Chinese Language Info

If you've studied the Chinese language in high school, you should take our placement exam to see which level you belong in at Gettysburg College. Keep in mind that college level Japanese moves at a much faster pace than that of highschool. 

Fall 2008 Placement Exams will be held on August 30th in Breidenbaugh Hall Room 209 at 1:00PM.  Please contact Professor Li (jli@gettysburg.edu) for more details. 

Chinese Language Courses offered:

We currently offer 2 years of Chinese language instruction at Gettysburg College.  Our first and second year language classes meet five day per week.  Students are required to meet with tutors as part of course credit.

Textbooks:

Students will study from the Integrated Chinese and A New China: intermediate Reader of Modern Chinese, Text & Vocabulary.  In addition, students learn from a variety of materials including audio files, video clips and supplementary assignments.  Independent studies for qualified students are taught on a case-by-case basis.

Goals:  

Gettysburg College upholds the goal of developing lifelong learners who are prepared for the responsibilities of local and global citizenship. These courses, by providing you with the linguistic and cultural competence, help you to learn Chinese language, to understand Chinese culture, and to lead you to your future adventure, exploration, and achievement in China or the fields related to China. As the world is seeing the increasingly influential role of China, you can confidently say ‘I am ready' and start your journey to a new horizon.    

Upon completion, students will have:    

1. Ability to use the basic grammatical structures and vocabulary introduced in the course to carry out daily life conversations in Chinese on a limited range of topics, including describing physical surrounding and feelings, exchange of brief information and personal opinions on hobbies, travel, transportation, etc.
2. Ability to read and write longer paragraphs in simplified Chinese
3. Ability to comprehend short passages and dialogues in Chinese spoken at slightly-slower-than-normal speed
4. Increase knowledge of Chinese culture and society