 |
Member of the Division of Humanities
Jin Feng, Chair, Scott Cook
Chinese
At Grinnell, Chinese is an interdisciplinary major that explores the
complex interaction between literary, philosophical, aesthetic, religious, political,
and other important spheres of human life in China. Emphasis is placed not only
on the diversity and uniqueness of Chinese civilization, but also on its
contributions to humanity and its heuristic values to the understanding of
Western cultural traditions.
A knowledge of Chinese is valuable for students contemplating graduate
study or careers in government service or in businesses engaged in
international trade. The Chinese department currently offers beginning through
advanced levels of Modern Chinese, as well as courses in Classical Chinese,
philosophy, and literature in translation. Independent study is encouraged for those
who wish to pursue intensive study of individual authors or special topics.
Qualified students may opt to do some reading in Chinese to supplement their
designated Chinese courses in translation.
A minimum of 32 credits beyond the prerequisites of Chinese
101-102 Beginning Chinese I and II. At least 20 of the 32 credits must be
Chinese courses in the department at Grinnell.
Part 1: The Core (20 credits)
A minimum of 12 of these credits must be taken at Grinnell College.
- Chinese 221-222 Intermediate Chinese I and II (or equivalent)
- Chinese 331-332 Advanced Chinese I and II (or equivalent)
- Chinese 461 Classical Chinese
- Chinese 498 Readings in Chinese Literature
Part 2: Individual Focus (12 credits)
Three courses from the list below, including at least one of the
following to be taken in the Chinese department at Grinnell: Chinese 230, 241,
275, 277, or 498.
- Chinese 230 Chinese Women: Past and Present
- Chinese/Philosophy 241 Chinese Philosophical Tradition
- Chinese 275 Chinese Literary Tradition (in Translation)
- Chinese 277 Modern China through Literature and Film (in Translation)
- Chinese 498 Readings in Chinese Literature
- History 275-276 Chinese History I and II
- Humanities/Social Studies 131 China's Ancient World
- Political Science 275 Politics of the People's Republic of China
- Religious Studies 222 Religious Traditions of China
To be considered for honors in Chinese, graduating seniors, in addition to meeting
the College's general requirements for honors, must demonstrate consistently superior
performance in departmental classes and exemplify substantial commitment to
departmental goals.
101-102 Beginning Chinese I and II (Fall and Spring) 5 credits
An introductory course to modern (Mandarin) Chinese that teaches the
skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Instructional emphasis is laid
on both linguistic aspects (pronunciation, vocabulary, and structures) and
on sociocultural strategies in communication. Students learn approximately
550 frequently used core graphs and their use in context. No prerequisite for
101. Prerequisite for 102: Chinese 101 or permission of instructor. COOK.
211 Practicum in Chinese Calligraphy (Fall or Spring) 1 credit
Guided practice in the different styles of Chinese writing. Recommended
for students in 102 and above. May be repeated for credit with the permission
of instructor. (A maximum of eight practicum credits may count
toward graduation.) Does not count toward Chinese major. Prerequisite: Chinese
101 or equivalent. YANG.
221-222 Intermediate Chinese I and II (Fall and Spring) 4 credits
Reinforcement and expansion of the grammatical basis and
communicative competence gained in Chinese 101 and 102. Continued practice of oral
and listening skills, but with increased emphasis on reading and writing
skills. Stress is on the acquisition of core graphs (to approximately
1,500), vocabulary, and complex sentence patterns. Simplified characters are
also introduced. Prerequisites: Chinese 102 for Chinese 221; and Chinese 221 for Chinese 222 or equivalent. FENG.
230 Chinese Women: Past and Present* 4 credits+
This course will examine literary and cinematic representations of
Chinese women, past and present, by using gender as a category of analysis.
Literary and cinematic focus is on the complex and changing relationship of
Chinese women to normative gender codes and conventions over the course of
some 2,000 years. Prerequisites: none. FENG.
241 Chinese Philosophical Tradition* (Spring) 4 credits+
Also listed as Philosophy 241. Conducted in English. Introduction to
Chinese philosophical tradition from the first millennium BCE to the late years
of imperial China. The focus of the course is philosophical. Through a
critical study of foundational and representative works of philosophy, we
shall examine some of the perennial issues that have interested the Chinese
for centuries, and the unspoken value presuppositions implicit in them.
Prerequisites: none. COOK.
275 Chinese Literary Tradition (in Translation)* 4 credits+
Also listed as General Literary Studies 275. Close reading and interpretation
of classic Chinese works of discursive prose, historical narrative, poetry, and
vernacular fiction from the early Zhou dynasty through late imperial China (ca. 1000 BCE-1911 CE).
Analysis of these texts in the context of their social, cultural, and historical backgrounds
and appreciation of their artistry in terms of both traditional Chinese literary theories
and modern-day reinterpretations. Readings and discussion in English. Prerequisites: None. COOK.
277 Modern China through Literature and Film (in Translation)* 4 credits
Also listed as General Literary Studies 277. This course examines literature and
society in China starting from the turn of the 20th century through the critical study of
selected samples of the literary and cinematic products of this tumultuous historical period.
Attention is particularly focused on the political, cultural, and aesthetic messages that the literary
and cinematic forms convey and disseminate. All readings and discussion are in English.
Prerequisites: None.
FENG.
331-332 Advanced Chinese I and II (Fall and Spring) 4 credits
Further reinforcement, expansion, and refinement of grammatical
proficiency and communicative skills through intensive reading of authentic
Chinese materials, such as short stories, newspapers, journals, and viewing of
films and television broadcasts. Particular emphasis also given to increasing level
of literary appreciation and critical awareness of the sociocultural contexts
that shape readings. Prerequisites: Chinese 222 for 331; and Chinese 331 for 332; or equivalent. COOK, FENG.
387 Individual Reading 2 or 4 credits
Designed to satisfy needs and interests of majors who have otherwise exhausted departmental language
offerings. Prerequisites: Permission of instructor and department chair. STAFF.
412 Chinese Conversation* (Fall or Spring) 1 credit
This course is offered primarily to advanced Chinese students for their
practice of conversational Chinese. May be repeated for credit with the permission of
instructor. Prerequisite: Chinese 461 or concurrent enrollment in Chinese 461. STAFF.
461 Classical Chinese (Fall) 4 credits
Intensive treatment of the basic particles and grammatical structure of
the literary Chinese language (wenyan). Development of skills in
understanding and recognizing syntactic parallelism, contextual clues, and
rhetorical structures through the reading of selected works of classical prose and
poetry. Prerequisite: Chinese 332 or permission of instructor. COOK.
498 Readings in Chinese Literature (Spring) 4 credits
This course is designed to increase students' proficiency in
reading, interpreting, and discussing Chinese literature in its original language,
and thereby build upon the linguistic foundation acquired in both
Classical Chinese (CHI 461) and the three-year language sequence. Literature for
the course will consist of a thematically focused set of textual materials
taken from both pre-modern and modern sources, including literary,
philosophical, and religious texts. Conducted in Chinese. Prerequisites: Chinese 332 and
461 or equivalent. FENG.
*Not offered every year.
A knowledge of Japanese is valuable for students contemplating graduate
study or careers in government service or in businesses engaged in
international trade.
101 Beginning Japanese I (Fall) 5 credits
An introductory course that teaches the skills of listening, speaking,
reading, and writing. Instructional emphasis is laid on both linguistic
aspects (pronunciation, vocabulary, and structures) and on sociocultural strategies
in communication. Students learn both Japanese syllabaries and are introduced
to kanji. Prerequisites: none. STAFF.
102 Beginning Japanese II (Spring) 5 credits
A continuation of Beginning Japanese I, emphasizing the skills of
listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Instructional emphasis is laid on
both linguistic aspects (pronunciation, vocabulary, and structures) and
on sociocultural strategies in communication. Students will have learned at
least 100 kanji by the end of the course. Prerequisite: Japanese 101 or
equivalent. STAFF.
221 Intermediate Japanese I (Fall) 4 credits+
Reinforcement and expansion of Japanese grammar and
communicative competence for students who have previously studied Japanese. Students
will gain advancement in the four skills of speaking, listening, reading,
and writing. Prerequisite: Japanese 102 or equivalent.STAFF.
222 Intermediate Japanese II (Spring) 4 credits+
Further reinforcement and expansion of Japanese grammar and
communicative competence, and advancement in the four skills of speaking,
listening, reading, and writing. Students will have learned at least 300
Kanji by the end of the course. Prerequisite: Japanese 221 or equivalent. STAFF.
279 Modern Japanese Fiction and Film (Fall) 4 credits
Also listed as General Literary Studies 279. This course considers Japanese fiction and film that
depict Japan from the mid-19th century through the present day. The work of some major authors and film directors
will be introduced to examine Japanese culture and society as well as the characteristics that
are unique to Japanese fiction and film. Readings and discussions in English. Prerequisites: none. STAFF.
331-332 Advanced Japanese I and II (Fall and Spring) 4 credits
This course is for those students who have finished Intermediate Japanese II
or an equivalent course. An integrated approach will be taken by the instructor so that the students
will be able to develop both their speaking and writing skills in Japanese. Prerequisites: Japanese 222 or equivalent for Japanese 331; Japaneses 331 for Japanese 332. STAFF.
387 Individual Reading 2 or 4 credits
Designed to satisfy needs and interests of majors who have otherwise exhausted departmental language
offerings. Prerequisites: Permission of instructor and department chair. STAFF.
|
|
