Culturally, socially, and politically Chinese is a language of global significance. Countless works of philosophy, literature, science, health, law, art, history, religion, and political science have been written in this language over four thousand years of history. Chinese and English share the distinction of being the world’s most widely spoken languages.
In modern times, the economies of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore have been booming for decades, and the People’s Republic of China has the highest rate of economic growth in the world. Considering its population of 1.2 billion and a culture as old as extinct civilizations like Babylon or Sumer, one can imagine China as a huge and ancient dinosaur running with the speed of a rabbit.
Some people believe that the Chinese language is difficult to learn, because of its unfamiliar writing system. Chinese, however, is not so much difficult as it is different from more familiar languages, with its beautiful characters and poetic tones. 1.2 billion people speak it with no trouble every day, and students who have studied a couple of years of Chinese at Carleton can converse fluently in daily Chinese. The faculty make sure the teaching process is effective and enjoyable; laughter is commonly heard from Chinese classrooms as students converse, recite, and perform.
Language Courses
Introductory and intermediate courses focus on conversational skills and basic reading and writing, in a Chinese cultural context. Advanced courses deepen competence in written and spoken language and expose students to new literary genres, including short stories, documentary prose, and essays, as well as film.
Literature and Culture in Chinese
- Recent offerings include Contemporary Short Stories, Contemporary Fiction, and Mass Media (TV and film) and Social Commentary.
Literature and Culture in Translation
- Recent offerings include Chinese Popular Culture and Comparative Study of English and Chinese Short Stories.
Related Linguistics Courses
- Courses in Writing Systems and Historical Linguistics are both taught in the department, and deal extensively with aspects of the Chinese language and its history.
Majors and Minors
Students may petition for a special major in Chinese or they may focus on the study of language or literature as Asian Studies majors. Chinese courses are also an integral part of the East Asian Studies minor. A minor in Chinese language is offered by the college to students that have completed the requisite number of courses after 204.
For guidelines on applying for the Chinese Special Major contact Shaohua Guo, Department of Asian Languages & Literatures.