Electives Taught in Chinese
Chinese 150 – Contemporary Chinese Society and Culture (3 units, U, HU)
Contemporary Chinese Society and Culture examines the main areas of contemporary Chinese life: economics, politics, society, people, culture, and the environment. Each week, in order to develop a better understanding of one aspect of Chinese society and cultural practices, students will read recent news and academic articles, view short documentary films, and participate in class discussions.
Chinese 160 – A Taste of China: Learning Chinese Culture & Society through Cuisine (3 units, U, HU)
This course will explore Chinese culture primarily through the study of Chinese cuisine. Food is a lens through which we can learn more about Chinese geography, philosophy, and religions because food has been historically important to Chinese life. Students will discover the uniqueness of Chinese cuisine through various class activities and assignments that focus on food practices, views about food, and the role of cuisine in daily life. This class will make use of discussions, projects, readings, and films to engage students with issues related to food and society and introduce them to Chinese cuisine.
Chinese 299 – An Introduction to Hanzi (3 units; U )
Unlock the mystery of Chinese characters by exploring the past and the present. From oracle bones to modern Chinese characters, this class covers it all!
This course will give students the opportunity to explore Chinese characters in a meaningful and insightful way; giving them a solid foundation of structure, historical development and modern usage. Additionally, “An Introduction to Hanzi” will provide students with a basic outline of how to master thousands of different Hanzi through the combination of study methods, basic theory, and modern technology.
Electives Taught in English
Chinese 320 – Contemporary Chinese Societies through Film (3 units; U)
This course aims to develop students’ language proficiency in Mandarin and enhance their understanding of contemporary Chinese culture and social issues through five selected movies.
This course will be taught in the active-learning mode, featuring a variety of instructional components such as lecture, discussion, oral presentations, etc., to provide students abundant opportunity for expressing their opinions. The course will include writing, speaking, self-expression; information gathering, synthesis, and analysis; and international/intercultural components.
Chinese 441 – Business Chinese (3 units; U)
This advanced course is offered to students who will want to use Chinese in business and professional environments. It aims to develop students’ Chinese proficiency in the business settings that require not only adequate language skills but also adequate awareness of socio-cultural customs. The course materials will involve real cases in China, including KFC’s Sinofication,Starbucks’ Third Place ,IKEA’s Luxurious ‘Low-price Products’, Sam’s Club in Beijing, P&G’s Brand Strategy, and Kodak’s Way in China. These multinational companies have adapted their strategies to the special needs of the Chinese market and operated successfully in China. Students will achieve a better understanding of China in economic and cultural terms by reading, discussing, and performing communicative tasks related to those cases. In addition to the business case analysis, supplementary reading, writing and listening exercises as well as media materials such as interviews will also be provided.
By the end of the semester, students are expected to obtain these abilities:
- Carry conversations in real business settings with correct business vocabulary and the cultural awareness about the Chinese business world.
- Read business-related materials and discuss about real business cases in China.
- Have basic knowledge of China’s socio-cultural values, trade policy, and economical and political situations.
- Use Chinese language software for certain business purposes.