What If I Already Know a Language?
You may be eligible to skip certain lower-level language courses if
- You have studied a language at another college or high school, or
- You have other knowledge of the language, either because you're a native speaker or you have other work or life experience
The process for skipping a lower-level requirement is called "clearing a prerequisite" or "prerequisite clearance." (See below for some answers to frequently asked questions about prerequisites.) On this webpage, you'll find instructions for how to clear a prerequisite. First, here are some important notes.
- If you skip one or more levels, you will not receive college credit on your transcript for the courses you skipped.
- The World Languages Department does not provide certification services of any kind.
Steps for Clearing a Prerequisite
There are two different forms for requesting a prerequisite clearance. Each is designed for a different circumstance. You should only use the one that applies to your situation.
- One form is intended for students who have an official school transcript or AP exam results because they studied the language at another school.
- The other form is intended for students who are native speakers of the language or have learned it through other work or life experience.
Transcript or AP Results
If you have a transcript from high school or another college, or an official result from an Advanced Placement exam, follow these steps.
Complete the Form for Transcripts or AP Results
Click the yellow button to visit the Admissions and Records Office website, where you will find the De Anza College Prerequisite Clearance Request Form.
Clearance Form – Transcript or AP Results
Download this form and fill it out.
Scan Your Transcript or AP Results
If you previously studied the language at another school, you will need a digital copy of your transcript or Advanced Placement exam results.
- You can use an unofficial transcript but it must show your full name, the school's name and the grade you received for the language you want to study at De Anza.
- For AP credit, you must submit a College Board AP Score Report. (AP credit on a transcript will not be considered.)
Submit the Documents
Submit the documents: You must submit your clearance request form and any transcripts to the Evaluations Unit of the Admissions and Records Office.
- You can do this by emailing the request form and your documentation to daclearprereq@deanza.edu
Work or Life Experience
If you learned a language as a native speaker, or through work or life experience, you won't have a transcript to submit. Follow these steps instead.
Complete the Form for Work or Life Experience
Click the yellow button to download and fill out the World Languages Prerequisite Clearance Request Form for Work or Life Experience
Submit the Form for Work or Life Experience
After you complete the form, you will need to email it:
- Send it to the De Anza faculty contact for the language you want to study, which you will find in the list below
- Send a copy to the dean of International and Intercultural Studies, Debbie Lee, at leedebbie@deanza.edu and administrative assistant Clara Luu at luuclara@fhda.edu
Faculty Contacts:
- American Sign Language: David Rawson, rawsondavid@deanza.edu
- French: Loubna Hafid, hafidloubna@deanza.edu
- German: Maike Ahrends, ahrendsmaike@deanza.edu
- Hindi: Nilu Gupta, guptanilu@deanza.edu
- Italian: Debbie Lee, Division dean, leedebbie@deanza.edu
- Japanese: Debbie Lee, division dean, leedebbie@deanza.edu
- Korean: Soojeong Choi, choisoojeong@deanza.edu or Young Sook Kim, kimyoungs@deanza.edu
- Mandarin: Hua-Fu Liu, liuhuafu@deanza.edu
- Persian: Debbie Lee, division dean, leedebbie@deanza.edu
- Russian: Larissa Chiriaeva, chiriaevalarissa@deanza.edu
- Spanish: Carmen Lizardi-Folley, lizardifolleycarmen@deanza.edu
- Vietnamese: Bac Tran, tranbac@deanza.edu
Submit Early to Allow Enough Time
This process can take up to two weeks to complete, so be sure to submit your application as soon as possible – and at least four weeks before your registration date for the quarter you want to take your class. Otherwise, the clearance may not be processed in time for you to register for the class.