Course Descriptions

Introduction to Mandarin Chinese using the Pinyin system of pronunciation in Mainland China. For complete beginners (spoken and written) in Chinese. This course starts with basic tones and pronunciation to prepare students to speak the language. It also teaches basic grammar and the writing of about 150 Chinese characters.

This course stresses conversational skills and listening comprehension using situational dialogues. Students will increase their knowledge of grammatical structures and Chinese characters. They will also learn how to use a Chinese dictionary as a tool for further study.

This course is for students who know the basics of Mandarin phonetics and grammar and approximately 300 Chinese characters, or for those who have completed CHIN 100 and 101. It teaches more Chinese characters, focusing on reading and writing of simple Chinese texts. Chinese literature is also introduced.

Continues the work of CHIN 200.

This course looks at Chinese social concepts through Chinese characters and Romanized spelling system in relation to regional dialects and cultural traits, and by comparing Chinese values with western values through contextual interpretation. Traditional teachings are introduced to mirror modern thinking of Chinese through films and Netflix translation. Social-economic changes are examined on the importance of interpersonal connection - "Guanxi".

This course is the continuation of CHIN 201. It is designed to improve and develop students' acquisition of Mandarin using listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills at an advanced level. The course introduces literary texts on Chinese culture, social, and business customs through textbooks and reference materials from current media and other sources. A thematic approach is adopted throughout the course. It broadens students' knowledge of Chinese characters, complex sentence structures, essay writing and verbal communication in Chinese. It also develops skills using Chinese in presentations and discussions for general and career-related purposes.