2026-2027

CHIN 25013 is open to students who have completed fourth-year modern Chinese or have been placed into this level. This course examines contemporary issues in Chinese society and culture through current events, news reports, commentary, and other authentic materials from Chinese-speaking communities. Topics may include social change, family and gender, media, popular culture, and other issues relevant to contemporary life. Students will analyze different perspectives, evaluate arguments, and discuss the cultural and social contexts of current issues. Through reading, listening, discussion, and writing, students will further develop their advanced Chinese language skills, with particular emphasis on expressing opinions, supporting arguments with evidence, and engaging in informed discussion. The course also emphasizes formal expressions, advanced grammatical patterns, complex sentence structures, and academic writing. Students are expected to participate actively in discussions, explain and defend their viewpoints clearly, and write coherent, well-supported essays on contemporary issues in Chinese society and culture.  Prerequisite: Fourth-year Modern Chinese, or placement, or consent of instructor.

CHIN 25012 is open to students who have completed fourth-year modern Chinese or have been placed into this level. This course explores Chinese culture, society, and history through literary works, including short stories, poetry, and science fiction from different periods and cultural contexts. Students will examine literary themes, narrative techniques, language, and style while considering how literary texts reflect and shape cultural values and social experiences. Through close reading, literary analysis, discussion, and writing, students will further develop their advanced Chinese reading, speaking, and writing skills. The course emphasizes formal expressions, advanced grammatical patterns, complex sentence structures, and analytical and academic writing in Chinese. Students are expected to participate actively in discussions, interpret and analyze literary texts, articulate their ideas clearly and in detail, and write well-organized essays supported by textual evidence.  Prerequisite: Fourth-year Modern Chinese, or placement, or consent of instructor.

This course offers an introduction to media theory in Japan.  We will read major texts of media theory from the 1960s to the present while situating them within larger cultural and philosophical developments in Japan.  At the same time, because media theory increasingly builds on “theory in media objects,” we also will engage with some popular forms of media such as anime, cinema, manga, and music as case studies. Language of instruction is Japanese.

This course will consider various theoretical ways of situating Japanese literature as world literature, including Marxist literary theory, gender and sexuality studies, colonial and postcolonial studies.  We will read a series of Japanese short stories that speak directly to the theoretical issues in question.  The aim is not merely to position Japan in the world, but to consider how the world is already in Japan.  Language of instruction is Japanese.

This non-core beginner's course is specially tailored for students who want to learn a new language in a fun and stress-free way. Compared to core courses, this course is more focused on communication activities with hands-on exercises to automatize and internalize simple basic expressions related to their daily lives. This course will provide students with a strong foundation to start learning the language with confidence and comfort. The course meets on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for fifty minutes.

This course is designed for students aiming to advance their Korean proficiency through close reading and analysis of selected texts from Korean short stories and novels. Students will engage in discussions, compositions, and presentations to critically reflect on these works. By exploring themes such as love, gender, family, human rights, and relationships, the course offers deeper insights into the customs, values, and beliefs that shape Korean society and culture, as well as the universal human experiences conveyed through literature. The course meets on Tuesday and Thursday for eighty minutes.

KORE 21300 is the third course in the fourth-year Korean sequence. Students will learn basic principles, methods, and techniques in translation and apply appropriate strategies to the practice and description of translation. They will watch pre-recorded lecture videos, complete weekly translation assignments (Korean to English and English to Korean), and participate in group or individual sessions to discuss their translation work. Students will also choose a literary work or text of their choice for their final translation project. The materials covered in this class include medical guidelines, campaign flyers, newspaper articles, reports, brochures, resumes, business and academic emails, and editorials. The course meets on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for eighty minutes.

KORE 21200 is the second course in the fourth-year Korean sequence, designed to continue improving students' speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills to an advanced level. This course will focus on enhancing speed, accuracy, and comprehension in advanced listening and reading of authentic texts, such as interviews, movies, novels, essays, and reports. Additionally, it will refine writing skills in various styles. Students will also discuss social, cultural, and political issues in Korea, utilizing their analytical skills and knowledge acquired in class. The course meets on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for eighty minutes.

KORE 21100 is the first course in the fourth-year Korean sequence, designed for students who aim to improve their speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills to an advanced level. Successful completion of the third-year Korean sequence or equivalent skills is required to enroll in this course. This course will focus on enhancing speed, accuracy, and comprehension in advanced listening and reading of authentic texts, such as newspaper articles, essays, poems, and reports. Additionally, it will refine writing skills in various styles. Students will also discuss social and cultural issues in Korea, utilizing their analytical skills and knowledge acquired in class. The course meets on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for eighty minutes

KORE 20403 is the third course in the third-year Korean sequence. The course aims to develop students’ low-advanced proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing through a variety of authentic materials, including scholarly essays, newspaper articles, short stories, and audio and video resources. Through project-based instruction, students will develop effective communication skills while exploring a range of topics related to the Korean language, society, culture, and history. Students will also have opportunities to apply their language skills in increasingly complex academic and real-world contexts. The instructor primarily uses Korean in class, and students are expected to communicate in the target language as well. The course meets on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for eighty minutes.