Chinese Learning Goals

In addition to the languages that are offered as majors or minors, the Modern Languages Department regularly offers elementary courses in Mandarin Chinese which can be taken to fulfill the language requirement, even though majors or minors are not offered. Students who wish to satisfy the language requirement in a modern language will be placed in the appropriate language class based on background and the results of the Foreign Language Placement Test.

Learning Goals

First Year

CHN-101/102

Students should have acquired the linguistic skills and cross-cultural awareness to conduct a restricted set of daily tasks and participate in formulaic exchanges at different levels of formality. They should have built an inventory of Chinese characters and become familiar with the Chinese writing system.

Second Year

CHN-111/112

Students should have developed further the linguistic skills and cross-cultural awareness to communicate with native speakers in order to complete daily tasks. They should have developed strategies and tactics for coping with spoken Chinese that is not pedagogically controlled, and should be able to produce progressively longer compositions in colloquial style.

Third Year

CHN-211/212

Students should be able to converse more freely with native speakers about a variety of topics. Students should be able to produce summaries of short texts and sustained narration, participate in and conduct discussions, and give presentations. In addition, they should be able to write personal correspondence with different levels of formality.

Fourth Year

CHN-311/312

Students should have expanded their language skills and sociocultural knowledge through exposure to and discussion of authentic materials. By the end of these courses, students should be able to use the basic tools of information literacy to obtain a variety of materials necessary for the continued study of Chinese.

Courses

The Chinese language courses are designed to develop linguistic skills and an understanding of Chinese culture. The study of Chinese is recommended for students interested in majoring in East Asian Studies, International Relations, Business and Economics, and other disciplines. Students may also pursue a student-initiated major that includes the study of Chinese. In all courses, students work with computers, and authentic video, audio and written materials, as well as language assistants who are native speakers.

CHN-101. Elementary Chinese I

An introduction to the Chinese language. The course is designed to introduce the student to the basic rules of spoken and written Chinese while providing basic communicative skills. Four hours per week plus one hour of practice with the language assistant. Four semester hours. (L.)

CHN-102. Elementary Chinese II

Continuation of CHN-101. The focus is placed on situation-sensitive language use and the systematic introduction of basic grammar and sentence patterns, along with continued study of characters. Prerequisite: CHN-101 or equivalent. Four hours per week plus one hour of practice with the language assistant. Four semester hours. (L.)

CHN-111. Advanced Elementary Chinese I

Continued introduction of the fundamental structures of spoken and written Chinese. Development of interpersonal communication skills beyond the functional level. Prerequisite: CHN-102 or equivalent. Four hours per week plus one hour of practice with the language assistant. Four semester hours. (L.)

CHN-112. Advanced Elementary Chinese II

Continuation of CHN-111. Development of more sophisticated structures and patterns, moving towards conversational fluency. Continued study of reading and writing. Four hours per week plus one hour of practice with the language assistant. Four semester hours. (L.)

CHN-211. Intermediate Chinese I

Review of basic structures combined with further enhancement of oral and written communication skills. Continued expansion of knowledge of characters, plus development of ability to handle complicated situations. Prerequisite: CHN-112 or equivalent. Four hours per week plus one hour of practice with the language assistant. Four semester hours. (H, L.)

CHN-212. Intermediate Chinese II

Continuation of CHN-211. Completion of study of fundamentals of Chinese language. Development of ability to read and discuss authentic texts, and to handle a wide range of conversational situations. Prerequisite: CHN-211 or equivalent. Four hours per week plus one hour of practice with the language assistant. Four semester hours. (H, L.)

CHN-311. Advanced Chinese I

Study of complex linguistic structures in the context of the development of an analytical understanding of the Chinese language. Reading and viewing of advanced-level authentic materials in written and video texts, with an emphasis on a nuanced understanding and an ability to discuss and write about the texts in depth. Three hours per week plus one hour of practice with the language assistant. Prerequisite: CHN-212 or equivalent. Four semester hours. (H, L.)

CHN-312. Advanced Chinese II

Continuation of CHN-311. Upon completion of this course, students should have developed the resources to handle most conversational situations or modern texts. Three class hours per week plus one hour of practice with the language assistant. Four semester hours. (H, L.)

CHN-328. Advanced Chinese Grammar

In-depth study of Chinese phonetics, morphology and syntax with special emphasis on the problems related to the teaching of the language. Prerequisite: CHN-312 or permission of the instructor. Four hours per week. Four semester hours.

CHN 335. Independent Study in Chinese

Individual study of topics in Chinese linguistics, literature, society or culture. Prerequisite: CHN-312 and permission of the instructor. Two to four semester hours. (XLP, if 4 credits.)

CHN-381. Internship

An academic work/experience under the supervision of an internship adviser and an on-site supervisor. Students must document their experience according to the requirements delineated in the College catalogue section on Internships. Contact the chair of the department for further details. Open to juniors and seniors. The term during which the internship work is performed will be noted by one of the following letters, to be added immediately after the internship course number: A (fall), B (winter), C (spring), or D (summer). Internships undertaken abroad will be so indicated by the letter I. The intern must complete a minimum of 120 hours of work. Graded S/U. Prerequisites: four courses in Chinese and approval of a faculty internship adviser. Three semester hours. (XLP.)

CHN-382. Internship

An academic work/experience under the supervision of an internship adviser and an on-site supervisor. Students must document their experience according to the requirements delineated in the College catalogue section on Internships. Contact the chair of the department for further details. Open to juniors and seniors. The term during which the internship work is performed will be noted by one of the following letters, to be added immediately after the internship course number: A (fall), B (winter), C (spring), or D (summer). Internships undertaken abroad will be so indicated by the letter I. The intern must complete a minimum of 160 hours of work. Graded S/U. Prerequisites: four courses in Chinese and approval of a faculty internship adviser. Four semester hours. (XLP.)

CHN-491. Research/Independent Work

This course is open to candidates for departmental honors and to other students with the permission of the department chair. This course does not satisfy the College requirement of a capstone experience. Four semester hours. (XLP.)

CHN-492W. Research/Independent Work

A continuation of CHN-491. This is a writing intensive course and at least one formal oral presentation is required. This course satisfies the College requirement of a capstone experience. Prerequisites: CHN-491 and permission of the department chair. MCS-201 is strongly recommended. Four semester hours. (XLP.)