Writing Requirement

Foreign Language Writing Requirement

(ONLY For Students whose FIRST Major is 

French or Spanish or 

Adolescence Education: FL majors) 

The Department of Languages and Literatures has long had a published and enforced writing requirement built into the French and Spanish programs: all majors must successfully complete an upper-level composition course (301) in order to receive their degree. Students are also required to complete at least one advanced grammar-intensive course and a linguistics course as part of their training. Furthermore, the majority of our literature and civilization courses involve the writing of analytic and/or short research papers. Therefore, French and Spanish majors are required to undertake and successfully complete substantial writing projects at every stage of their program. 

Writing Examination 

In addition to the Writing Course Requirements, the Department of Languages and Literatures requires all majors to take a writing examination. The exam´s parameters are as follows: 

  • Must be taken before the end of the junior year. 
  • The examination consists of a 500- to 600-word essay written under examination conditions. 
  • Students have two hours to write on a topic of general knowledge which the faculty will provide at the time. 
  • Students may use one bilingual dictionaryor dictionary of the target language
  • At least two faculty members will evaluate each exam. Faculty will evaluate the exam’s grammar based on the Proficiency Guidelines of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Grammar must be minimally at the Advanced-Low Level of Proficiency of the ACTFL Guidelines. 
  • Evaluation ALSO takes into account (but is not limited to) the following elements: 
  • Development of theme
  • Organization of content, including development of paragraphs and transitions 
  • Ability to present and synthesize information taken from a number of sources
  • Complexity of language; 
  •  Precision of language
  • Mechanics (punctuation and spelling). 
  • A student failing the exam may schedule a second attempt on a subsequent semester. Students cannot attempt the Writing Exam more than 3 times. 
  • To Schedule the Writing Exam 
  • Contact the Department secretary at (585) 245-5247 or write to skinnerm@geneseo.edu