Chinese
Program Coordinator: Dr Huiling Xu
The Chinese language program offers an extensive range of units from beginners to honours level and postgraduate study. Three entry-level units are available to cater to students with differing standards in the Chinese language. At second and third year level, specialist units are available in Chinese for professional purposes, Chinese culture studies, and translation training.
At all levels, the emphasis is on the development of communicative skills in oral Mandarin and written Chinese, as well as the development of general intellectual skills through the study of Chinese civilisation using Chinese language sources. At senior levels, there is a focus on more specialised Chinese language use for academic or professional purposes.
Students are strongly encouraged to complete studies in another discipline with a China–Asia focus such as history, politics, linguistics, cinema, or economics to complement their language study. Students are encouraged to undertake further language study in China. If a student is in receipt of a university scholarship or award that covers tuition fees at the institution in China, they are eligible to enrol in China in-country studies. Self-funded students who pay tuition fees in China are not eligible to enrol in the in-country studies Program. However, they may be able to claim credit points for successful completion of language studies at an authorised institution in China. Students must seek permission from the Asian Studies Program Coordinator in advance if they wish to take up this option. Self-funded students can be awarded up to 60 credit points towards their degree for language study in China.
Students may enrol at beginners, advanced or other levels depending on their background and experience. Commencing students are allocated to the appropriate class by the lecturer. Students normally require at least a C grade pass in their current Chinese unit to proceed to the next level.
Programs of study
To qualify for a degree with a major in Chinese, a student must pass a minimum of 130 credit points of Chinese units, including 60 credit points of third year units. Depending on a student’s prior knowledge of and/or qualifications in Chinese language when they commence their degree, there are three different major streams: beginners, advanced and dialect speakers. Students whose first language is Mandarin should refer to the section below. The major requirements for these streams are as follows.
Beginners’ stream
This stream is for students with no prior knowledge of Chinese. These students must pass the six units CHI1BEA, CHI1BEB, CHI2BEA, CHI2BEB, CHI3BEA and CHI3BEB, and one other third year unit in Chinese.
Advanced stream
This stream is for students who have previously completed VCE Chinese or equivalent. These students must pass the six units CHI1ADA, CHI1ADB, CHI2ADA, CHI2ADB, CHI3ADA and CHI3ADB, and one other third year unit in Chinese. Note: students wishing to qualify as Chinese language teachers in schools must complete this stream. This is the requirement to take Chinese language as a teaching method in the Diploma of Education or the double degree Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Arts Education.
Dialect speakers’ stream
This stream is for students who already have fluency in a Chinese dialect but without formal education in Chinese language. These students must pass the six units CHI1DSA, CHI1DSB, CHI2APA, CHI2CMT, CHI3CPA and CHI3CPB, and one other third year unit in Chinese.
Mandarin speakers
Students whose first language is Mandarin may join the dialect speakers stream from the second year onwards. A major in Chinese is not available for native Mandarin speakers now, however the following units are available: CHI2/3APA, CHI2/3CCT, CHI2/3CMT, CHI3CPA, and CHI3CPB.
| Teaching period | Unit title | Unit code |
|---|---|---|
| First year units (15 credit points) | ||
| TE-SEM-1 | Chinese Advanced 1A | CHI1ADA |
| TE-SEM-1 | Chinese Beginners 1A | CHI1BEA |
| TE-SEM-1 | Chinese Dialect Speakers 1A | CHI1DSA |
| TE-SEM-1 | Introduction to Asian Culture and Traditions | AST1BCE |
| TE-SEM-2 | Chinese Advanced 1B | CHI1ADB |
| TE-SEM-2 | Chinese Beginners 1B | CHI1BEB |
| TE-SEM-2 | Chinese Dialect Speakers 1B | CHI1DSB |
| Second year units (20 credit points) | ||
| TE-SEM-1 | Chinese Advanced 2A | CHI2ADA |
| TE-SEM-1 | Chinese Beginners 2A | CHI2BEA |
| TE-SEM-2 | Chinese Advanced 2B | CHI2ADB |
| TE-SEM-2 | Chinese Beginners 2B | CHI2BEB |
| Second or third year units (20 credit points) | ||
| TE-SEM-1 | Chinese Classical Texts | CHI2CCT/CHI3CCT |
| TE-SEM-1 | Chinese for Professional Purposes A | CHI2PPA/CHI3PPA |
| TE-SEM-1 | Intercultural Communication | LIN2CCC/LIN3CCC |
| TE-SEM-2 | Chinese for Professional and Academic Purposes A | CHI2APA/CHI3APA |
| TE-SEM-2 | Chinese Modern Texts | CHI2CMT/CHI3CMT |
| TE-SEM-2 | Language in Asia1 | LIN2LIA/LIN3LIA |
| TE-SEM-2 | Society and State in Japan and China | AST2EAS/AST3EAS |
| Third year units (20 credit points) | ||
| TE-SEM-1 | Chinese Advanced 3A | CHI3ADA |
| TE-SEM-1 | Chinese Beginners 3A | CHI3BEA |
| TE-SEM-1 | Readings in Contemporary Chinese Prose A | CHI3CPA |
| TE-SEM-2 | Chinese Advanced 3B | CHI3ADB |
| TE-SEM-2 | Chinese Beginners 3B | CHI3BEB |
| TE-SEM-2 | Readings in Contemporary Chinese Prose B | CHI3CPB |
Honours
Students wishing to enter fourth year honours in Chinese should normally have completed a Chinese major of at least 130 credit points, including 60 credit points at third year level, with suitably high grades. Students who wish to proceed to honours should apply to the Chinese Language Coordinator before they complete their third year. The Chinese 4 Program consists of two parts:
- (a) coursework: students complete 60 credit points of coursework in their honours year
- (b) thesis: a thesis of 12000 to 15000 words in an area of Chinese studies must be submitted. The topic must be agreed upon by the student and their supervisor(s) at the beginning of the course and is to be written in English.
A full description of these units (including the unit name, unit code, credit points, campus/location, unit coordinator, class requirements, assessment, prerequisites, and readings) appears at the end of each discipline entry. A full description of CHI units appears below. For the most recent descriptions of all units, please access the unit database at www.latrobe.edu.au/udb_public.