Click here to read Penn State students' experience and tips for studying Chinese.

Click here for information on our foreign language placement policy.
Click here to learn more about the Proficiency Exam that may be used to satisfy foreign language requirements.

Prescribed courses
(Contact Dr. Liana Chen for placement questions)

Click here to read Penn State students' experience and tips for studying Chinese.

CHNS 001 Elementary Chinese I
(no prerequisite; for absolute beginners only)
5 hours a week incl. 1 hour lab, 4 credits, textbook required

CHNS 002 Elementary Chinese II
(prerequisite: CHNS 001 or equivalent level)
5 hours a week incl. 1 hour lab, 4 credits, textbook required

CHNS 002 Elementary Chinese II for Heritage Speakers
5 hours a week incl. 1 hour lab, 4 credits, textbook required

CHNS 003 Intermediate Chinese I
(prerequisite: CHNS 002 or equivalent level)
5 hours a week incl. 1 hour lab, 4 credits, textbook required

CHNS 003 Intermediate Chinese I for Heritage Speakers
5 hours a week incl. 1 hour lab, 4 credits, textbook required

CHNS 051 Elementary Intensive Chinese for Graduate Students I (3)

CHNS 052 Elementary Intensive Chinese for Graduate Students II (3)

CHNS 053 Intermediate Intensive Chinese for Graduate Students (3)

CHNS 083S (IL) Chinese First-year Seminar (3) The meaning and advantages of a Liberal Arts education in context of a specific discipline.
Prerequisite: first-semester standing and enrollment in the College of the Liberal Arts

CHNS 097 Special Topics (1-9) Explores, in depth, a comparatively narrow subject which may be topical or of special interest.

100-300-level courses

Click here to read Penn State students' experience and tips for studying Chinese.

CHNS 110 Intermediate Chinese II
(prerequisite: CHNS 003 or equivalent level)
3 hours a week, 3 credits, textbook required

CHNS 110 Intermediate Chinese II for Heritage Speakers
3 hours a week, 3 credits, textbook required

CHNS 120 Intorduction to Chinese Literature and Culture

CHNS 121 Chinese Film and New Media

CHNS 187 (IL) Chinese Freshman Seminar (3) The meaning and advantages of a Liberal Arts education in context of a specific discipline.

CHNS 294 Research Project (1-12) Supervised student activities on research projects identified on an individual or small-group basis.

CHNS 295 Internship (1-18)

CHNS 397 Special Topics (1-9) Explores, in depth, a comparatively narrow subject which may be topical or of special interest.

Click here for more information on the Chinese minor.

400-level courses and beyond

Click here to read Penn State students' experience and tips for studying Chinese.

CHNS 401 Advanced Chinese (Third-Year Chinese I)
(prerequisite: CHNS 110 or equivalent level)
3 hours a week, 3 credits, textbook required

CHNS 497A Advanced Chinese Post Study Abroad
(prerequisite: CHNS 110 or equivalent level)
3 hours a week, 3 credits, textbook required

CHNS 402 Advanced Reading & Writing: Chinese Literary Culture (Third-Year Chinese II)
(prerequisite: CHNS 110 or equivalent level)
3 hours a week, 3 credits, textbook required

CHNS 403W Practical Written Communication: Chinese for Professional and Academic Purposes (3) Discussions, presentations, readings, and compositions emphasizing written styles used in newspapers, magazines, business reports, academic writing, and other texts.
Prerequisite: CHNS 401

CHNS 452 (IL) Contemporary China: Culture and Trends (3 per semester/maximum of 6) Survey of aspects of the contemporary Chinese-speaking world. Includes readings from Chinese newspapers, magazines, and fiction. Topics may vary each semester.
Prerequisite: CHNS 401

CHNS 453 (IL) Chinese Film (3 per semester/maximum of 6) Selected films and directors representing various aspects of Chinese culture and cinema. Topics may vary each semester. Taught in Chinese.
Prerequisite: CHNS 401

CHNS 454 (IL) Introduction to Classical Chinese (3 per semester/maximum of 6) Basic patterns and structures of Classical Chinese to the first millennium B.C. to the 19th century.
Prerequisite: CHNS 401 or equivalent (such as study abroad credit)

CHNS 455 (IL) Masterpieces of Traditional Chinese Literature (3) Survey of traditional Chinese literature, including poetry, historical narratives, philosophical texts, and drama and novel.
Prerequisite: CHNS 401 or equivalent

CHNS 494 Research Project (1-12) Supervised student activities on research projects identified on an individual or small-group basis.

LA 496 Chinese Internship
By application; 1 - 18 credits; 3 hours of work per week per credit

CHNS 496 Independent Study
(prerequisite: CHNS 402 or equivalent level)
By appointment; 1 - 18 credits; not available in all semesters

CHNS 596 Independent Study
(Graduate level)
By appointment; 1 - 18 credits; not available in all semesters

Click here for more information on the Chinese minor.

Comparative Literature courses that may count toward the minor

Upon approval, these courses may count toward the minor. Contents vary by instructor from year to year.

CMLIT 004 Introduction to Asian Literature
3 credits

CMLIT 004H Introduction to Asian Literature (for Honors students)
3 credits

CMLIT 101H Race, Gender & Identity in World Literature (Spring 2006)
3 credits

CMLIT 404 Literary Modes of Asia
3 credits

CMLIT 410 Problems in Translation
You must use Chinese as one of the foreign languages when doing assignments

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Contact Julianna Chaszar, advisor to the Chinese Minor, if you have any questions.

Course contents vary from year to year, as different instructors may place emphasis on different subject areas. Unless the Chinese-speaking world is an integral part of the course, the course will not count toward the Chinese minor.

Note: This is not an exhaustive list. Other China-related courses not listed here may also count toward the Chinese Minor. 400-level Chinese courses (Chns 401 and 402) cannot be substituted (with the exception of education abroad credit for Chinese courses at the equivalent level).

Click here for more information on the Chinese minor.

	Theater Arts THEA 406 Theater in Asia
	East Asian Studies EA ST 187 Freshman Seminar EA ST 401 East Asian Studies
	Education EDTHP 405 Education in Asia
	History History 174 The History of Traditional East Asia History 175 The History of Modern East Asia History 483 Chinese Society and Culture to 1800 History 484W History of Chinese Thought History 485W Nineteenth-century China History 486 Twentieth-century China
	Art History Art History 120 Asian Art and Architecture Art History 320 Chinese Art
	Geography GEOG 443 Geography of the Orient
	Religious Studies RL ST 003 Introduction to Religions of the East RL ST 104 Introduction to Buddhisim RL ST 105 Buddhism in the Western World RL ST 181 Introduction to the Religions of China and Japan RL ST 409 Buddhist Studies RL ST 483 Zen Buddhism
	Philosophy PHIL 007 Asian Philosophy PHIL 437 World Philosophies and Cultures
	Political Science PL SC 458 Government and Politics of East Asia PL SC 468 International Relations of East Asia
	International Studies INLST 493 International Studies
	International Business IB 303 International Business Operation IB 403 International Business and National Policies

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There are a number of options for you during the summer, including Penn State education abroad programs in Taipei, Beijing, Shanghai, and Singapore, as well as intensive summer Chinese courses at the Universitiy Park campus.

Finish First-Year Chinese in 8 Weeks, Summer 2009: Take intensive summer CHNS 001 (4 weeks) and/or CHNS 002 (4 weeks) in the summer of 2007; each sequence lasts 4 weeks; register for 4 to 12 credits; may opt to audit; field trips and enrichment activities. Any one 15 years or older is eligible to register. Monday through Friday, 8 am - 12:00 pm.

Call (814) 863-0589 or email bjr19@psu.edu.
Click here to download the flyer (PDF).
See the next section for more information

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About The Institute
The language programs included in the institute are designed for individuals who want to develop oral proficiency in a foreign or second language. These credit programs are of particular interest o persons in professions or professional programs such as business administration, engineering, and agriculture, as well as to those interested in literature, linguistics, and language acquisition theory. The interests of program participants determine areas of emphasis. The primary focus, in all language studies, is on aural comprehension and oral expression. Individuals proceed from descriptions of themselves and their milieus to descriptions of the culture being studied. Enrollees may register for 4 to 12 credits. Grades are based on tests, homework performance, class participation, and the oral-proficiency level attained at the end of the language course. The language program is offered over eight weeks; classes for most programs meet daily Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:25 p.m. In languages offering three levels, each sequence lasts approximately two and one-half weeks. (three language levels take the whole eight weeks to complete.) In languages offering only two levels, each sequence lasts four weeks. (Two language levels take the full eight weeks to complete as well.)

Objectives
The programs are intended to:

1. enable you to speak the language with sufficient structural accuracy and vocabulary to participate effectively in formal and informal conversations on practical, social, and professional topics.

2. enable you to read the language accurately enough to grasp the essential ideas in a newspaper, magazine, or journal article.

3. enable you to write the language with sufficient structural accuracy and vocabulary to communicate basic information

Limited Registration
The Chinese language program is limited to twenty-five students to ensure as much individual attention as possible. Therefore, it is important to apply as early as possible; applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Decisions about which courses to offer (and which to cancel) are based on registrations received as of May each year. To be accepted into the program of your choice and avoid cancellations due to under enrollment, please register early.

Students must be at least 15 years old to register.

All programs are conducted on Penn State's University Park campus.

Your fee payment must accompany your application, unless you are a graduate assistant. If you have applied for a student loan, a copy of your loan application must accompany your registration form. Any registration form received without fee payment or loan documentation will be returned.

Staff
Celeste Kinginger, Associate Professor, Department of French, is the institute's director. Coordinators, teaching assistants, and native informants from the Penn State language departments staff the program.

Auditing The Courses
You may attend classes without receiving a grade by auditing a course. As auditors, you may participate in class discussions without having to take the examinations. Registration and fee payment procedures for auditors are the same as those for individuals taking the course for a grade. Be sure to indicate on the registration form that you are auditing the course.

For more information visit:
PSU Outreach Program

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