An introduction to spoken and written modern Chinese. Conversation and comprehension exercises in the classroom and laboratory provide practice in pronunciation and the use of basic patterns of speech.

A continuation of CHI 101 with increasing emphasis on the recognition of Chinese characters. By the conclusion of this course, students know more than one quarter of the characters expected of an educated Chinese person. Classes, conducted increasingly in Chinese, stress sentence patterns that facilitate both speaking and reading..

Designed to enable students to converse in everyday Chinese and to read simple texts in Chinese. Classes conducted primarily in Chinese aim at further development of overall language proficiency.

A continuation of CHI 201.

What can premodern Chinese literature tell us about how to inhabit the world—about self and society, love and loss, beauty and time, truth and transcendence, and life’s manifold possibilities? This course explores these questions through a survey of its masterworks of poetry, drama, fiction and belles-lettres prose from ancient times to the nineteenth century. As we learn to appreciate these works, we will also investigate questions such as: how to approach a literary text? What is the role of translation in shaping our understanding? In what ways are the works we read products of their own times and places, and how do they speak to universal themes of human experience? All texts will be made available through English translation; no previous knowledge of Chinese language or literature is required.

A survey of Chinese literature since 1911, including a wide range of fiction, poetry, and drama from mainland China and texts from the Chinese diaspora as well. Students gain a greater understanding of China's history and literary culture in three major periods: the May Fourth shift from traditional language and forms to vernacular literature; Socialist Realism and the Marxist theory of the first three decades of the People's Republic; and China's Reform Era, including expatriate authors like Ha Jin and China's two controversial Nobel Prize winners, Gao Xingjian and Moyan. Recommended background: AS/CI 207.

Designed for students who already have a strong background in spoken Chinese, the course gives an intensive review of the essentials of grammar and phonology, introduces a larger vocabulary and a variety of sentence patterns, improves conversational and auditory skills, and develops some proficiency in reading and writing. The course makes extensive use of short texts (both literary and nonfictional) and some films. Classes are conducted primarily in Chinese.

A continuation of CHI 301.

Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study per semester.

This course is designed to enhance students' proficiency in Mandarin Chinese in all areas of reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Students develop confidence in their ability to narrate, describe, and articulate their opinions while engaging with a range of topics on Chinese culture and society. Recommended background: three years of college-level Mandarin or permission of the instructor.

A foundational course in classical Chinese through reading and translating a range of literary, historical and philosophical texts from early and medieval China. Readings may include excerpts from the Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Tang-Song prose, poetry, and short stories. Grammar and syntax of classical Chinese are covered. Recommended preparation: CHI 201 or other previous familiarity with the Chinese writing system (such as through Japanese).

An advanced content-based language course that enhances proficiency in Mandarin through engagement with specialized topics. Each semester that the course is offered presents a different focus; past topics have included contemporary Chinese short-short stories and creative writing. Through furthering skills acquired in earlier stages of language learning, we seek to acquire the tools and habits necessary for future independent explorations of Chinese language and culture. The course may be repeated for credit with instructor permission.

An extended research project on a topic in Chinese literature, culture, or language utilizing some source materials in Chinese. Qualified students may, with approval of the Committee on Asian Studies, choose to write the thesis in Chinese. Students register for 457 in the fall semester or for 458 in the winter semester unless the committee gives approval for a two-semester project. Majors invited to pursue honors register for 457 and 458, contingent on the approval of the committee.

An extended research project on a topic in Chinese literature, culture, or language utilizing some source materials in Chinese. Qualified students may, with approval of the Committee on Asian Studies, choose to write the thesis in Chinese. Students register for 457 in the fall semester or for 458 in the winter semester unless the committee gives approval for a two-semester project. Majors invited to pursue honors register for 457 and 458, contingent on the approval of the committee.

What is the relationship between mind, spirit, and body? What constitutes the boundaries between health and illness? Traditional Chinese philosophy and contemporary science and medicine have very different answers to these questions. In this course, students explore conceptions of the body in diverse contexts, with readings drawn from the fields of literature, philosophy, and the history of science. In the spirit of embodied practice, the course combines seminar discussions with weekly practicums in the Chinese martial arts tradition of xinyi (“heart and mind”).

Students undertake four weeks of intensive Chinese language study while they gain knowledge in traditional Chinese medicine, focusing on rural health and healing in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. Language courses focus on the rapid improvement of comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Lectures on traditional Chinese medicine address acupuncture, Moxibustion, and cupping. Students learn to make herbal tea and experience Chinese foot massage. These studies are complemented by field trips to famous historical sites including those in Beijing and Xian.

Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, individually design and plan a course of study or research not offered in the curriculum. Course work includes a reflective component, evaluation, and completion of an agreed-upon product. Sponsorship by a faculty member in the program/department, a course prospectus, and permission of the chair are required. Students may register for no more than one independent study during a Short Term.