NYU East Asian Studies - Chinese Language Courses & Descriptions

	New York University
	Department of East Asian Studies
	Chinese Language Courses & Descriptions

The list below do not comprise of all the courses but include the courses most frequently taught.

Elementary Chinese I, II
V33.0201, 0202 4 points per term.
Covers both spoken and written aspects of the language. Open to students who have had no training in Chinese, the course includes translation from and into Chinese and a basic study of elementary Chinese grammar.

Intermediate Chinese I, II
V33.0203, 0204 Prerequisite: V33.0202 or the equivalent. 4 points per term.
A continuing study of Chinese at the intermediate level. In addition to the reading of pai-hua (colloquial) texts, the course provides enough wen-yen (classical) syntax and vocabulary to aid in reading contemporary belles lettres and journalistic and documentary materials in the original.

Advanced Chinese I
V33.0205 Prerequisite: V33.0204 or the equivalent. 4 points.
Reading and translation of wen-yen or pai-hua texts in the humanities and literature. The course is intended to develop reading speed and comprehension of more advanced syntax and styles. Text: Introduction to Literary Chinese.

Advanced Chinese II
V33.0206 Prerequisite: V33.0205. 4 points.
Continuation of V33.0205, with greater emphasis on wen-yen and a gradual introduction of ku-wen (classical Chinese). Designed to help students learn to use original sources in research.

Chinese Characters
V33.0210 Prerequisite: V33.0205 or permission of the instructor. Roberts. 2 points.
Philologically oriented introduction to key cultural concepts of Chinese civilization.

Computing and Writing in Chinese I, II
V33.0211, 0212 Prerequisite: V33.0204, or permission of the instructor. He. 4 points per term.
This controlled enrollment course, first taught in spring 1996, teaches students of advanced Chinese language ability how to compute with and use various Chinese word processing programs.

Readings in Chinese Poetry I, II
V33.0213, 0214 Prerequisite: V33.0204 or permission of the instructor. 2 points per term.
Begins with Shi Jing (The Book of Songs) and continues through the masterpieces of the T’ang Dynasty. Conducted primarily in Chinese. English translations of the poems are provided as references.

Readings in Chinese Culture I, II
V33.0221, 0222 Prerequisite: V33.0206 for V33.0221; V33.0221 for V33.0222 or permission of the instructor. Jiao. 4 points per term.
Intends to assist students to enhance their Chinese proficiency through reading a large variety of materials that have rich connotations of the Chinese culture.

Classical Philosophical Chinese
V33.0223 Prerequisite: V33.0206 or permission of the instructor. Roberts. 4 points.
This course in philosophical Chinese centers on classic literary texts and not modern conversational skills. Students study classical texts and make their own translations and interpretations.

Chinese Language and Structure
V33.0225 Prerequisite: V33.0202 or permission of the instructor. He. 4 points.
Gives the students an overall view of the Chinese language, its history, its process of evolution, its present and future development, its linguistic structure, and aspects in social linguistics.

Elementary Cantonese I, II
V33.0410, 0411 Identical to V15.0410, 0411. No previous training in the language is required. 4 points per term.
Designed for native English speakers and heritage students to acquire a basic knowledge of spoken Cantonese. Introduce Cantonese pronunciation, Yale Romanization systems, basic Cantonese grammar and syntactic structures, daily use vocabulary, phrases and expressions, some frequently used Chinese characters, and Chinese culture and lifestyle, mainly that originating from Hong Kong and Canton.

Intermediate Cantonese I, II
V33.0412, 0413 Identical to V15.0412, 0413. Prerequisite: V33.0411 or its equivalent. 4 points per term.
Designed for native English speakers and heritage students who have acquired a basic knowledge of spoken Cantonese or have fulfilled the requirement of Elementary Cantonese I and II. Introduces the advanced Cantonese grammar and syntactic structures, daily use vocabulary, phrases and expressions, more Chinese characters, and Chinese culture and lifestyle, mainly that originating from Hong Kong and Canton.

Advanced Business Chinese I, II
V33.0603,0604 Prerequisite: V33.0204 or the equivalent. 4 points.
Advanced level Chinese language courses with an emphasis on training in the skill areas of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and translating in the context of business. Designed for students who are interested in doing business with the Chinese-speaking community (including China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore) and in the meantime want to further improve their Chinese language proficiency. The goal is to improve students’ language skills, and to increase their knowledge of Chinese culture and business practices.