Fall 2022

  • CHIN 101: Elementary Chinese

    Introduction to Chinese sentence structure and writing system, together with the development of basic aural/oral skills, with attention to the cultural context. Students who have learned spoken Mandarin Chinese at home or in another context, but who are unable to read or write, are encouraged to register for Chinese 280. 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Fall 2022 · Shaohua Guo

  • JAPN 101: Elementary Japanese

    Introduction to the Japanese sentence structure and writing system, together with the development of basic aural/oral skills, with attention to cultural context. 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Fall 2022 · Noboru Tomonari

  • CHIN 204: Intermediate Chinese

    Expansion of vocabulary and learning of complex sentence forms, with equal emphasis on the development of the four skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening comprehension. Prerequisites: Chinese 103 or equivalent 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Fall 2022 · Lin Deng, Lei Yang

  • JAPN 204: Intermediate Japanese

    Emphasis is on the development of reading skills, especially the mastery of kanji, with some work on spoken Japanese through the use of audiovisual materials.

     Prerequisites: Japanese 103 or equivalent 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Fall 2022 · Miaki Habuka

  • JAPN 249: Introduction to Contemporary Japan and Literature

    This course provides an introduction to contemporary Japan through a variety of literary works dating from the early postwar period (1945) to the present. While becoming familiar with prize-winning Japanese writers, literary genres, and various artistic conventions, we will examine how writers reacted to, shaped, and critiqued historical events and social situations in which these literary texts are written. Topics for discussion include: war memory, postwar economic success, loss of national identity, shifting concepts of families, gender roles, and lifestyles, minorities, alienation, and disaster. Through readings, lectures, and discussions, you will become familiar with major cultural and historical movements that comprise the complexity of contemporary Japan, and develop the critical skills necessary to analyze literary texts. All readings are in English, and no background knowledge of Japan is required.

     6 credits; Literary/Artistic Analysis, International Studies; offered Fall 2022 · Chie Tokuyama

  • CHIN 252: The Chinese Language: A Linguistic and Cultural Survey

    This course offers a unique introduction to the Chinese language for anyone curious about its defining characteristics and how they shaped, impacted, or relate to certain social, political, and cultural practices and traditions in China, present and past. This course will prepare students with the knowledge to make informed judgment on common misconceptions or prejudices, by non-Chinese and Chinese speakers, concerning the Chinese language or its writing system. Students are expected to learn about some general linguistic concepts and notions in regard to structural features of human language and its relationship with mind, society, and culture through this course. No prior knowledge of Chinese or linguistics is required.

     6 credits; Humanistic Inquiry; offered Fall 2022 · Lin Deng

  • CHIN 280: Chinese Literacy

    This course is aimed at fluent Mandarin speakers who have not learned to read and write. Students will intensively study the same characters as taught in Chinese 101, 102, 103, and 204. Successful completion will allow students to register for Chinese 205 in the winter term.

     Prerequisites: Near-native fluency in oral Mandarin 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Fall 2022 · Shaohua Guo

  • JAPN 344: Japan Trends: Lifestyle, Society, and Culture

    In this advanced Japanese language course, we will explore a wide range of concepts, social media buzzwords, and cultural phenomena that constitute the fabric of everyday life in Japan today. From “geeks” and “idols” dominating the cultural scene to the “working poor” and “hikikomori,” who represent the precarity Japan faces in the contexts of economic, political and psychological crisis, the course delves into the aspects of key phenomena surrounding contemporary Japanese society. You will develop skills to read, analyze, summarize, and critique various texts written in Japanese, including newspaper articles, scholarly essays, literary texts, and films, while becoming familiar with historical contexts in which these keywords emerged and are used.

    Prerequisites: Japanese 206 or equivalent 6 credits; Literary/Artistic Analysis, International Studies; offered Fall 2022 · Chie Tokuyama

  • CHIN 355: Contemporary Chinese Short Stories

    This advanced Chinese language course focuses on contemporary short stories. The course is designed to help students enhance reading skills, expand students’ mastery of advanced vocabulary, and prepare students to analyze authentic materials. The historical, cultural, and literary forces that shape these cultural works also will be examined. Prerequisites: Chinese 206 or equivalent 6 credits; Literary/Artistic Analysis; offered Fall 2022 · Shaohua Guo

Winter 2023

  • CHIN 102: Elementary Chinese

    Continuation of Chinese 101. Prerequisites: Chinese 101 or equivalent 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Winter 2023 · Lin Deng

  • JAPN 102: Elementary Japanese

    Continuation of Japanese 101. Prerequisites: Japanese 101 or equivalent 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Winter 2023 · Chie Tokuyama

  • CHIN 205: Intermediate Chinese

    Continuation of Chinese 204. Completion of this course with a C- or better fulfills the language requirement.

     Prerequisites: Chinese 204, Chinese 280 or placement 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Winter 2023 · Lin Deng, Lei Yang

  • JAPN 205: Intermediate Japanese

    Continuation of Japanese 204. Completion of this course with a C- or better fulfills language requirement. Prerequisites: Japanese 204 or equivalent 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Winter 2023 · Miaki Habuka

  • CHIN 250: Chinese Popular Culture in Translation

    This course (taught in English) provides an overview of Chinese popular culture from 1949 to the contemporary era, including popular literature, film, posters, music, and blog entries. The course examines both old and new forms of popular culture in relation to social change, cultural spaces, new media technologies, the state, individual expressions, and gender politics. Throughout this course, special attention is paid to the alliance between popular literature and the booming entertainment industry, the making of celebrity culture, and the role digital media plays in shaping China’s cultural landscape. The course requires no prior knowledge of Chinese language, literature, or culture.

     6 credits; Literary/Artistic Analysis, International Studies; offered Winter 2023 · Shaohua Guo

  • JAPN 254: World of Japanese Manga in Translation

    This course will examine manga (Japanese comic books that first appeared in post-World War II Japan). Manga are avidly read in Japan as a main component of Japanese popular culture. They have a huge influence on other media such as films and anime. The genre has greatly expanded its readership outside of Japan during the last decade. We will read a variety of manga aimed at different gender and age groups, in English translation. The texts will be interpreted as a means of understanding the world-views of the Japanese, and how Japanese society has evolved in recent decades.

     6 credits; Literary/Artistic Analysis, International Studies; offered Winter 2023 · Noboru Tomonari

  • JAPN 345: Advanced Reading in Modern Japanese Literature: The Short Story

    Introduction to modern Japanese short fiction in the original, with exposure to a variety of styles. Some practice in critical analysis and literary translation. Prerequisites: Japanese 206 or the equivalent. 6 credits; Literary/Artistic Analysis; offered Winter 2023 · Noboru Tomonari

  • CHIN 360: Classical Chinese

    This course introduces to students the essentials of classical Chinese through a close reading of authentic materials. A wide range of genres, including prose, poems, idioms, and short stories, will be introduced to enrich students’ understanding of various writing conventions and styles. The historical, cultural, and literary forces that shape these cultural works also will be examined.

     Prerequisites: Chinese 206 or equivalent. 6 credits; Literary/Artistic Analysis; offered Winter 2023 · Lei Yang

Spring 2023

  • CHIN 103: Elementary Chinese

    Continuation of Chinese 101, 102. Prerequisites: Chinese 102 or equivalent 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Spring 2023 · Lei Yang

  • JAPN 103: Elementary Japanese

    Continuation of Japanese 102. Prerequisites: Japanese 102 or equivalent 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Spring 2023 · Chie Tokuyama

  • CHIN 206: Chinese in Cultural Context

    This course advances students’ proficiency in oral and written Chinese, at the same time integrating elements of traditional Chinese civilization and modern Chinese society. Emphasis is on cultural understanding and appropriate language use. Prerequisites: Chinese 205 or equivalent 6 credits; offered Spring 2023 · Lin Deng

  • JAPN 206: Japanese in Cultural Context

    This course advances students’ proficiency in the four skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing in Japanese. The course also integrates elements of traditional Japanese civilization and modern Japanese society, emphasizing cultural understanding and situationally appropriate language use.

     Prerequisites: Japanese 205 or equivalent 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Spring 2023 · Noboru Tomonari

  • CHIN 258: Classical Chinese Thought: Wisdom and Advice from Ancient Masters

    Behind the skyscrapers and the modern technology of present-day China stand the ancient Chinese philosophers, whose influence penetrates every aspect of society. This course introduces the teachings of various foundational thinkers: Confucius, Mencius, Laozi, Sunzi, Zhuangzi, and Hanfeizi, who flourished from the fifth-second centuries B.C. Topics include kinship, friendship, self-improvement, freedom, the art of war, and the relationship between human beings and nature. Aiming to bring Chinese wisdom to the context of daily life, this course opens up new possibilities to better understand the self and the world. No knowledge of Chinese is required.

     6 credits; Humanistic Inquiry, International Studies; offered Spring 2023 · Lei Yang

  • CHIN 350: Reading Chinese Comics

    This course selects a range of popular comics as reading materials, including stories based on traditional novels and fantasies, science fiction, children’s literature, and non-fiction. Students will gain important cultural and historical knowledge about China, expand vocabulary on a variety of cultural and societal topics, and most importantly, develop proficiency in producing descriptions and third-person narratives both orally and in writing.

     Prerequisites: Chinese 206 6 credits; Literary/Artistic Analysis, International Studies; offered Spring 2023 · Lin Deng