Course Requirements
The University of Oregon Chinese Flagship curriculum is designed to help students with various levels of incoming proficiency achieve professional proficiency (Superior level on ILR scale) in Chinese upon graduation.
Our program is compatible with any major. Because our curriculum aligns with degree requirements, most Chinese Flagship students pursue a Chinese major or Chinese minor in addition to their main focus of study. We provide students with a rich blend of cross-disciplinary courses with a wide range of topics, emphasize productive learning activities and academic debate, and foster student-centered intensive language production, independent learning and exploration of ideas.
Flagship pathways for individual students are established upon admission to the program, depending on entering proficiency, experience, and major. Flagship students can refer to the pathways templates and their individualized study plans on the community.uoregon.edu Chinese Flagship Program site for specific information.
Chinese Flagship Core Requirements
- Flagship Chinese language courses leading to advanced proficiency (based on placement)
- Novice Level: CHN101/104/105 Novice Skills
- Novice to Intermediate Level: CHN204/205/206 Intermediate Skills
- Intermediate Level: CHN301/302/303 Intermediate Topics
- Intermediate Level: CHN420/421/422 Intermediate Topics
- Advanced Level: CHN413 Cultural Geography
- Advanced Level: CHN445 Advanced Topics
- Advanced Level: CHN439 Advanced Academic Writing
- CHN399 Capstone Prep: Media Chinese and Traditional Literacy
- CHN399 Domain Training: Professional Chinese in major
- CHN436 or CHN482: Literary Chinese
- CHN480: Chinese Linguistics
- Society/History/Literature (S/H/L): any one of the following courses
- EALL209: Languages and Societies of East Asia
- CHN305/306/307: History of Chinese Literature
- CHN308: Literature of Modern Taiwan
- It is recommended for students with novice proficiency participate in a domestic Flagship summer program
- At least one summer study abroad immersion program is highly recommended of all students
Flagship students who complete their required Flagship coursework will have accrued enough credits for a Chinese minor.
About the Courses
Flagship courses are designed to fulfill the curriculum requirements of Capstone and thus include content-infused language courses, including courses on Chinese media, culture, society, and literature, classical Chinese, and domain training. Advanced language courses are taught only in Chinese.
CHN 101/104/105: Accelerated First-Year Chinese (5 credits)
This intensive first year course aims to build basic literacy and oral proficiency in Chinese that allows students to handle basic everyday communication in Chinese, and motivates and facilitates the pursuit of rapid proficiency development in Chinese.
CHN 204/205/206: Accelerated Second-Year Chinese (5 credits)
This intensive second year course is designed for students with some prior exposure to Chinese (e.g. in K-12 setting) who are eager to intensify learning and improve proficiency toward the intermediate level.
CHN 301/302/303: Third-Year Chinese (5 credits)
Continued training in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Prerequisites are two years of Chinese or equivalent.
CHN 420/421/422: Intermediate Strategies (4 Credits)
Taught in Chinese. The topics of this course vary each term, but focus mainly on current events in China. The goal of this course is to develop comprehension and communicative skills to solidify the intermediate proficiency and build communication skills toward advanced proficiency.
CHN 413: Mod Chinese texts: Cultural Geo (4 credits)
Survey of texts and topics on Chinese cultural geography, integrating the learning of Chinese regional cultures in advanced language learning.
CHN 445: Advanced Topics (4 Credits)
Taught in Chinese. This series integrates disciplinary content and language instruction to help students understand basic foundations of various disciplines. Students start to use advanced language to communicate. The topics of the course include cultural geography, religion, and business wellness.
CHN 399: Capstone Prep (4 Credits)
Taught in Chinese. This course is designed for Advanced students preparing for their Capstone application. Students acquire media language proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. They become familiar with the formal register. The course is offered in fall and winter terms before students depart for their Capstone year abroad.
CHN 399: Domain Training (4 credits)
Taught in Chinese. This project-based course familiarizes advanced Chinese language learners with domain-specific professional Chinese in the students’ majors. Students engage in research on the core concepts, constructs, and theories in a sub-discipline within their major, and produce a Chinese-language manual that summarizes these concepts, constructs, and theories.
CHN 436: Literary Chinese (4 Credits)
The course includes readings in various styles and genres of classical Chinese literature, with an emphasis on major works of different periods.
CHN 482 History of Chinese Language (4 credits)
The course exposes students to the historical changes in Chinese sounds, words, and grammar from Old Chinese to Middle Chinese to Early Modern Chinese.
CHN 439: Advanced Academic Writing (4 credits)
This course prepares students for advanced academic writing using formal Chinese. Students learn to produce texts in a variety of formal genres with a focus on research-based academic writing.
CHN 480: Chinese Linguistics (4 credits)
This course provides crucial metalinguistic awareness of Chinese structures, usage patterns, and its conceptual, social and cultural aspects to helps learners of Chinese better master the language.
EALL 209 Languages and Societies of East Asia
Introduces to the cultures, societies and basic linguistic features of Chinese, Japanese, Korean.
EALL 209 Speaking of Food in East Asia (starting Spring 2023)
CHN 305/306/307/308 History of Chinese Literature (4 credits each)
History of Chinese literature of different historical periods.
Learning Support
Language Circles
The UO Mills International Center hosts language circles each Monday from 6:00-7:00. Flagship students are able to meet with native Chinese-speaking peers to practice conversational speaking and listening.