1) You can start in the beginning level of a language and take classes through the level of language that meets your requirement, OR, if you have already taken several years of the language, it is possible for you to begin at a higher level, perhaps even at the exact course that you need (112 or 115). Take the online readiness test (in French, German, and Spanish only) to find out for sure, or contact Laura Edwards if there is no readiness test. Between taking one class and earning CAP credit (4-8 hours of free credit that you get after earning a C or better in your first ISU world languages class at the 112 level or higher), you would likely be half-way to completing a minor. Again, contact Laura Edwards for more information.
2) If you know that you speak and write the language very well and do not wish to take a world languages class at all, then you can take a written proficiency exam in the following languages at Illinois State for $10:
Chinese (115 only), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese, or Spanish
If you pass, you will get credit for the level of exam that you take. For more information about exams offered and to register for an ISU proficiency exam, follow the steps at this link to the Registrar's site. You may register for proficiency exams only during fall/spring registration.
3) If you speak a language other than what is offered at ISU (heritage, native speaker, or other equivalent), you may be able to take a proficiency exam to earn credit toward the language requirement. This credit would count toward four hours of one of the following: LAN 112, LAN 115, or LAN 116. Language Testing International (LTI) offers Oral Proficiency Interviews (OPI) in a variety of languages. The exam (an interview over the telephone) costs approximately $150 and takes around 30 minutes. Depending on the difficulty of the language that you speak, your proficiency rating (in most cases it is between Novice High and Intermediate Mid) equates to Illinois State credit and the language requirement. For more information, see the chart here.
LTI is constantly updating OPI languages, so if you can't find your language on here, it is best to go directly to their website and search under "Select a test language".