Chinese Classes

This class is designed for beginners. Students will study Mandarin pronunciation, master pinyin, learn how to hand-write roughly 200 Chinese characters, and conduct simple conversations about dates and times, birthdays, family, hobbies, etc.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This class is designed for beginners. Students will study Mandarin pronunciation, master pinyin, learn how to hand-write roughly 200 Chinese characters, and conduct simple conversations about dates and times, birthdays, family, hobbies, etc.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This class is designed for beginners. Students will study Mandarin pronunciation, master pinyin, learn how to hand-write roughly 200 Chinese characters, and conduct simple conversations about dates and times, birthdays, family, hobbies, etc.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This class is designed for beginners. Students will study Mandarin pronunciation, master pinyin, learn how to hand-write roughly 200 Chinese characters, and conduct simple conversations about dates and times, birthdays, family, hobbies, etc.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This class is designed for beginners. Students will study Mandarin pronunciation, master pinyin, learn how to hand-write roughly 200 Chinese characters, and conduct simple conversations about dates and times, birthdays, family, hobbies, etc.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

The 2024 Netflix adaptation of Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem marked the advancement of Chinese science fiction (SF) into the global media platform. How does Chinese SF imagine the future of China, the world, and the universe? What does the configuration of the future say about the politics of the present? This course explores Chinese SF and its underlying ideological, social, and cultural messages at different historical stages. We will examine the intersection of texts and reality, science and fantasy, human and posthuman. No prior knowledge of Chinese or China is required.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WA
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

This course is offered in the Fall semester only. As a prerequisite for entering Chinese 203, students should be able to read, speak (in accurate tones), understand, and write by hand and all the characters in chapters 1-14 of Integrated Chinese, Volume 1 and Integrated Chinese, Volume 2. Prerequisite(s): CHIN 102

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This course is offered in the Fall semester only. As a prerequisite for entering Chinese 203, students should be able to read, speak (in accurate tones), understand, and write by hand and all the characters in chapters 1-14 of Integrated Chinese, Volume 1 and Integrated Chinese, Volume 2. Prerequisite(s): CHIN 102

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This course is offered in the Fall semester only. As a prerequisite for entering Chinese 203, students should be able to read, speak (in accurate tones), understand, and write by hand and all the characters in chapters 1-14 of Integrated Chinese, Volume 1 and Integrated Chinese, Volume 2. Prerequisite(s): CHIN 102

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This course is offered in the Fall semester only. As a prerequisite for entering Chinese 203, students should be able to read, speak (in accurate tones), understand, and write by hand and all the characters in chapters 1-14 of Integrated Chinese, Volume 1 and Integrated Chinese, Volume 2. Prerequisite(s): CHIN 102

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This course is offered in the Fall semester only. As a prerequisite for entering Chinese 203, students should be able to read, speak (in accurate tones), understand, and write by hand and all the characters in chapters 1-14 of Integrated Chinese, Volume 1 and Integrated Chinese, Volume 2. Prerequisite(s): CHIN 102

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

How can I express my authentic self in a maddeningly unpredictable world? What are my values? Whom and what can I trust? These questions pervade Chinese and European literature at the dawn of globalization (16th to 18th centuries). In this era, China and Europe each experienced urbanization, commercialization, exposure to foreign people and ideas, and the emergence of disruptive new technologies in communication, navigation, and cartography. Cross-cultural encounters prompted anxieties about the roles of “self” and “other,” cultural appropriation, and unstable power dynamics between East and West. But these exchanges also sparked artistic hybridity, opening up fresh avenues for creativity, community-building, self-expression, and self-care. In this course, students analyze works of literature, visual art, and material culture (gardens, porcelains, and tea connoisseurship) to discover how writers, artisans, and collectors in this period coped with uncertainty through the vehicle of the arts. No knowledge of Chinese required.

General Education Requirements:
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

This course is offered Fall semester only. As a prerequisite for entering Chinese 305, students should be able to read, speak (with standard, accurate tones), understand, and write from memory the characters in chapters 1-7 of Integrated Chinese, Vol. 3. This amounts to roughly 700-900 characters. This course is conducted entirely in Chinese. From the start, students should be able to tell a simple story in Chinese, summarize a passage, and begin to formulate and express opinions on a wide variety of topics, including travel, jobs, education, Chinese history, and environmental issues. Prerequisite(s): CHIN 204.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

This course is offered Fall semester only. As a prerequisite for entering Chinese 305, students should be able to read, speak (with standard, accurate tones), understand, and write from memory the characters in chapters 8-10 of Integrated Chinese, Vol. 3 and chapters 11-15 of Integrated Chinese, Volume 4. This amounts to roughly 700-900 characters. This course is conducted entirely in Chinese. From the start, students should be able to tell a simple story in Chinese, summarize a passage, and begin to formulate and express opinions on a wide variety of topics, including travel, Chinese holidays, education, and the environment. Prerequisite(s): CHIN 204.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

This course is offered Fall semester only. As a prerequisite for entering Chinese 305, students should be able to read, speak (with standard, accurate tones), understand, and write from memory the characters in chapters 8-10 of Integrated Chinese, Vol. 3 and chapters 11-15 of Integrated Chinese, Volume 4. This amounts to roughly 700-900 characters. This course is conducted entirely in Chinese. From the start, students should be able to tell a simple story in Chinese, summarize a passage, and begin to formulate and express opinions on a wide variety of topics, including travel, Chinese holidays, education, and the environment. Prerequisite(s): CHIN 204.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

This course is offered in the Fall semester only. As a prerequisite for entering Chinese 407 students should be able to read, speak (with accurate tones), understand, and write by hand most of the characters in chapters 1-5 of Reading Into a New China, Volume 1 and should be able to discuss and write essays on intellectually and linguistically challenging topics such as social issues and current events. Prerequisite(s): CHIN 306.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

This course is offered in Spring semester only. As a prerequisite for entering Chinese 102, students should be able to read, speak (in accurate tones), understand, and write by hand and all the characters in chapters 1-7 of Integrated Chinese, Volume 1. Prerequisite(s): CHIN 101.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This course is offered in Spring semester only. As a prerequisite for entering Chinese 102, students should be able to read, speak (in accurate tones), understand, and write by hand and all the characters in chapters 1-7 of Integrated Chinese, Volume 1. Prerequisite(s): CHIN 101.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This course is offered in Spring semester only. As a prerequisite for entering Chinese 102, students should be able to read, speak (in accurate tones), understand, and write by hand and all the characters in chapters 1-7 of Integrated Chinese, Volume 1. Prerequisite(s): CHIN 101.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This course is offered in Spring semester only. As a prerequisite for entering Chinese 102, students should be able to read, speak (in accurate tones), understand, and write by hand and all the characters in chapters 1-7 of Integrated Chinese, Volume 1. Prerequisite(s): CHIN 101.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This course is offered in Spring semester only. As a prerequisite for entering Chinese 102, students should be able to read, speak (in accurate tones), understand, and write by hand and all the characters in chapters 1-7 of Integrated Chinese, Volume 1. Prerequisite(s): CHIN 101.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This course is offered in Spring semester only. As a prerequisite for entering Chinese 204, students should be able to read, speak (in accurate tones), understand, and write by hand and most of the characters in chapters 1-7 of Integrated Chinese, Volume 3. Prerequisite(s): CHIN 203.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This course is offered in Spring semester only. As a prerequisite for entering Chinese 204, students should be able to read, speak (in accurate tones), understand, and write by hand and most of the characters in chapters 1-7 of Integrated Chinese, Volume 3. Prerequisite(s): CHIN 203.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This course is offered in Spring semester only. As a prerequisite for entering Chinese 204, students should be able to read, speak (in accurate tones), understand, and write by hand and most of the characters in chapters 1-7 of Integrated Chinese, Volume 3. Prerequisite(s): CHIN 203.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This course is offered in Spring semester only. As a prerequisite for entering Chinese 204, students should be able to read, speak (in accurate tones), understand, and write by hand and most of the characters in chapters 1-7 of Integrated Chinese, Volume 3. Prerequisite(s): CHIN 203.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

This course is offered in Spring semester only. As a prerequisite for entering Chinese 204, students should be able to read, speak (in accurate tones), understand, and write by hand and most of the characters in chapters 1-7 of Integrated Chinese, Volume 3. Prerequisite(s): CHIN 203.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:

Course Materials

When Jesuit missionaries first entered China in the 16th century, what did the Chinese people they met think of these strange, celibate men from the “Far West”? What prompted Jesuits to travel across the globe to live and die among foreigners in the first place? What shared values cemented the first friendships between Chinese and Europeans? And on what issues did Chinese and Europeans disagree or struggle to gain one another’s trust? Students in this seminar will study an array of literary, religious, cartographical, and visual materials from China and Europe in the period between 1500-1800, reflect on their own interactions with cultural "others," and collaborate to curate a museum-style exhibit. No knowledge of Chinese required.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

This course is offered in the Spring semester only. As a prerequisite for entering Chinese 306, students should be able to  read, speak (with accurate tones), understand, and write by hand most of the characters in Chapters 8-10 of Integrated Chinese, Volume 3. and chapters 15-20 of Integrated Chinese, Volume 4. From the start, students should be able to tell a story in Chinese, summarize a passage, and express opinions on a wide variety of topics, including travel, Chinese holidays, education, population and the environment. In this course, students are expected and encouraged to further advance their oral proficiency while developing reading and writing skills. The discussion topics go beyond everyday routines and include intellectually and linguistically challenging topics such as social issues and historical and current events. Prerequisite(s): CHIN 305.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

This course is offered in the Spring semester only. As a prerequisite for entering Chinese 306, students should be able to  read, speak (with accurate tones), understand, and write by hand most of the characters in Chapters 8-10 of Integrated Chinese, Volume 3. and chapters 15-20 of Integrated Chinese, Volume 4. From the start, students should be able to tell a story in Chinese, summarize a passage, and express opinions on a wide variety of topics, including travel, Chinese holidays, education, population and the environment. In this course, students are expected and encouraged to further advance their oral proficiency while developing reading and writing skills. The discussion topics go beyond everyday routines and include intellectually and linguistically challenging topics such as social issues and historical and current events. Prerequisite(s): CHIN 305.

General Education Requirements:

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

What aspects of texts are selected and translated? How is translation conducted, contained, and transformed in larger cultural, social, and historical contexts? What kinds of power dynamics and ideology are involved in the process of translation? This course is to develop a critical awareness of the practice of Chinese-English translation as a cross-cultural dialogue. It will critically examine major concepts and issues such as equivalence, faithfulness, invisibility, etc. Along with different translation theories, the course will follow the chronological order of Chinese literature being translated at different historical periods. Students will learn theories of translation and do hands-on practice in translation. Prerequisite(s): CHIN 305 or its equivalent.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP
Internationalism

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials

What is Chinese in news reporting? How is Chinese used differently in TV reality shows and sitcoms? How is Chinese employed and manipulated online and in virtual reality? The aim of this course, which is equivalent to Fifth Year Chinese, is to learn about Chinese society and culture in different contexts: students will watch Chinese sitcoms and reality shows, read original Chinese novels, and communicate through Chinese Weibo. Prerequisite(s): CHIN 407 or equivalent.

General Education Requirements:
Writing WP

Distribution Requirements:
Humanities

Course Materials