Overview
The Chinese language program at Duke offers a five-year curriculum in Mandarin Chinese, an official language in China, Taiwan, and Singapore. Currently, the program has seven full-time faculty members. Besides the language courses, the Chinese Program offers courses on Chinese literature and cultural studies. The curriculum of the program is integrated into Duke Study in China Program (DSIC). Students can expect to receive a high quality of instruction in Chinese language and culture with a holistic curriculum from the Chinese Program at Duke. Major and minor with concentration in Chinese are also available in the Department of Asian and African Languages and Literature.
The language curriculum is divided into two tracks. The regular track is designed for students who start learning Chinese from scratch upon college entry. The fundamental courses for this track include Elementary Chinese (CHN001/002), Intermediate Chinese (CHN63/64), Advanced Chinese (CHN 125/126), and Chinese Language and Society (CHN181S/182S). The alternative track is designed for students whose Chinese oral proficiency is close to that of Chinese native speakers, but have varied reading and writing skills. The language courses for the alternative track include Intensive Elementary Chinese (CHN14), Literacy in Chinese / Elementary Chinese for Advanced Beginner (CHN035/036), Readings in Modern Chinese (CHN 135/136), Topics in Chinese (CHN183S/184S), and Contemporary Chinese Culture (CHN195S/196S). Content-oriented instruction is implemented in upper level courses, i.e. CHN170S and above.
Chinese Round Table Forum “Educating for Advanced Chinese Language Learning”
Time: Saturday, February 27, 2010
Place: Breedlove Room, 204 Perkins library, Duke University
Sponsored by Asian/Pacific Studies Institute (APSI), the Duke Study in China program (DSIC), and the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES) at Duke University.
CHINESE PLACEMENT TEST
(Please see information below.)
Students who are interested in taking a Chinese language course for the first time at Duke are required to read Guidelines for Self-placement. If you have questions regarding the courses above 100-level, please consult with Professor Carolyn Lee at kslee@duke.edu. If you have questions regarding the courses below 100-level, please consult Ms. Tianshu He at htianshu@duke.edu. A formal placement test will be conducted in class on the first day of the semester. The Honor code is applied to placement.
Goals of the Chinese Program:
The goals of the language curriculum in the Chinese Program use Proficiency Guidelines from ACTFL (The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) as reference. The instruction of the language courses emphasizes all four language skills as well as cultural competency. Communicative approaches are embedded in instruction. The goals of the program are as follows:
The student will be able to:
Outside of the classroom, the Chinese Program at Duke is active with extra-curricular activities, such as the language partner program in the International House, Chinese language table with residents from Chinese Hall, and outreach workshops through Asian Pacific Studies Institute.