The foreign language competency is a certification requirement.  A candidate who is an entering freshman beginning with the fall 1997 or who has a degree and will complete certification program requirements after September 1, 1999, must exhibit competency in a foreign language at the novice-high level.

The foreign language competency requirement can be met in one of the following ways:

• Candidates can complete *two semesters of a foreign language at the college or university level (including sign language) with a C or higher;

• Candidates can pass a USAO departmental test in American Sign Language (estimated cost: $35.00);

• Candidates with one or more high school semesters of a foreign language are only required to pass a second semester of the same foreign language at the college level with a "C" or better;

• Transfer candidates with one semester of a foreign language ("C" or better) are only required to pass the second semester of the same language with a "C" or better;

• Transfer candidates with the foreign language competency "met/fulfilled" noted on their official transcripts are considered to have met this competency at USAO.

OR

• Candidates can take and pass at a novice high level a written or oral language test through the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).