Students walk to class through the Van Amringe Quadrangle on a sunny day.

The Language Sequence

The language sequence is the order in which languages are taught at Columbia. 

A person who has not studied a language previously would take this sequence of classes:

Elementary I, Elementary II, Intermediate I, Intermediate II, Advanced I, Advanced II.

The content of these classes is cumulative. For example, the content in Elementary II builds on the work done in Elementary I.

If you have previously studied another language, or are a heritage speaker of a language that you would to study formally at Columbia, you may take a placement exam. Please see the Proficiency & Placement Testing page for more information.