Chinese

This course aims to introduce students to the Chinese language and cultivate their basic communicative competence by providing a comprehensive training in listening, speaking, reading and writing in Chinese. In addition, the course will bring real life tasks into classroom and prepare students to use Chinese language to function in an immersive environment. 

In this course students will continue to develop basic communicative competence in Chinese. More emphasis will be given to reading and writing Chinese characters than First Year Chinese (I). In addition to bringing real life tasks into classroom and preparing students to use Chinese language to function in an immersive environment, the course also aims to cultivate inter-cultural communication awareness among students.   

As the first half of a one-year program for intermediate Chinese learners, this course helps students consolidate and develop language skills used in everyday communication. Texts are presented in the form of dialogues and narratives that provide language situations, sentence patterns, word usage, and cultural information. This course will enable students to conduct everyday tasks such as shopping for cell phone plans, opening a bank account, seeing a doctor, or renting a place to live. At the end of the course, students will be ready to move on to the second half of the program, which focuses on aspects of Chinese culture such as the social norms of politeness and gift-giving. Semi-formal and literary styles will also be introduced as students transition to more advanced levels of Chinese language study. While providing training for everyday communication skills, Second Year Chinese aims to improve the student's linguistic competence in preparation for advanced studies in Mandarin.

As the second half of a one-year program for intermediate Chinese learners, this course helps students consolidate and develop everyday communicative skills in Chinese, as well as introducing aspects of Chinese culture such as the social norms of politeness and gift-giving. Semi-formal and literary styles will also be introduced as students transition to more advanced levels of Chinese language study. While providing training for everyday communication skills, Second Year Chinese aims to improve the student's linguistic competence in preparation for advanced studies in Mandarin.

This course is for students with at least two years of college-level Chinese, aiming to enhance their oral and written proficiency. It covers key issues China faces, such as balancing historic preservation with local needs, integrating traditional and foreign cultures, and improving education in underdeveloped areas. Additionally, the course includes popular topics related to Chinese college students and their lifestyles.