Chinese Language Program
The Chinese Program offers five years of instruction in Mandarin Chinese. First-year Chinese (CNSE001-002) has two master sections (at Haverford) and three drill sections (at Bryn Mawr). Second-year Chinese (CNSE003-004) offers two master sections (at Bryn Mawr) and two drill sections (at Haverford). A special note to students interested in First-year or Second-year Chinese: They should register in one of the master sections and choose one of the drill sections (they do not need to register separately for the drill section and they cannot register just for a drill section). Both First-year and Second-year Chinese courses are year-long courses. First-year Chinese is intensive and students receive a total of 3 credits for the year. Second-year Chinese is non-intensive and students receive a total of two credits for the year. Third-year and Advanced Chinese (CNSEB101-102 and CNSEB201-202) are taught at Bryn Mawr College. Advanced Chinese, offered through four different content courses, can be taken as Fourth or Fifth-year Chinese.
Chinese Tutoring Program
***TUTORING SCHEDULE FOR BRYN MAWR & HAVERFORD***
Getting A Tutor
The Bi-Co Chinese Program, in conjunction with the Dean’s Offices at the two colleges, offers a free peer-tutoring program for all currently enrolled Chinese language students. Any student needing academic assistance should take advantage of this wonderful resource.
Procedure for getting tutoring at BMC
At BMC all students who want tutors need to request them through the online tutor request form. The form is very brief and easy to fill out. Once a student completes and submits the request form, the form is processed by the Head Tutors and the Dean's Office, and he or she is assigned a tutor or tutors, depending on the specific needs.
Following is the link to the Tutoring Program:
http://www.brynmawr.edu/deans/acad_support/tutoring2.shtml
The link to the actual tutor request form is http://www.brynmawr.edu/deans/tutoring_req_formBCK2.shtml
Procedure for getting tutoring at HC
At HC students who want tutors can directly contact the Chinese language tutors listed in the Chinese Program (See the list on the Bi-Co Chinese Program homepage).
At both BMC and HC, tutoring is done on a one-on-one basis by appointment. Please check the Tutoring Schedule for tutor availability. Tutoring is available up to two hours per week.
We encourage all of our students to consider using this free service at any point of their study of Chinese in areas where individually tailored one-on-one tutorials will be most effective in addressing the students’ needs.
Becoming a Tutor at BMC
Students who would like to become tutors need to apply for the tutoring position online. The form is listed on the student employment office webpage (https://brynmawr.studentemployment.ngwebsolutions.com/). At the same time, they also need to schedule an interview with Zhang Changchun Laoshi (czhang@brynmawr.edu). If it is decided that the student meets our standards, he or she will get a recommendation from him.
Becoming a Tutor at HC
Students who would like to become tutors can directly contact Zhang Changchun Laoshi (czhang@brynmawr.edu) for an interview. If it is decided that the student meets our standards, he or she will get a recommendation to the Dean’s Office. The Chinese Program selects tutors with high standards and offers training. After the training, we classify tutors according to their strengths and our needs. So some tutors are classified to tutor any and all areas, such as pronunciation, speaking, listening, reading, character writing (simplified or traditional) and Pinyin spelling. Some tutors are authorized to tutor in certain areas, but not all. Our tutors are all instructed NOT to tutor on Grammar, which is a topic that should be discussed only with the faculty members in the program.
If you have any questions, please contact your teacher of the course you are currently taking, or Zhang Changchun Laoshi Shizhe Huang (shuang@haverford.edu), the director.
If you have any background in Chinese, please check our description of Placement Tests below. All students who can speak Chinese are invited to our weekly Chinese Table at the Dining Centers at Bryn Mawr and Haverford.
Chinese Language Faculty
Tz'u Chiang, Senior Lecturer
Thomas Hall 120
610-526-6560
Shizhe Huang, C. V. Starr Professor of Asian Studies and Associate Professor of Chinese and Linguistics, Director of Bryn Mawr-Haverford Chinese Language Program, Director of Haverford Linguistics Program
Founders 123
610-896-1262
shuang@haverford.edu
Pauline Lin, Assistant Professor (on leave semester I)
Thomas Hall 124
610-526-5671
plin@brynmawr.edu
Jingyu Zhao, Drill Instructor
Office: Thomas Hall 114
610-526-7974
Changchun Zhang, Instructor
Thomas Hall 114
610-526-7974
czhang@brynmawr.edu
College Foreign Language Requirement
The College’s foreign language requirement may be satisfied by completing CNSE 003 and 004 with an average grade of at least 2.0 or with a grade of 2.0 or better in CNSE 004.
Chinese Language Placement Test
All entering students who have some background in Chinese and wish to take Chinese, including heritage students who can speak the language with no or limited reading and writing skills, must take the Chinese Placement Test. There are two parts for the placement test:
-
Part I:
Please go to the Chinese Program’s website and download the Essay sheets. Fill in all required information, and follow the detailed instructions provided there. When you’re done, sign your essay, and scan it. Email the scanned copy to Mr. Changchun Zhang (czhang@brynmawr.edu), the faculty member in charge of the Placement Test, no later than August 10, 2011.Write an essay on any topic in either simplified or traditional form. Up to 240 characters (two sheets) within three hours. For those whose Chinese writing is not so advanced, please write as much as you can within the limit. No dictionary or any other form of assistance is allowed. Please complete your essay in one sitting, namely, once you start, you should not stop until you finish.
The subject line for this email must be:
Chinese Placement Test--Essay 201
This essay will serve as your registration to take the Placement Test Part II. Please use your full English name so that Zhang Laoshi can register you properly on Blackboard for Part II of the test. (Bryn Mawr students must also notify their Dean’s Office by August 10, 2011, in order to register officially for this test.)
- Part II:
A: The Listening and Grammar Test. This test will focus on the student’s abilities in listening comprehension, pinyin usage, grammatical skills, and character recognition (60 minutes).B: The Oral Test. This test will be administered as an interview with one of the Chinese faculty members in the lounge across from the computer lab as soon as you finish the Part II-A. In this test we will focus on the student’s pronunciation, tones, fluency, and correct usage of Chinese.
Location for Part II:
Date & Time for Part II:
Thursday, August 25, 2011 at 8:30-10:00 am
Roberts Computer Lab, which is in the basement of the Marshal Auditorium at Haverford.
Please allow yourself ample time to find the location and arrive at 8:15am to get ready. Please check the Orientation schedule when you arrive on campus for more details. Bryn Mawr students should check with the Deans Office to learn about the van schedule for this purpose.Once we combine the scores for Part I and Part II, we will place each student, based on their performance, in First-Year (either intensive or non-intensive) through Advanced Chinese. Placement results will be available in late afternoon of the same day of the test. It is quite common for students with 2 or 3 years of Chinese in secondary school to be placed into First-Year Chinese. However, we have seen lately more and more students getting placed into Second-Year Chinese. Students can be certain that we have the experience to place them in the most appropriate level. Interested students are encouraged to participate in the Academic Tea on Friday, August 26 at Haverford to meet with a representative of the Chinese Program to discuss specific questions regarding the Chinese curriculum.
Since the Chinese Program is a bi-college program, some explanation is in order for First-year Chinese. We offer TWO master sections for Intensive First-year Chinese (CNSE001-002). Both sections are open to first year students who would like to begin their formal studies of Mandarin Chinese in Bi-Co. Students need to complete the full year in order to receive a total of 3 credits for this year-long course. Both master classes meet at Haverford (TTH). Students from the two master sections are divided into three drill sections, all of which meet at Bryn Mawr (MWF). Students can register in either of the two master sections at Haverford and can choose any one drill section (they do NOT need to register for the drill class separately). We also offer one section of non-intensive First Year Chinese (CNSE007-008) for those who have some background in Chinese.
Course Schedule
| Course # & Title | Credit | Days & Time | Instructor |
|---|---|---|---|
CNSE00101 Intensive First Year Chinese |
1.5 | Master class @ Haverford:
TTh 10:00-11:30 am
Drills @ Bryn Mawr:
MWF 8:00-9:00 am
or
9:00-10:00 am
or
10:00-11:00 am
(All drills at BMC).
|
Master Class: Zhang, Changchun
Drills: Jingyu Zhao
|
| H001 02 First-Year Chinese Intensive |
1.5 | Master class @ Haverford:
TTH 1:00-2:30
Drills @ Bryn Mawr:
MWF 8:00-9:00am
or
9:00-10:00 am
or
10:00-11:00 am
(All drills at BMC).
|
Master Class: Zhang, Changchun
Drills: Jingyu Zhao |
CNSE007 Non- Intensive First Year Chinese |
1 | MWF 11:00am-12:00pm @ Bryn Mawr (no drills) |
Chiang,Tz'u |
Contact person: Shizhe Huang, Director, Bryn Mawr-Haverford Chinese Program
shuang@haverford.edu
Study Abroad
The Department of East Asian Studies strongly recommends study abroad to maximize language proficiency and cultural familiarity. Because study abroad provides an unparalleled opportunity to study a culture from the inside, students spending a semester or year in China, Japan or Korea will be required to prepare an essay of 10 pages on some aspect of the society or culture of their host country. Sources for this essay may include course readings, magazines, novels, newspapers, television, or personal interviews. The essay may take up contemporary or historical themes.
Formal approval is required by the study abroad adviser prior to the student’s travel. Without this approval, credit for courses taken abroad may not be accepted by the East Asian Studies Department.
If studying abroad is not practical, students may consider attending certain intensive summer schools approved by the East Asian Studies Department. These plans must be worked out in concert with the department’s study abroad adviser and the student’s dean.
Chinese Language Courses
CNSE B001, B002 First-year Chinese
An intensive introductory course in modern spoken and written Chinese. The development of oral-aural skills is integrated through grammar explanations and drill sessions designed to reinforce new material through active practice. Six hours a week of lecture and oral practice plus one-on-one sessions with the instructor. This is a year-long course carrying three units of credit; both semesters are required for credit. (Zhang, Tsai)
CNSE H003, H004 Second-year Chinese
Second-year Chinese aims for further development of language skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Five hours of class plus one-on-one sessions with the instructor. This is a year-long course; both semesters are required for credit. (Chiang, Zhang, Language Level 2)
CNSE B101, B102 Third-year Chinese
A focus on overall language skills through reading and discussion of modern short stories, as well as on students’ facility in written and oral expression through readings in modern drama and screenplays. Readings include representative works from the May Fourth Period (1919-27) to the present. Audio- and videotapes of drama and films are used as study aids. Prerequisite: Second-year Chinese or permission of instructor. (Chiang, Language Level 2)
CNSE B201 Advanced Chinese: Chinese through Film and Art
Through reviews, interviews, newspaper articles, and essays on film and art, this course has two aims: first, to introduce students to Chinese films, documentaries, and modern Chinese art; and second, to enrich students’ vocabulary in discussing cultural issues confronting China today. We will study the works of Fourth through Sixth generation directors (Wu Tianming, Zhang Yimou, Jia Zhangke), and will look at artworks by modern Chinese artists (Li Hua to Wang Quingsong), read and write about urgent issues facing contemporary China expresses through art. Prerequisite: third-year Chinese or above. (Lin, Division III)
CNSE B202 Advanced Chinese: Readings in Contemporary Chinese Culture
Through non-fiction writings this course begins with the 1980’s and concludes with contemporary China. Enriches the students’ vocabulary in and understanding of social, cultural and business issues confronting China today. Students will read and write about urgent matters that China is facing; while enhancing aural and spoken skills through presentations and discussions. Prerequisite: Third-year Chinese or the equivalent. (Huang).
