Academic Focus
This program is designed for students who have a strong commitment to acquiring and developing their Chinese language skills, as well as interest in getting to know Chinese culture. Classes for students at all levels, from beginner to advanced, meet daily and are taught entirely in Chinese. At the beginning level, the language classes will have a strong focus on basic communication skills. Students will be engaged in tasks designed to develop and promote listening comprehension, conversation, and grammar skills, but will also get a firm basis in reading and writing Chinese characters. Intermediate and advanced level courses will integrate additional work to develop students’ reading and writing skills, using authentic material to the greatest extent possible. In addition to basic conversational practice, students at these levels will be exposed to audio and video material and will actively discuss topics presented as part of their course. In addition to the language course, students will further develop their language skills and understanding of Chinese culture through cultural activities and contact with Chinese native speakers.
The 20-week Chinese Language Studies Program meets for a total of 340 hours* and is generally worth 22 credits in the US semester system. However, it is up to the discretion of the student’s academic advisor how much credit will be awarded.
*NOTE: In the Chinese educational system, each lesson meets for 40 minutes which is considered the equivalent of a 50-minute lesson in the US. Therefore, each 40-minute lesson is considered one credit hour in the calculation of total contact hours.
Schedule Summary
All courses will meet for 20 hours each week. Classes will be held Monday through Friday at various times throughout the day. Class times vary and your final course schedule will be determined onsite.
Course Registration
Registration will take place on the first two days of the program. During the first week at SHNU students will take written and oral placement tests, register for classes, purchase books and attend an official semester opening ceremony. Based on the placement test results, students will be placed in classes with other students, American as well as international, of their own language level. The university offers Chinese language courses at seven levels during the semester program: beginning I, II and III, intermediate I and II and advanced I and II. It is possible for a student to place in different levels in different skills areas, depending on his/her skills. In order to ensure that you receive credit for the level that you place into, it is in your best interest to have courses at several levels approved by your academic advisor prior to departure.
