Chinese Courses
Students entering the University of San Diego and/or declaring a major during 2020-2021, should follow information contained in the printed course catalog (also known as the "catalog of record") published on April 1, 2020. Access the catalog of record at https://catalogs.sandiego.edu.
CHIN 101, CHIN 102, CHIN 140, CHIN 141, CHIN 142, CHIN 194, CHIN 201, CHIN 202, CHIN 292, CHIN 293, CHIN 294, CHIN 299, CHIN 301, CHIN 302, CHIN 303, CHIN 304, CHIN 320, CHIN 347, CHIN 394, CHIN 493, CHIN 494, CHIN 499
CHIN 101 | FIRST SEMESTER CHINESE
Units: 3
Prerequisites: Passing the appropriate departmental placement test within the previous year
An introduction to the four basic language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing, with an emphasis on oral skills.
CHIN 102 | SECOND SEMESTER CHINESE
Units: 3
Prerequisites: CHIN 101 or Passing the appropriate departmental placement test within the previous year
Continuation of the skills developed in CHIN 101. Increased practice in reading and writing. Acquisition of new vocabulary consolidated through conversation stressing the relationship between language and culture.
CHIN 140 | TOPICS IN CHINESE LITERATURE AND CULTURE
Units: 3 Repeatability: Yes (Repeatable if topic differs)
Core Attributes: Literary Inquiry area
Study at the lower-division level of a topic in Chinese literature and culture. This course is taught in English and This course is taught in English and satisfies the core requirement for Literary Inquiry but does not satisfy the core Second Language requirement.
CHIN 141 | TOPICS IN CHINESE LITERATURE, FILM OR CULTURE-DOMESTIC FOCUS
Units: 3 Repeatability: Yes (Repeatable if topic differs)
Study at the lower-division level of a topic in Chinese literature, film and/or culture with a Domestic Focus. This course is taught in English and will not satisfy the Language Core requirement.
CHIN 142 | TOPICS IN CHINESE LITERATURE, FILM OR CULTURE-GLOBAL FOCUS
Units: 3 Repeatability: Yes (Repeatable if topic differs)
Study at the lower-division level of a topic in Chinese literature, film and/or culture with a Global Focus. This course is taught in English and will not satisfy the Language Core requirement.
CHIN 194 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN CHINESE LITERATURE AND CULTURE
Units: 3 Repeatability: Yes (Repeatable if topic differs)
Study at the lower-division level of a topic in Chinese literature and culture. This course is taught in English and will not satisfy the Language Core requirement.
Core Attributes: Second language competency
Prerequisites: CHIN 102 or Passing the appropriate departmental placement test within the previous year
Further development of language competence. Practice in oral and written Chinese at the intermediate level, with an emphasis on reading and basic composition. Continued acquisition of new vocabulary consolidated through conversation stressing the relationship between language and culture.
CHIN 202 | FOURTH SEMESTER CHINESE
Units: 3
Prerequisites: CHIN 201 or Passing the appropriate departmental placement test within the previous year
Further development of language competence. Practice in oral and written Chinese at the intermediate level, with an emphasis on reading and basic composition. Continued acquisition of new vocabulary consolidated through conversation stressing the relationship between language and culture.
Core Attributes: Law - Experiential
Prerequisites: CHIN 201 or CHIN 202
Supervised participation as a tutor of students enrolled in our Chinese courses. The course entails tutoring one hour per week, completion of homework (readings and responses, maintaining a journal, etc.) as well as mandatory attendance at two group meetings per semester. Course does not satisfy the second language requirement. It counts as elective credit, not toward the minor.
CHIN 293 | LANGUAGE TUTORING OR FIELD EXPERIENCE IN CHINESE
Units: 1-3 Repeatability: Yes (Repeatable if topic differs)
Core Attributes: Law - Experiential
Supervised participation in the department’s Tutoring Program or placement in a community organization in which the student’s skills in Chinese are developed.
CHIN 294 | TOPICS IN LANGUAGE, LITERATURE, OR CULTURE
Units: 3 Repeatability: Yes (Repeatable if topic differs)
Prerequisites: CHIN 202
Study at the lower-division level of a special topic in language, literature, or culture. When offered, selected subjects will be announced on the MySanDiego portal. If taught in English, this course will not fulfill the Core Curriculum language requirement. Consult with instructor or the department chair.
CHIN 301 | CONVERSATION AND COMPOSITION
Units: 3 Repeatability: No
Prerequisites: Passing the appropriate departmental placement test within the previous year or CHIN 202
This course strengthens students’ language foundation in all aspects of modern standard Chinese, including speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The course is project based and students will apply what they learned from the teaching materials, including vocabulary, grammar, and cultural knowledge, to different verbal or written assignments that lead to the completion of group projects. Authentic materials will be introduced during the course as auxiliary materials to help students analyze issues.
Core Attributes: Oral communication competency
Prerequisites: Passing the appropriate departmental placement test within the previous year or CHIN 202
This course introduces students to multiple aspects of Chinese culture and society that are considered timely and will have a lasting social impact. Students will gain intermediate to advanced listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in standard Chinese.
Core Attributes: Literary Inquiry area
Prerequisites: CHIN 301
This course uses popular TV series and canonical Chinese films as background to discuss contemporary social issues. Students will discuss topics such as China’s real estate market, economy and investment, Internet and technology, modernization and urban migration, consumer culture, and young people’s perspectives on love and gender. This class will also teach up-to-date vocabulary and idioms created by netizens that have gained national popularity.
Core Attributes: Oral communication competency
Prerequisites: CHIN 301 or CHIN 302
This course aims to enhance students’ language skills in a formal context, including giving professional presentations and writing correspondence suited to different business or academic occasions. It is designed for students at a high intermediate or beginning advanced level of proficiency, developing both fluency and accuracy though a topic-based syllabus. Centering on issues of population, education, family, gender, environment, business and technology, this course helps students understand contemporary China and prepares them for reading authentic written materials. This course is taught in Chinese and specialized knowledge of business and economics is not required.
Core Attributes: Literary Inquiry area
Prerequisites: CHIN 301 or CHIN 302
This course introduces students to classical Chinese, the written language of China from the sixth century B.C to the early twentieth century, by studying expressions and stories taken from masterworks of literary and cultural traditions (short proverbs, philosophical writings, and historical literature) created in early China. These stories will help students gain literacy and familiarity with Chinese written texts that are at the heart of Chinese culture. Through reading historical texts, students will learn basic syntax, grammar, and vocabulary that are unique to classical Chinese while identifying issues that have been explored continuously throughout history.
Core Attributes: Literary Inquiry area
This course helps students attain a sophisticated understanding of China’s modern history through the study of cinema as critical texts that respond creatively, aesthetically, and constructively to issues such as nationalism, transnationalism, representation, realism, self-identity (gender, class, region, etc.) and history. Films analyzed in this course articulate the political and social transformations in the pan-China region over the past decades that are direct result of the impact of globalization and a century-long aspiration for modernity.
CHIN 394 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN LANGUAGE, LITERATURE, OR CULTURE
Units: 3 Repeatability: Yes (Repeatable if topic differs)
Prerequisites: Passing the appropriate departmental placement test within the previous year or CHIN 202
Study at the third-year level of a special topic in language, literature, or culture. When offered, selected subjects will be announced on the MySanDiego portal. If taught in English, this course will not fulfill the Core Curriculum language requirement. Consult with instructor or the department chair.
Core Attributes: Law - Experiential
Placement in a community agency where advanced French language skills will be utilized. Elective credit only (does not count toward the minor).
CHIN 494 | TOPICS: CHINESE LANGUAGE III
Units: 3 Repeatability: Yes (Repeatable if topic differs)
Study of special topics in Chinese literature, language, or culture. When offered, selected subjects will be announced on the MySanDiego portal.
CHIN 499 | INDEPENDENT STUDY
Units: 1-3 Repeatability: Yes (Can be repeated for Credit)
A program arranged between the advanced student and the instructor to provide intensive study in a particular area of interest. Extensive reading and consultation are required, as well as preparation of reports to be assigned by the instructor. This course may be repeated for credit when the topic changes.
Chinese
Department of Languages, Cultures and Literatures
College of Arts and Sciences
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