Courses

General Course Information

The program offers a full range of modern Chinese (Mandarin) courses from beginning (CHIN 10A) to high-advanced (CHIN 120B) levels. We also offer a special course for students who speak fluent Chinese but do not read or write Chinese (CHIN 29B); an advanced business Chinese course that will prepare students for doing business in and/or with China (CHIN 106B); an introductory course of Chinese literature taught in English (CHIN 100a); and a course taught in English to help students understand Chinese history and culture through film (CHIN 130B).

Courses are taught by experienced instructors who follow the highest standards of Chinese teaching in the United States and employ proven pedagogy and new technology to make courses highly efficient.

Placement

Unless you have never studied or been exposed to the Chinese language, you will need to take a placement test to determine the level at which you should begin your foreign language course work.

Spring 2024 Courses

 COURSES IN ENGLISH

 None available


COURSES IN CHINESE

CHIN 20B: Continuing Chinese

Spring 2024 mode: Instruction for this course will be offered in-person.

Professor Jian Wei

Prerequisite: CHIN 10a

Four class hours per week.

Continuation of CHIN 10a.


 CHIN 40B: Advanced Intermediate Chinese

Spring 2024 mode: Instruction for this course will be offered in-person.

Professor Xiwen Lu

Prerequisite: CHIN 30a or equivalent.

Four class hours per week.

Continuation of CHIN 30a.


 CHIN 105B: Advanced Conversation and Composition

Spring 2024 mode: Instruction for this course will be offered in-person.

Professor Baoqing Qian

Prerequisite: A grade of C- or higher in CHIN 105a or the equivalent.

Four class hours per week.

Designed for advanced students who wish to enhance and improve their speaking proficiency and writing skills. Speaking skills will be developed through guided conversation, discussion of texts and films, and oral presentation. Exercises and essays will be used to improve students' writing skills.


CHIN 106B: Business Chinese and Culture

Spring 2024 mode: Instruction for this course will be offered in-person.

Professor Chunzi Chai

Prerequisite: CHIN 40b or equivalent. Does not meet the requirement in the school of humanities.

Four class hours per week.

An advanced Chinese course where students develop their language proficiency and cultural knowledge in professional settings such as the workplace. The course is conducted entirely in Chinese and is designed for students who want to sharpen their language skills and reach a higher level of proficiency in which they are able to read newspapers, magazines, or professional documents, as well as to improve their communicative ability and enhance their self-confidence in Chinese workplaces.


CHIN 120B: Readings in Contemporary Chinese Literature: Advanced Chinese Language II

Spring 2024 mode: Instruction for this course will be offered in-person.

Professor Pu Wang

Prerequisite: CHIN 120a or equivalent.

Four class hours per week.

Continuation of CHIN 120a. Study of contemporary Chinese short stories from the 1990s and later. These stories not only represent new literary themes and linguistic expressions, but also reflect the modernization, commercialization, and urbanization that is transforming China. The course improves students' knowledge of the language, as well as enhancing their understanding of Chinese society and culture.


 CHIN 126A: Advanced Conversational Chinese

Spring 2024 mode: Instruction for this course will be offered in-person.

Professor Baoqing Qian

Prerequisite: CHIN 105b or equivalent.

Four class hours per week.

For advanced students of Chinese, this course further develops their Chinese speaking proficiency in both information and formal styles. The course is conducted entirely in Chinese and is designed for students who want to improve their communicative ability in Chinese. Focuses on significant expansion of vocabularies, grammars, and genuine expressions used by Chinese in their daily life, as well as enhancing students' understanding of Chinese society and culture.


CHIN 140A: Yin Yu Tang Documents, Decoding the Late Qing and Early Republic Writings I

Spring 2024 mode: Instruction for this course will be offered in-person.

Professor Chunzi Chai

Prerequisite: CHIN 120a and 120b, or proficiency of a native Chinese speaker with advanced reading and writing skills.

Four class hours per week.

Teaches fundamental skills to decode the late Qing and early Republic writings in print or in hand-writing by recognizing and translating the Yin Yu Tang documents. Students of this course will also gain knowledge of Chinese society and culture of this period.