those who wish to audit must take the appropriate language placement test and receive approval from the course instructor to ensure the level equivalency with those registered for the class. Instructor approval is required, and the instructor of the class establishes the conditions, such as attendance requirements, assignments, participation, etc., which auditors need to agree to abide. Auditors need to register for language courses through Records Office.
L. Applying for a waiver of Language Studies credits
1. Applying for a Waiver of LS credits
When students feel they have advanced professional proficiency in the language of their study (LOS) and no further work is desired, they may ask to take a language waiver exam to see if they can waive any language course credits (0-12) in the requirement of their language component. Students first need to take the language placement test and be placed at the 400-level or above. Students will then initiate application process for waiver exam by contacting the Language Studies Advisor or Language Program Coordinator. Students must demonstrate that they possess content knowledge and professional language skills in their chosen fields. The waiver exam consists of three stages: consultation with faculty on professional topics; research and writing of academic research paper; and an in-house 3-hour writing test, followed by an oral presentation of 30 minutes with a faculty committee.
It is important to note that obtaining a language credit waiver of any number of credits does not affect the total number of credits required to graduate in each degree program, so students may need to take other elective units in place of any language units waived.
2. Applying for Waiver of EAPP credits
When students’ LOS is English, they need to take EAPP placement test regardless of the TOEFL/IELTS scores. However, students who demonstrate high proficiency in the EAPP placement test will be waived some of the required EAPP credits based on the result of the placement test. In some cases, they may be waived 8-12 credits, which they can then replace with any other courses they may wish to take (e.g., other program courses, program electives, different language courses, etc.). Those who do not receive a waiver at the time of placement test and feel their English skills have improved in subsequent semesters may apply for the EAPP waiver exam. The EAPP waiver exam guidelines and procedure follow the other language waiver exam procedures (as above) with slight modifications.
It is important to note that obtaining a language credit waiver of any number of credits does not affect the total number of credits required to graduate in each degree program, so students may need to take other elective units in place of any language units waived.
M. MATFL Students’ Language Component
MATFL candidates have a 12-credit language component in the language of their degree pursuit. If they are native speakers of the language, the requirement may be fulfilled by taking non-LS courses, such as Pedagogical Grammar. If they are non-native speakers of the language they wish to teach, they need to take 12 credits of language courses at 400-level or above.
N. Students who transfer from a TILM degree to a GSIPM degree
If students switch from a TILM degree program, which does not have Language Studies component, to a GSIPM degree program, which has 12-credit language component, they may wish to count their TI coursework toward meeting their LS language component. They can do so under the following conditions:
1. Students cannot ‘double-count’ the same course credits for two degrees (if pursuing a dual-degree in TILM and IPM).
2. Students need to declare a language for their LOS, and take the LS placement test of the language.
3. Students can use 2-4 credits of their TI courses that are A Language to B Language (productive skills) with B or above grade.
4. If switching to the NPTS degree program, or if choosing to do 12 LS credits in the language component, students may use up to 4 credits of TI courses to fulfill the requirement of the language component. The remaining 8 credits need to be in a single language if placed into the 300-level, but can be different languages if placed into the 400-level.
5. If switching to the IEM degree program, or if choosing to do any ICC courses as part of the language component, then, students may use up to 2 credits of TI courses to fulfill the requirement of the language component.
O. TILM, TESOL, and special (non-degree) students who wish to take LS courses for credits
TILM and TESOL students, as well as special students (non-degree), can take LS courses as program electives. Students who wish to take LS courses must take the LS placement test at the start of the semester and obtain approval to register for courses. They must confirm with their academic advisor on whether or not a certain level course counts towards their program requirement/program elective.