CHIN

CHIN 20601 Fifth-Year Modern Chinese I

This course is open to students who have previously taken fourth year modern Chinese or who are placed into this level. The goal of this course is to help learners get an in-depth knowledge on Chinese culture, society, and history, to further develop students literary reading and writing skills in Chinese, and to help students master the skills of writing Chinese essays on a wide variety of topics. This course will use films and television shows as basic content. Students get the opportunity to view different genres of films. Formal expressions, Chinese grammar patterns and sentence structures for advanced level language learning will be introduced. Learners at this level are expected to be able to participate in discussions on various topics and be able to explain in detail and narrate with accuracy. They are also expected to demonstrate the ability to write on different topics by meeting the academic writing needs.  Class meets for three one-hour sessions each week. 

Prerequisites

CHIN 41300 or consent of instructor. Undergraduates must take for a quality grade.

2025-2026 Autumn

CHIN 20501 Fourth-Year Modern Chinese I

Open to both graduate and undergraduate students. This sequence introduces a range of essays by journalists and scholars on Chinese cultural and social issues after 2001. Students will not only expand their vocabulary and knowledge of grammatical structures, but also learn sophisticated speaking and writing skills through intensive readings and discussions. Class meets for three one-hour sessions each week. Additional two one-to-one tutorial sessions during the quarter will be arranged for each student to prepare for their language projects.

Prerequisites

CHIN 20403 or placement, or consent of instructor. No auditors. Must be taken for a quality grade.

2025-2026 Autumn

CHIN 20401 Advanced Modern Chinese I

For both graduates and undergraduates. The goal of this sequence is to help students develop advanced proficiency in reading, listening, speaking, and writing. This sequence emphasizes more advanced grammatical structures, and requires discussion in Chinese on topics relevant to modern China. Over the course of this sequence, the emphasis will shift to authentic Chinese texts in an effort to better prepare students to deal with original Chinese source materials. Class meets for five one-hour sessions each week.

Prerequisites

CHIN 20300 or placement. Undergraduates must take for a quality grade. No auditors.

2025-2026 Autumn

CHIN 22110 Second-Year Chinese for Heritage Students I

This three-quarter sequence is intended for bilingual/heritage speakers of Mandarin Chinese. Paralleled with the Intermediate sequence for non-heritage speakers, the goal of this sequence is to further develop students’ reading, speaking, and writing skills by dealing with topics in personal settings and some academic or professional settings. Upon completing this sequence, students are expected to pass the Practical Proficiency Test to earn a certificate on their transcript. The class meets for three one-hour sessions a week.

Prerequisites

CHIN 11300 or placement of 20100. Must be taken for a quality grade. No auditors permitted.

2025-2026 Autumn

CHIN 20100 Intermediate Modern Chinese I

Part 1 of this sequence aims to enhance students' reading, listening, speaking, and writing skills by dealing with topics at an intermediate linguistic level. In addition to mastering the content of the textbook, students are required to complete two language projects each quarter. Chinese computing skills are also taught. Class meets for five one-hour sessions each week.

Prerequisites

Undergraduates must take for a quality grade.

2025-2026 Autumn

CHIN 11100 First-Year Chinese for Bilingual Speakers I

Part 1 of this three-quarter sequence introduces the fundamentals of modern Chinese to bilingual speakers. Bilingual Speakers are those who can speak Chinese but do not know how to read or write. By the end of the spring quarter, students should have a basic knowledge of Chinese grammar and vocabulary. Listening, speaking, reading, and writing are equally emphasized. Accurate pronunciation is also stressed. A video project is required in spring quarter, which will be entered in the competition for the Chinese Video Project Award. Class meets for three one-hour sessions each week MWF. Must be taken for a letter grade. No auditors permitted.

Prerequisites

Undergraduates must take for a quality grade.

CHIN 10100 Elementary Modern Chinese I

This three-quarter sequence introduces the fundamentals of modern Chinese. By the end of the spring quarter, students should have a basic knowledge of Chinese grammar and vocabulary. Listening, speaking, reading, and writing are equally emphasized. Accurate pronunciation is also stressed. A video project is required in spring quarter, which will be entered in the competition for the Chinese Video Project Award. Class meets for five one-hour sessions each week. Additional small group discussions of 40 minutes per week will be arranged. Maximum enrollment for each section is 18. Must be taken for a letter grade. No auditors permitted.

Prerequisites

Undergraduate must take for a quality grade. Small group discussion of 40 minutes per week will be arranged.

CHIN 20510/41000 Advanced Readings in Literary Chinese III

(EALC 41000)

The course will cover a selection of works in biji and zaji form from the Song to Qing dynasties. Part of the interest of the form is its inclusiveness, which has made it hard to place on maps of genre. These works include scientific investigation, social commentary, travel accounts, classical interpretation, personal reminiscences, tales and gossip, art appreciation, responses to poetry, and many other things, combined in an apparently associative manner. We will read both for topical interest and for understanding of the form.

Prerequisites

Usually preceded by Chinese 408 and/or 409. 

Course may be repeated for credit with consent of instructor. Undergraduate enrollment is encouraged. CHIN 40900, or CHIN 21000, or placement, or consent of instructor.

Not offered every year; quarters vary.

2022-2023 Spring

CHIN 20510/41000 Intermediate Literary Chinese III

(EALC 41000)

This quarter we will read selected tales from Liaozhai zhiyi 聊齋誌異, Pu Songling's蒲松齡seventeenth-century masterpiece. Problems to be addressed include how to deal with allusions (diangu 典故) and engage with period/ individual style in literary Chinese. We will work on not only understanding the meaning of the text but also on producing stage by stage polished English translations.

Prerequisites

Course may be repeated for credit with consent of instructor. Undergraduate enrollment is encouraged. CHIN 40900, or CHIN 21000, or placement, or consent of instructor

2025-2026 Spring

CHIN 21000 Elementary Literary Chinese III

(EALC 21000)

Introduction to the Chinese literary language from the first millennium B.C.E. to the end of the imperial period. While surveying a variety of literary genres (such as, philosophical and historical texts, poetry, and essays), focus is on grammatical structures and translation methods.

Prerequisites

CHIN 20900, or placement, or consent of instructor. Auditing is not permitted. Must be taken for a quality grade.

2024-2025 Spring
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