Updating schools about fluency in a new language (Y/N)

[BrandNewDanimal]

Hi everyone, I have been studying French every day for almost a year now, and I am currently proficient, almost conversational. I am confident that I will be fluent by next summer. (Also, my friend would also like to know for her case. She is in a similar situation with Spanish, if that would change anything.)

Is this worth mentioning in an update letter? For context, I am also updating with a new pub I have, so it would not be alone. Thank you!

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[r2med]

Hi everyone, I have been studying French every day for almost a year now, and I am currently proficient, almost conversational. I am confident that I will be fluent by next summer. (Also, my friend would also like to know for her case. She is in a similar situation with Spanish, if that would change anything.)

Is this worth mentioning in an update letter? For context, I am also updating with a new pub I have, so it would not be alone. Thank you!

I don't see why not if you are anyways sending an update about your pub. As always, send with no expectations.

 

[Stride]

Hi everyone, I have been studying French every day for almost a year now, and I am currently proficient, almost conversational. I am confident that I will be fluent by next summer. (Also, my friend would also like to know for her case. She is in a similar situation with Spanish, if that would change anything.)

Is this worth mentioning in an update letter? For context, I am also updating with a new pub I have, so it would not be alone. Thank you!

As someone who has experience in interpreting, I think you might be slightly overestimating how hard it is to attain fluency. I have never heard of anyone going from "almost conversational" to "fluent" in the space of six months. These things simply do not happen.

If you don't have professional experience or some type of certification by a national accrediting body (such as the ATA), I would very hesitant to overstate your language abilities. Many people, particularly Americans for some reason, tend to do this! Nonetheless, I hope you prove me wrong! Congratulations on the publication!

 

[BrandNewDanimal]

Thank you all! This has been very helpful. I’m going to err on the side of caution and just report my pub.

 

[r2med]

You could state it briefly, or you may wait to mention it during an interview. Good luck.

How is your cycle going so far?

 

[BrandNewDanimal]

Mine’s going alright? I guess lol.

I got a few T20’s and a handful of others -particularly in Texas - but no A’s yet. (Although no WLs or R’s either)

Grateful for the schools that like me so far though and hoping for the best!

 

[14_karat]

I agree with some of the above posters, you're definitely overestimating your abilities in French, especially when you've most likely have had zero immersion.

"Conversational" means a lot to different people, but I find that most often it means barely above elementary level for many people. I'm not trying to dash your goals, but French is a difficult language.

 

[Goro]

Hi everyone, I have been studying French every day for almost a year now, and I am currently proficient, almost conversational. I am confident that I will be fluent by next summer. (Also, my friend would also like to know for her case. She is in a similar situation with Spanish, if that would change anything.)

Is this worth mentioning in an update letter? For context, I am also updating with a new pub I have, so it would not be alone. Thank you!

Nope.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

Unless you used language in clinical setting I am not sure how useful the language is for medical schools. Any of the schools you applied serve large French speaking population. Also, Spanish is more useful in this country and my kid's Spanish skills were bought up in couple of interviews.

 

[southernhope1]

fwiw, it's not unheard of to develop fluency in a language over the course of a year....particularly if that person has a propensity for languages. I'm from a state department family and i've seen, for example, some of my family members gain fluency in very tough languages -- like Indonesian or Javanese -- in a year of intensive study. But these were people who had already mastered languages like French or German...and were undergoing the unique SD program....

to the OP's original question, I would note it as a secondary update included with the pub. In my mind, mastering a new language shows that you can absorb and integrate new information rapidly. always a good trait in a doc.

 

[Stride]

fwiw, it's not unheard of to develop fluency in a language over the course of a year....particularly if that person has a propensity for languages. I'm from a state department family and i've seen, for example, some of my family members gain fluency in very tough languages -- like Indonesian or Javanese -- in a year of intensive study. But these were people who had already mastered languages like French or German...and were undergoing the unique SD program....

to the OP's original question, I would note it as a secondary update included with the pub. In my mind, mastering a new language shows that you can absorb and integrate new information rapidly. always a good trait in a doc.

The problem is that there is no universal way to assess fluency. Hence, why many people in the field of interpreting avoid labels like "fluent". Can someone learn an advanced level of Japanese in one year? Maybe. Can they attain a control of the language that would be considered functionally-native (as your post suggests)? I would bet my house, no.