Lead Teacher: Beatriz Ferrer-Castro
The World Language Department strongly recommends that every student who intends to continue language studies beyond high school finish a minimum of three years of a foreign language while at BHS. Students reading significantly below grade level are advised to defer beginning a world language until their sophomore year. Students who don’t receive a “C” or better in a course at the end of the year repeat the entire year. They may only repeat a language course once. Students may explore options outside of Berkeley High School.
Students with little or no previous language experience are placed in a level 1-2 class. Students with previous experience are placed into the appropriate level based on their grades in a previous language course or on their score on a placement test. Middle-school Spanish students in a BUSD school can take the placement test in their middle school. All other students can take the placement test at BHS. Students who believe they have been incorrectly placed
should contact the World Languages co-chair or the World Languages vice-principal within the first two weeks of classes.
If you are NEW to Berkeley Unified School District and want to be in a language class above level 1, you will need to take the language placement exam.
If you are currently enrolled in BUSD and want to SKIP level 2 (3/4), you should also come to take the placement test.
This year the exam will be offered on Saturday, April 29, 2017 from 10:00 AM-noon. The exam will be given on the second floor of the M building – located off Milvia above Channing. You do not need to sign up ahead of time, just come on time. Some students finish the exam in 45 minutes and others need 90 minutes, so it is difficult to say how long the exam will last.
