Browse the Chinese courses offered at Simon’s Rock.
Chinese 100 - 101 | Wang | 4 credits
This accelerated course is designed for students with little or no previous language background of Chinese. It provides a systematic and efficient study of Chinese grammar, vocabulary, oral/aural skills, and reading and writing Chinese characters. The goal of the course is to enable the students to function successfully in most of the basic communicative situations with a native Chinese. Students are also exposed at the same time to Chinese cultural traditions through such activities as viewing Chinese movies, listening to Chinese music, and tasting Chinese cuisine. The class meets four times per week.
No prerequisites. This sequence is offered every year.
Chinese 204-205 CP | Wang | 3 credits
This course continues to develop the four skills—speaking, listening, writing, and reading—of Mandarin Chinese. By the end of the intermediate sequence, students will be familiar with all major grammatical concepts and able to converse comfortably on a wide range of subjects. Students will be able to write and recognize nearly 2,000 characters in traditional and/or simplified forms. In addition to the linguistic components, each student will select one or more research topics within Chinese culture for oral, written, and web-based projects.
Prerequisite: Chinese 101 or permission of the instructor. This sequence is generally offered every year.
Chinese 305 | Wang | 4 credits
As a continuation of Chinese 205, this course is designed to promote competency in the oral use of the language and to increase fluency by reinforcing previously learned structures and by expanding vocabulary and idiomatic expressions. The course emphasizes the practical application of the language, not grammar acquisition or review. All students are expected to participate in discussions, and the use of English is prohibited in this course.
Prerequisite: Chinese 205. This course is generally offered once every four years.