2024-2025 Edition

Academic Catalog

Chinese (CHIN)

CHIN101 Chinese Character Writing

This course is the lab course for Elementary Chinese I (CHIN 103) and focuses on the writing of Chinese characters. It is not a course in Chinese calligraphy but in basic writing. Strict stroke order will be introduced. About 600 Chinese characters will be covered. This is required for students who will be taking CHIN 103.
Offering: Host
Grading: Cr/U
Credits: 1.00
Gen Ed Area: HA-CEAS
Prereq: None

CHIN102 Chinese Character Writing

This course supplements Elementary Chinese I (CHIN103) and focuses on the writing of Chinese characters. It is not a course in Chinese calligraphy but in basic writing. Strict stroke order will be introduced. About 600 Chinese characters will be covered.
Offering: Host
Grading: Cr/U
Credits: 1.00
Gen Ed Area: HA-CEAS
Prereq: None

CHIN103 Elementary Chinese I

Elementary Chinese is an introduction to modern Chinese (Mandarin), both spoken and written. This course is designed for beginners and students who have some Chinese learning experience and would like to consolidate their foundation in Chinese. Students with significant experience speaking Chinese (any dialect) at home should enroll in CHIN105 instead of CHIN103. Students should enroll in a continuation of the course in the Spring or trailing semester to receive the full 3 course credits. Those students who do not enroll in the Spring semester will be given 1.5 credits and the grade earned at the conclusion of the Fall or initial course sequence semester. Please contact the instructor with any questions.
Offering: Host
Grading: A-F
Credits: 1.50
Gen Ed Area: HA-CEAS
Prereq: None

CHIN104 Elementary Chinese II

Continuation of CHIN103, an introduction to modern Chinese, both spoken and written.
Offering: Host
Grading: A-F
Credits: 1.50
Gen Ed Area: HA-CEAS
Prereq: CHIN103

CHIN105 Elementary Chinese for Heritage Learners

This course is for students who have family backgrounds in Chinese language. It is appropriate for students who are already familiar with basic speaking and have excellent listening comprehension of any dialect of Chinese but cannot read or write. The course focuses on teaching students how to read and write Chinese characters. After this course, most students should be able to continue in second-semester Intermediate Chinese II (CHIN206) or Third-Year Chinese (CHIN218).
Offering: Host
Grading: A-F
Credits: 1.00
Gen Ed Area: HA-CEAS
Prereq: None

CHIN151 Living a Good Life: Chinese Lab (CLAC.50)

This optional "lab" class is intended for students (1) who have taken or are currently taking PHIL 210: Living a Good Life; and (2) who have little or no exposure to classical Chinese. Each weekly session will introduce students to aspects of the classical Chinese language--the written language of pre-20th-century China. Students will be able to read (in Chinese) and discuss (in English) key passages from the Confucian classics on which the Living a Good Life courses is partly based. No previous knowledge of Chinese (classical or modern) is necessary.
Offering: Crosslisting
Grading: Cr/U
Credits: 0.50
Gen Ed Area: SBS-PHIL
Identical With: PHIL151, CGST224
Prereq: None

CHIN205 Intermediate Chinese I

This course continues an intense and engaging level of practice in listening, speaking, reading, and writing Chinese from CHIN103 and 104. We will conduct classes according to an interactive approach: between the reproductive and the performative, between role-playing and creative participation, and between oral sessions and written texts. Emphasis will be placed increasingly on expressive speaking and writing.
Offering: Host
Grading: A-F
Credits: 1.00
Gen Ed Area: HA-CEAS
Prereq: CHIN104

CHIN206 Intermediate Chinese II

This course continues all-round practice in listening, speaking, and writing Chinese from CHIN205. We will conduct classes according to an interactive approach: between the reproductive and the performative, between role-playing and creative participation, and between oral sessions and written texts. Emphasis will be placed increasingly on expressive speaking and writing.
Offering: Host
Grading: A-F
Credits: 1.00
Gen Ed Area: HA-CEAS
Prereq: CHIN205

CHIN217 Third-Year Chinese I

Third-year Chinese is designed for advanced beginners who have a firm grasp of the Chinese language but a limited opportunity to expand vocabulary and fluency. The fall semester will cover a number of topics, including: smog, soft power, corruption in China, the craze of studying abroad in China, etc.
Offering: Host
Grading: A-F
Credits: 1.00
Gen Ed Area: HA-CEAS
Prereq: CHIN206

CHIN218 Third-Year Chinese II

A continuation of CHIN 217, this spring semester course will cover a number of topics, including Chinese festivals, cyberbullying and freedom of speech, left-behind children in China, privacy and security, the labor force in China, politics and identity in Taiwan, etc.
Offering: Host
Grading: A-F
Credits: 1.00
Gen Ed Area: HA-CEAS
Prereq: CHIN217

CHIN221 Fourth-Year Chinese I

This course is aimed at students who have completed six regular college semesters of Chinese courses or the equivalent. Its goal is to elevate students' language proficiency to the true advanced level. The course may use language textbooks, newspaper articles, literary texts, professional writing, academic papers, other authentic texts, television programs, and other media materials. The course will be conducted entirely in Chinese.
Offering: Host
Grading: OPT
Credits: 1.00
Gen Ed Area: HA-CEAS
Prereq: CHIN218

CHIN222 Fourth-Year Chinese II

This course is aimed at students who have completed seven regular college semesters of Chinese courses or the equivalent. Its goal is to continue elevating students' language proficiency to the true advanced level. The course may use language textbooks, newspaper articles, literary texts, professional writing, academic papers, other authentic texts, television programs, and media materials. The course will be conducted in Chinese.
Offering: Host
Grading: OPT
Credits: 1.00
Gen Ed Area: HA-CEAS
Prereq: CHIN221

CHIN223 Creative Writing in Chinese

The class will offer students a chance to use the Chinese language both communicatively and creatively in various literary genres including poetry, song lyrics, short stories, travelogues, memoir, plays, film scripts, and so on. The class is divided into three main sections. First, we will engage in close readings of some of the most interesting writings of contemporary Chinese literature that are both well-crafted and culturally significant. Second, using the class readings as reference points, the students will write their own pieces about their daily lives and dreams, oversea experiences as cultural observers, science fiction that portrays a future utopia, adaptations of Chinese ghost stories, and their imaginary lives as nonhuman animals. Third, the students will engage in dynamic class discussions and workshop each other¿s writings.



The class is not a standard advanced Chinese class. Bearing in mind that some of the most memorable Chinese poems and stories are written in simple language, participants in the class will focus on how to use the words and expressions they already know in fresh and innovative ways while expanding the horizon of their understanding of Chinese and global cultures. Native Chinese speakers, heritage speakers, and students who have taken Third Year Chinese and above can take the class and learn from each other in groups. No previous experience of creative writing is required.
Offering: Host
Grading: OPT
Credits: 1.00
Gen Ed Area: HA-CEAS
Prereq: None

CHIN230 Contemporary Society in China

This is an advanced language course in which students learn by reading and discussing the articles online on various current topics. Topics include culture, academic subjects, and controversial issues. Students will learn specific vocabulary of these topics to further understand the culture and social development of China. By the end of the course, students will have improved their oral and writing proficiency in professional use of the Chinese language.
Offering: Host
Grading: A-F
Credits: 1.00
Gen Ed Area: HA-CEAS
Prereq: None

CHIN301 A Glance at Chinese Literature and Culture

This is a general introduction to classical, modern, and contemporary Chinese literature. Students will read literary works valued greatly in Chinese history which will help frame an examination of Chinese language, literature, and culture. The values of Chinese culture that emerge in and from these texts will be discussed and contextualized.
Offering: Host
Grading: Cr/U
Credits: 1.00
Gen Ed Area: HA-CEAS
Prereq: None

CHIN302 Narrating China: Chinese Lab (CLAC.50)

This 0.5 credit course is conducted in Chinese and designed to supplement the standard English-language Narrating China: Introduction to Modern Chinese Literature (CEAS 202) course. It allows students to encounter a selection of modern and contemporary Chinese literary texts in their original Chinese. As the parent course guides students through major literary movements and themes from 20th-century China, students in the CLAC tutorial will read poems, short stories, or excerpts of longer texts from the same periods in the original Chinese. In weekly meetings, students will discuss the readings in Chinese, to delve deeper into their stylistic and linguistic characteristics unobservable in translations.



Both advanced learners of Chinese (fourth-year level or above) and native speakers are welcome. Evaluation is based on students' preparedness, participation, and formal oral presentations, and will be tailored to students' language background. If you are unsure about whether your language background is sufficient for the course, please contact the instructor.
Offering: Host
Grading: Cr/U
Credits: 0.50
Gen Ed Area: HA-CEAS
Identical With: CGST302
Prereq: None

CHIN303 Chinese Calligraphy (CLAC.25)

This 0.25 CLAC course will provide students with a brief understanding of the art of Chinese calligraphy through calligraphy practice. They will learn about the characteristics of Chinese calligraphy from the "Four Treasures of the Study," as the tools of calligraphy (writing brush, ink stick, ink stone, and paper). They will understand the development history of Chinese calligraphy from five basic scripts of Seal (zhuanshu), Clerical (lishu), Standard (kaishu), Semi-cursive (xingshu), and Cursive (caoshu). The course focuses on imitation and practice of the Standard script kaishu. Prerequisite: Current or future Chinese class students are preferred.
Offering: Host
Grading: Cr/U
Credits: 0.25
Gen Ed Area: HA-CEAS
Identical With: CGST252
Prereq: None

CHIN305 East Asian Culture Through Chinese Pop Music (CLAC .50)

Even after the meteoric rise of K-Pop in recent years, Mandarin Chinese Language pop music, also known as Mandopop, remains a highly popular musical genre that influences East Asian popular culture. This course introduces students to the literary history and cultural forces that shaped Chinese popular music. The songs featured in the syllabus serve as a soundtrack to the "Introduction to History: Foundations of East Asian Cultures," as the themes largely mirror the contents of the parent course.
Offering: Host
Grading: Cr/U
Credits: 0.50
Gen Ed Area: HA-CEAS
Identical With: CGST253, CEAS305
Prereq: CHIN205

CHIN351 Classical Chinese Philosophy: Chinese Lab (CLAC.50)

This 0.5 credit course is conducted in Chinese and designed to supplement the standard English-language Classical Chinese Philosophy (PHIL205) course. Students must have taken PHIL205 in the past or be enrolled in it simultaneously. The course will have two main foci: introducing students to modern and contemporary Chinese-language debates about Chinese philosophy and exploring in greater depth the meaning of key passages from the classical works students are reading in translation in PHIL205.



Both advanced learners of Chinese (fourth-year level or above) and native speakers are welcome. Familiarity with classical Chinese is desirable but not required. Assignments will include presentations in Chinese and some written work in English; evaluation will be tailored to each student's language background. If you are unsure whether your language background is sufficient for the course, please contact the instructor.
Offering: Host
Grading: Cr/U
Credits: 0.50
Gen Ed Area: HA-CEAS
Identical With: PHIL251, CGST251
Prereq: None

CHIN401 Individual Tutorial, Undergraduate

Topic to be arranged in consultation with the tutor.
Offering: Host
Grading: OPT

CHIN402 Individual Tutorial, Undergraduate

Topic to be arranged in consultation with the tutor.
Offering: Host
Grading: OPT

CHIN407 Senior Tutorial (downgraded thesis)

Downgraded Senior Thesis Tutorial - Project to be arranged in consultation with the tutor. Only enrolled in through the Honors Coordinator.
Offering: Host
Grading: A-F

CHIN408 Senior Tutorial (downgraded thesis)

Downgraded Senior Thesis Tutorial - Project to be arranged in consultation with the tutor. Only enrolled in through the Honors Coordinator.
Offering: Host
Grading: A-F

CHIN409 Senior Thesis Tutorial

Topic to be arranged in consultation with the tutor.
Offering: Host
Grading: OPT

CHIN410 Senior Thesis Tutorial

Topic to be arranged in consultation with the tutor.
Offering: Host
Grading: OPT

CHIN411 Group Tutorial, Undergraduate

Topic to be arranged in consultation with the tutor.
Offering: Host
Grading: OPT

CHIN412 Group Tutorial, Undergraduate

Topic to be arranged in consultation with the tutor.
Offering: Host
Grading: OPT

CHIN419 Student Forum

Student-run group tutorial, sponsored by a faculty member and approved by the chair of a department or program.
Offering: Host
Grading: Cr/U

CHIN420 Student Forum

Student-run group tutorial, sponsored by a faculty member and approved by the chair of a department or program.
Offering: Host
Grading: Cr/U

CHIN465 Education in the Field, Undergraduate

Students must consult with the department and class dean in advance of undertaking education in the field for approval of the nature of the responsibilities and method of evaluation.
Offering: Host
Grading: OPT

CHIN466 Education in the Field, Undergraduate

Students must consult with the department and class dean in advance of undertaking education in the field for approval of the nature of the responsibilities and method of evaluation.
Offering: Host
Grading: OPT

CHIN491 Teaching Apprentice Tutorial

The teaching apprentice program offers undergraduate students the opportunity to assist in teaching a faculty member's course for academic credit.
Offering: Host
Grading: OPT

CHIN492 Teaching Apprentice Tutorial

The teaching apprentice program offers undergraduate students the opportunity to assist in teaching a faculty member's course for academic credit.
Offering: Host
Grading: OPT

CHIN501 Individual Tutorial, Graduate

Offering: Host
Grading: OPT

CHIN502 Individual Tutorial for Graduate Students

Topic to be arranged in consultation with the tutor.
Offering: Host
Grading: OPT