Beginning Chinese for Heritage Speakers I

3 units

This course is designed specifically for students who can speak and understand some spoken Chinese but have little or no knowledge in reading and writing in Chinese (so-called heritage speakers / huáyì). Students can choose either traditional or simplified Chinese characters for tests and written homework. The topics will concentrate on the life of Chinese immigrants in the U.S. By the end of the semester, students will have been introduced to a vocabulary of about 450 words, and will be expected to be able to produce, both in speaking and in writing, paragraph-length passages in modern Chinese. Note: Students with some previous Chinese language background must take the placement examination.