Level Descriptions
Placement in a specific level is determined by language proficiency. All students, except for complete beginners, take a language assessment prior to the start of the program. The language assessment is not part of the application process.
Explore our course catalog to see the courses offered in past years and learn about our curriculum and schedule.
Level 1: Beginning Chinese
CHNS 3101-3102-3103-3104
This level is designed for students with no prior background in Chinese. It aims to help learners develop balanced communicative competence in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and typing Mandarin Chinese. By the end of this intensive program, students will be able to meet basic personal, academic, and social needs in Chinese and handle simple daily-life interactions with confidence.
Students will learn to create language at the sentence level, ask and answer questions, and participate in conversations on familiar topics. The course integrates pronunciation, tones, vocabulary, grammar, and character learning through structured tasks, interactive activities, and digital literacy training in meaningful and culturally authentic contexts.
Activities include intensive drills on sounds and tones, vocabulary, grammatical constructions, and both traditional and simplified characters. A wide variety of pedagogically prepared and authentic materials, including real-life materials, are used to reinforce communicative and cultural skills.
Required Texts
Kubler, Cornelius, Basic Mandarin Chinese book series, Tuttle Publishing.
Speaking & Listening Textbook
Speaking & Listening Practice Book
Reading & Writing Textbook
Reading & Writing Practice Book
Recommended Dictionary
Oxford Chinese Dictionary Oxford University Press, Cambridge, England
Level 1.5: Pre-Intermediate Chinese
CHNS 3197-3198-3199-3200
This level is designed for students who have completed one semester of college-level Mandarin Chinese (Level 1, Part 1) or the equivalent, as well as for those with prior exposure to the language - whether through family ties, online courses, or earlier study that has faded over time. The course builds core skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing, and equips students to advance with confidence to Intermediate Chinese.
Students will expand their ability to use Chinese in both daily life and academic contexts. They will move from sentence-level communication toward short paragraph-level discourse, broaden vocabulary, and build fluency through communicative tasks. Class activities include practice with pronunciation and tones, vocabulary, grammar, and both simplified and traditional characters, all in meaningful contexts. Students will also practice using Chinese in culturally authentic situations, with greater emphasis on interactive tasks and short presentations.
Required Texts
Integrated Chinese book series, 4th edition: Volumes 1 and 2, Cheng & Tsui Co.
Textbook
Workbook
Character Workbook
Recommended Dictionary
Oxford Chinese Dictionary Oxford University Press, Cambridge, England
Level 2: Intermediate Chinese
CHNS 3201-3202-3203-3204
This level is designed for students who have successfully completed a rigorous one-year college-level course in spoken and written Mandarin Chinese or possess equivalent proficiency. Taught entirely in Mandarin, the course emphasizes the ability to comprehend, process, and produce Chinese texts at the paragraph level.
Students will engage in intensive practice of both spoken and written language through complex communicative activities, supported by focused drills to refine pronunciation, expand vocabulary, and master more sophisticated grammatical structures. In addition, students will read and discuss expository texts on a range of cultural topics to deepen their linguistic and cultural understanding. The course also aims to help students develop and apply effective language-learning strategies to gradually become more independent and confident learners of Chinese.
Required Text
Course materials provided.
Recommended Dictionary
Oxford Chinese Dictionary Oxford University Press, Cambridge, England
Level 2.5: Pre-Advanced Chinese
CHNS 3298-3299-3301-3302
This level is designed for students who have completed Intermediate Chinese or the equivalent. While many of the linguistic tasks students learn to handle are similar to those of Intermediate Chinese, the level of language required to carry out these tasks is more advanced. Students are introduced to written shumianyu Chinese and taught how to make the transition from reading pedagogically prepared materials to more authentic materials.
Rigorous practice of spoken and written Chinese in complex communicative activities will be complemented by intensive practice sessions to fine-tune pronunciation, expand vocabulary, and internalize more complex grammatical constructions. Throughout the course we will address issues of how cultural differences inform and are informed by different linguistic contexts and practices. This course is conducted in Mandarin Chinese only.
Required Text
Chou, C.P., A New China, Princeton University Press, 2011
Recommended Dictionary
Oxford Chinese Dictionary Oxford University Press, Cambridge, England
Level 3: Advanced Chinese I
CHNS 3303-3304-3305-3306
This level is designed for students who have completed two years of college-level training in Chinese, this level is conducted in Mandarin Chinese and aims to help students solidify their ability to comprehend and produce paragraph-level Chinese. Instructors strive to enable students to understand face-to-face conversations on familiar topics, communicate factual information, read materials written in formal shumianyu Chinese, and write simple essays, reports, and all types of correspondence.
Students will work with authentic materials, including newspaper and radio, and, under the guidance of their instructor, conduct an independent study on a topic of personal interest and present their work in a formal presentation.
Required Text
Dr. Jincheng Liu; Dr. Xin Zou; Chih-p’ing Chou, Eyes on China: An Intermediate-Advanced Reader of Modern Chinese, Princeton University Press
Recommended Dictionary
Oxford Chinese Dictionary Oxford University Press, Cambridge, England
Level 4: Advanced Chinese II
CHNS 3401-3402-3403-3404
This advanced-level course is designed for students who have completed three years of intensive Chinese study or possess equivalent proficiency. Conducted entirely in Mandarin, the course focuses on helping students comprehend and produce extended discourse with appropriate linguistic register and cultural nuance across a variety of academic and professional contexts. Emphasis is placed on intercultural communication, vocabulary expansion, and discourse-level reading and writing.
Students will read and analyze a range of authentic texts—including argumentative essays, poetry, prose, and fiction—to explore global issues such as cultural difference, belief systems, identity, media ethics, and social justice. Through these explorations, students will enhance their fluency, sophistication, and cross-cultural perspective.
Required Text
Course materials provided.
Recommended Dictionary
Oxford Chinese Dictionary Oxford University Press, Cambridge, England