Course Descriptions • Chinese • Carthage College

The knowledge of Chinese culture, society, and language opens tremendous opportunities in today’s global age. Students who enter the workforce with the ability to use Chinese seem to have an increasing edge in the job market and business world. Scroll down to read descriptions of the Chinese courses offered at Carthage, or click on the following links for additional resources.

Introductory Chinese I (MLA)

CHN 1010 / 4 credits
The course exposes beginners to the Mandarin Chinese phonetic system Pinyin, the four tones, and carefully selected Hanzi, the writing system. Listening, speaking, visual recognition, and writing skills are learned through active participation by the students in communicative and hands-on situations. By the end of the course, the students are able to initiate and, to some degree, sustain oral communication in Chinese while gaining recognition and writing ability of Hanzi via email, handwriting, and calligraphy. 30-50 Hanzi is the goal. Cultural elements associated with Hanzi are introduced.
Prerequisite: None
Fall

Introductory Chinese II (MLA)

CHN 1020 / 4 credits
In this course students continue learning listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills using visual etymology, the four tones in Mandarin Chinese, and visualizing individual and combined radicals. The three inseparable dimensions of the Chinese language are studied in a more integrated manner: the visual, the phonetic, and the semantic, or Hanzi, Pinyin, and meaning. The interpersonal mode is stressed in communicative contexts. By the end of the course, the students are able to initiate and, to a greater degree, sustain oral communication with some cultural nuances. Hanzi recognition and writing is increased via email, calligraphy, and simple handwriting. 70-80 Hanzi is the goal.
Prerequisite: Chinese 1010 or equivalent
Spring

Elementary Chinese I

CHN 2010 / 4 credits
This course proceeds with an integrated approach to Hanzi/Pinyin and rebalances the four language skills. Speaking and listening continue to be a focal point while more emphasis is placed on writing (handwriting, email, calligraphy) and reading. Listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills are now developed into an interpretative mode as well as the interpersonal one. By the end of the course, students will be able to express simple descriptions, interpretations, questions, ideas, identification, and preferences. Students are expected to recognize and master 100-150 Hanzi. Historical and philosophic aspects are introduced while studying Hanzi.
Prerequisite: Chinese 1020 or equivalent
Corequisite: CHN 2011
Fall

Elementary Oral Chinese I

CHN 2011 / 1 credit
This course must be taken concurrently with Chinese 2010. Chinese 2011 is an oral class and enhances the speaking aspect of Chinese 2010. It meets once a week to expand students’ oral competence in dealing with topics and themes presented in the regular Chinese 2010 class.
Prerequisite: CHN 1020 or equivalent
Corequisite: CHN 2010
Fall

Elementary Chinese II

CHN 2020 / 4 credits
The class engages students in more complex communicative contexts. The four basic language skills, listening, speaking, reading, and writing, enter a mainly interpretative mode while students continue to expand the interpersonal one. By the end of the course, the students are expected to interpret, question, identify, negotiate, compare, and choose in orally communicable Chinese. Chinese idioms are taught as both language and culture. Students’ ability to write Chinese is evaluated only with Hanzi (calligraphy, emails, and handwriting). 170-200 Hanzi are expected to be recognized and put into use for some daily functions, career objectives, diaries, and memos among other simple writings.
Prerequisites: CHN 2010 and CHN 2011 or equivalent
Corequisite: CHN 2021
Spring

Elementary Oral Chinese II

CHN 2021 / 1 credit
This course must be taken concurrently with Chinese 2020. The class enhances the oral aspect of Chinese 2020. It meets once a week to expand students’ oral competence in dealing with topics and themes presented in the regular Chinese 2020 class.
Prerequisites: CHN 2010 and CHN 2011 or equivalent
Corequisite: CHN 2020
Spring

Calligraphy and Chinese Language

CHN 2070 / 4 credits
This course integrates language and cultural studies through calligraphy, the writing of Chinese Hanzi and Japanese Kanji. It is open to both language and nonlanguage students. This course carries a Global Heritage designation. It is conducted in English.
Fall or Spring

Intermediate Chinese I

CHN 3010 / 4 credits
While proceeding with an integrated approach to Hanzi and Pinyin, the students continue to increase Hanzi and decrease Pinyin. The four basic language skills, listening, speaking, reading, and writing, are mainly in an interpretative mode. The communicative context is idea- or opinion-oriented and requires interpretative, subjective, and emotional expressions and responses. The students are expected to initiate, sustain, and expand conversations on the topics studied in previous courses as well as the current one. Social relationships, some philosophic concepts, government institutions, and artistic pursuits are taught as vital aspects of cultural studies. 250-300 Hanzi are expected to be recognized and put into use for brief discussions, debates, and exchange of ideas done through handwriting and emails.
Prerequisites: CHN 2020 and CHN 2021 or equivalent
Corequisite: CHN 3011
Fall

Intermediate Oral Chinese I

CHN 3011 / 1 credit
This course must be taken concurrently with Chinese 3010. Chinese 3011 is an oral class and enhances the speaking aspect of Chinese 3010. It meets once a week to expand students’ oral competence in dealing with topics and themes presented in the regular Chinese 3010 class.
Prerequisites: CHN 2020 and CHN 2021 or equivalent
Corequisite: CHN 3010
Fall

Intermediate Chinese II

CHN 3020 / 4 credits
In this course students continue to increase Hanzi and decrease Pinyin to attain a more authentic and more native language acquisition. While listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills are still developed in an interpretative mode, they progress toward a presentational direction. The communicative context at the 3020 level represents a bridge for students from the interpersonal to the interpretative and the presentational. Orally, the students are expected to initiate, sustain, and expand conversations on the topics studied from previous courses as well as the current one. Significant individuals and some historic/philosophic/literary aspects are studied together with language acquisition. 350-400 Hanzi are expected to be recognized and put into use for thematic writing (emails and handwriting).
Prerequisites: CHN 3010 and CHN 3011 or equivalent
Corequisite: CHN 3021
Spring

Intermediate Oral Chinese II

CHN 3021 / 1 credit
This course must be taken concurrently with Chinese 3020. This is an oral class and enhances the speaking aspect of Chinese 3020. It meets once a week to expand students’ oral competence in dealing with topics and themes presented in the regular Chinese 3020 class.
Prerequisites: CHN 3010 and CHN 3011 or equivalent
Corequisite: CHN 3020
Spring

Chinese Culture and Language

CHN 3070 / 4 credits
Culture is manifested in language and language verbalizes culture. This course studies how Chinese and Japanese languages and cultures reflect this symbiotic relationship. Students are engaged in an intercultural dialogue with a linguistic approach. Open to both language and nonlanguage students, it is conducted in English.
Fall or Spring

Chinese Literature and Culture (HUM)

CHN 3080 / 4 credits
In this course students will critically read and interpret translations of literary, filmic, and other texts originally written in Chinese and Japanese. By studying issues such as the spread of classical cultures, cultural relationships throughout antiquity to the modern age, anxiety toward modernization and Westernization, colonialism and imperialism, national identities, ethnicity, gender, East-West relations, popular culture, labor issues, and environmental problems, students will better understand the ways that literature and culture intersect and interact with each other throughout the long, intertwined history of the two cultural spheres. Students will develop their intercultural understanding and refine their skills in critical thinking and oral and written expression.
Prerequisite: None

Advanced Chinese

CHN 4070 / 4 credits
The course is typically designed for students who have declared their majors (optional for minors) in Chinese. Students are expected to perform advanced-level tasks. The four basic language skills, listening, speaking, reading, and writing, are honed in a presentational mode. Cultivating students’ awareness and appreciation of the richness of the culture of the Chinese-speaking world is thematically structured. Authentic materials will be incorporated into reading and listening. Oral communication will be enhanced with a theme or a viewpoint. 500-550 Hanzi are expected to be recognized and put into use for thematic writing (emails and handwriting).
Prerequisites: Chinese 3020 and 3021 or GNR 3510
Fall or Spring

Immersion Abroad

GNR 3510 / 12-16 credits
Linguistic and cultural immersion abroad for one term in an academic setting in a country speaking the target language. Classroom instruction for all courses, regardless of discipline, will be in the target language. (In exceptional cases, approval may be granted for substituting two summers for the term.)
P/ F Prerequisites for applying study abroad to the major in any modern language: MLA 2200, 3010, 3110, and one of 3080 or 3090

Cultural Awareness

MLA 2200 / 1 credit
Preparation for encountering cultural differences that will be part of the linguistic and cultural immersion experiences (either in the U.S. or abroad). The focus of the course will include values clarification, cultural diversity, multicultural awareness training, and culture shock orientation. Majors who have returned from study abroad will give presentations on their experiences and be contributors to course content and activities.
Prerequisite: 2020 or equivalent in target language