Chinese
Modern Languages Mission Statement
Educated people spend their lives pursuing growth in political, social and intellectual freedom. One kind of intellectual freedom requires us to break away from the notion that our native language is the most natural and apt means of expressing the full range of human experience. An education can start with the discovery that all words are purely conventional devices. They are nonetheless tools that stir emotions, articulate ideas, and establish relationships with others. Learning another language contributes to our education by intimately exploring cultural and linguistic concepts that broaden our understanding of what it means to be human in today's world.
Our basic courses offer the opportunity to begin acquiring the skills and knowledge necessary for the eventual mastery of a language. When students take full advantage of that opportunity, they can use the target language in all subsequent courses. The department emphasizes the use of the target language in most of its courses because it believes that students can best appreciate another culture from within its own mode of expression.
With a view toward career opportunities, the department encourages integrating language study with a variety of other academic areas, such as history, philosophy, international studies, environmental studies, biology, economics, politics and public affairs, global commerce, global health, and English. Courses in cultural studies and literature, aside from their intrinsic worth, also present multiple perspectives on other cultures and areas of intellectual experience.
A student who wants to spend a summer, a semester, or a year abroad with programs approved by Denison should consult members of the department and the Center for Global Programs (see Off-Campus Programs). On-campus opportunities to improve command of the language are provided by language tables, international films, club meetings, and similar activities sponsored by the department. There are also subsidized field trips to museums and pertinent activities in cities across the country, and in some cases international travel.
Faculty
Associate Professor Charles St-Georges, Chair
Associate Professor Melissa Huerta, Associate Chair
Professor Xinda Lian
Visiting Assistant Professor Hunter Klie
Academic Administrative Assistant
Liz Barringer-Smith
Additional Points of Interest
General Departmental Regulations
Students who want to fulfill the basic requirement in language by continuing one begun in secondary school will find it advantageous to begin their course work in the first year. The Department of Modern Languages strongly recommends that students complete their language requirement by the end of their sophomore year.
The Language Lab
An important asset of the department is the Language Lab with its 27 Macs, zone-free Blu-ray player and document camera. It also has a VIA Connect PRO, which is a wireless collaboration and presentation solution that makes sharing and presenting easier for all computers in the room. The lab provides support for learning activities outside and inside the classroom, ranging from grammar drills to research and collaborative writing projects, as well as discussions of authentic materials published on the Internet. The area is designed not only for individualized instruction but also for group work and small seminars that use a variety of digital materials for class discussion.
Cultural Enrichment
Each semester the department offers students exceptional opportunities for cultural enrichment in language study. These opportunities include, for example, off-campus trips to target-culture plays, movies and performances, as well as campus visits by native scholars and performers. In that way, experiences in target cultures become more readily available to our students. These opportunities are made possible through a most generous endowment bestowed on the Department of Modern Languages by the Patty Foresman Fund. The department maintains a Modern Languages Facebook page where Denison community members can view upcoming events.
The Foresman Lounge
Located in the central hub of the department, the lounge provides the Denison community with a space for a wide range of activities such as receptions, classes, and informal gatherings. This area has a kitchenette with a table and chairs for sharing lunch or a coffee with our faculty as well as mobile soft seating for easy reconfiguration of the space. It is also equipped with a wide range of technological devices to enrich our students’ learning experiences. This room has a 52-inch flat screen TV connected to a webcam, zone-free Blu-ray player and a document camera. The lounge also has a ceiling-mounted laser projector that connects to a networked Mac computer, the Blu-ray player and a VIA for wireless connection to the data projector.
Although the Department of Modern Languages offers majors in French, German and Spanish, other languages are also offered for the purpose of general education and support of other college programs. Courses in Chinese are listed below.
Courses
CHIN 111 - Beginning Chinese I (4 Credit Hours)
A comprehensive introductory course in modern standard Chinese through the four basic skills: aural comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing. The two beginning courses will concentrate on correct pronunciation and the four tones, the writing of Chinese characters, as well as the basic grammatical patterns.
CHIN 112 - Beginning Chinese II (4 Credit Hours)
A comprehensive introductory course in modern standard Chinese through the four basic skills: aural comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing. The two beginning courses will concentrate on correct pronunciation and the four tones, the writing of Chinese characters, as well as the basic grammatical patterns.
CHIN 206 - Dream and Fantasy in East Asian Literature (4 Credit Hours)
Through close analysis of some of the most important recurrent themes, this course will examine how the Chinese and Japanese literary traditions reinvent and revitalize themselves in their development. Students will also study the distinctive features of the major genres in the two traditions.
CHIN 211 - Intermediate Chinese (4 Credit Hours)
Development of conversational skills. Comprehensive grammar will be the core of the course, along with further development of reading ability and more extensive oral practice.
Prerequisite(s): CHIN 112.
CHIN 212 - Intermediate Chinese II (4 Credit Hours)
Further development of fluency in conversation and in reading. Emphasis on the students' ability to write Chinese characters through composition exercises.
Prerequisite(s): CHIN 211.
CHIN 299 - Intermediate Topics in Chinese (1-4 Credit Hours)
A general category used only in the evaluation of transfer credit.
CHIN 305 - Spontaneity: Taoism and Chinese Literature (4 Credit Hours)
This course examines a special group of Chinese texts that will not only enlighten, but also delight modern readers: ancient Taoist texts written in fascinating literary style, and a variety of literary works informed with Taoist spirit. No knowledge of Chinese is required.
CHIN 311 - Advanced Chinese (4 Credit Hours)
This course is designed for students who have completed two years of college-level Chinese and are ready to move on from the intermediate to the advanced level. Besides the topics provided by the textbook, students will also work on conversation topics drawn from newspaper articles and other media sources on social-cultural issues in China. By the end of the semester, students should be able to comprehend Chinese used in various contexts, to write short essays, and to discuss subject-oriented issues.
Prerequisite(s): CHIN 212 or equivalent.
CHIN 312 - Advanced Chinese (4 Credit Hours)
This course further develops students' basic skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) in mandarin Chinese. The emphasis is placed on vocabulary building and extended mastery of sentence structures of Modern Chinese through reading, writing, and related communicative activities.
Prerequisite(s): CHIN 311 or equivalent.
CHIN 345 - Special Topics in Advanced Chinese (4 Credit Hours)
Study of selected topics at the advanced level in Chinese.
CHIN 361 - Directed Study (1-4 Credit Hours)
Readings in Chinese texts.
CHIN 362 - Directed Study (1-4 Credit Hours)
Readings in Chinese texts.
CHIN 363 - Independent Study (1-4 Credit Hours)
CHIN 364 - Independent Study (1-4 Credit Hours)