Chinese Department

中文系

2023-2024 Chinese Courses

The Chinese Department offers courses in Chinese language and in Chinese literature, media, and film, both in translation and the original.

All Chinese literature, media, and film courses are taught in English and are cross-listed as Chinese (Chin) and Literature (LitC). If you would like the opportunity to work with course materials in the original Chinese, you should enroll under the Chin designation and expect to take part in additional one-hour meeting weekly to read, discuss, and translate course-related materials with your professor and your peers. 

A full list of courses offered by the Chinese department can be found here. All classes are in-person unless otherwise specified. 

Fall Courses

Chin 110 - First-Year Chinese

Jinhui Wu - M/T/W/Th/F 11:00-11:50 a.m. OR 12:00-12:50 p.m.

Two-unit yearlong course; one unit per semester. A beginner’s course in standard (Mandarin) modern spoken and written Chinese, aimed at building a solid foundation in all its aspects: pronunciation (especially the tones), syntax, and basic vocabulary. Attention is given to a balanced development of all the basic skills of the language: listening and reading comprehension, speaking, and writing. Pinyin is the romanization system used in this and all other Chinese language courses. Both the traditional and simplified characters are taught. Students are expected to read both and write one of the two versions. Lecture-conference.

Chin 210 - Second-Year Chinese

Jing Jiang - M/T/W/Th/F 11:00-11:50 a.m. OR 12:00-12:50 p.m.

Two-unit yearlong course; one unit per semester. This course is designed to build the skills of students who have studied at least one year of Chinese (or equivalent) to achieve intermediate-level proficiency in the oral and written use of the language through speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Emphasis in the course will be placed on learning to recognize and reproduce the natural flow of the spoken language, expanding vocabulary, and learning to write short essays in Chinese. Prerequisite: Chinese 110 or acceptance through placement test. Lecture-conference.

Chin 311 - Third-Year Chinese

Hyong Rhew - M/W/F 11:00-11:50 a.m.

One-unit semester course. This course is designed for students who have completed at least two years of Chinese language (or equivalent). The course will focus on student acquisition of near-native fluency in spoken Chinese, competence in reading a variety of contemporary texts (with a dictionary), and employment of different registers and genres of Chinese in students’ writing. Prerequisite: Chinese 210 or acceptance through placement test. Conference.

Chin 366/Lit C 366 - Masters and Miracles: Chinese Buddhist Literature and Culture

Jinhui Wu - T/Th 3:10-4:30 p.m.

One-unit semester course. This course examines the intricate relationship between Buddhism and Chinese literature from the medieval period to contemporary times. By analyzing and discussing literary portrayals in various genres, such as Buddhist scriptures, Chan poetry, travelogues, transformation texts, precious scrolls, Gong’an stories, and Buddhist-themed fiction, students will gain a deeper understanding of the literary activities of Buddhist masters and lay authors who have integrated Buddhist concepts and themes into their works. Additionally, sources in various media, including paintings, calligraphy, and films, will be utilized to provide visual and literary perspectives. The course also addresses how Buddhism interacted with other religions in China, and its influence on the development of Chinese literature. By the end of the course, students will have a comprehensive understanding of the historical, cultural, and literary significance of Chinese Buddhist literature, and develop critical thinking and analytical skills. Lecture-conference.

Chin 412 - Selected Topics in Chinese Literature

Hyong Rhew - M/W/F 2:40-3:30 p.m.

One-unit semester course. Topics vary, selected from Chinese literature. Readings and instruction in Chinese. Prerequisite: third-year level of Chinese proficiency. Conference. May be repeated for credit.

Spring Courses

Chin 110 - First-Year Chinese

Jinhui Wu - M/T/W/Th/F 11:00-11:50 a.m. OR 12:00-12:50 p.m.

Two-unit yearlong course; one unit per semester. A beginner’s course in standard (Mandarin) modern spoken and written Chinese, aimed at building a solid foundation in all its aspects: pronunciation (especially the tones), syntax, and basic vocabulary. Attention is given to a balanced development of all the basic skills of the language: listening and reading comprehension, speaking, and writing. Pinyin is the romanization system used in this and all other Chinese language courses. Both the traditional and simplified characters are taught. Students are expected to read both and write one of the two versions. Lecture-conference.

Chin 210 - Second-Year Chinese

Jing Jiang - M/T/W/Th/F 11:00-11:50 a.m. OR 12:00-12:50 p.m.

Two-unit yearlong course; one unit per semester. This course is designed to build the skills of students who have studied at least one year of Chinese (or equivalent) to achieve intermediate-level proficiency in the oral and written use of the language through speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Emphasis in the course will be placed on learning to recognize and reproduce the natural flow of the spoken language, expanding vocabulary, and learning to write short essays in Chinese. Prerequisite: Chinese 110 or acceptance through placement test. Lecture-conference.

Chin 316 - Classical Chinese

Hyong Rhew - M/W/F 11:00-11:50 a.m.

One-unit semester course. Intensive introduction to the grammar of classical Chinese through the study of selections from ancient literary, historical, and philosophical texts. Readings include the Analects, Mencius, Zhuangzi, Shiji, and Tang-Song prose essays. Conducted in Chinese. Prerequisite: Chinese 210 or equivalent. Conference.

Chin 325/LitC 325 - Songs to Lost Music: Ci Poetry

Hyong Rhew - M/W/F 2:40-3:30 p.m.

One-unit semester course. This course investigates the rise and the development of ci-poetry, a genre related closely to music. Its formal features and their emotional qualities, major modes of expression, and different stages of its development from the ninth to the thirteenth century are the foci in the close reading of selected poems. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or consent of the instructor; for students enrolling in Chinese credit, CHIN 212 or equivalent. Conference.

Chin 346/LitC 346 - From Allegories to Documentaries: Screening Postsocialist China

Jing Jiang - T/Th 3:10-4:30 p.m.

One-unit semester course. This course investigates interactions between literary production (focusing primarily on fiction) and filmmaking since the end of the Cultural Revolution in 1976. Issues to be explored include the shared sociohistorical context that conditioned the production of these two cultural forms and the multivalent differences between them in terms of intended audience, narrative modes, and thematic concerns. Readings are in translation, and films selected are subtitled in English. No Chinese language training is required. Readings in the original Chinese and additional instruction will be offered for students taking this course for Chinese credit. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or consent of the instructor; for students enrolling in Chinese credit, CHIN 212 or equivalent. Conference.