Mandarin is the official language of China and one of the world's major languages. As Australia's future is increasingly tied to the rise of China as a world power, the importance of Mandarin will continue to grow. Knowledge of Mandarin not only provides a means of understanding Chinese society and culture but it is also a skill valued in a wide range of professions, both in Australia and internationally. In this major students will learn to speak, listen to, read and write Standard Modern Chinese (Mandarin) from the beginner's level to the advanced. It lays a solid language foundation for students to work in China-related professions and to conduct research in Chinese studies.The major is also designed for heritage and background speakers for whom advanced-level translation and readings courses are available; Cantonese and Literary Chinese can also be counted as part of the Chinese language major. Students in this major will have opportunities to study at a tertiary institution in China or other Mandarin–speaking areas. Competitive scholarships are available to qualified students. Enquire now >>
Learning Outcomes
- Speak confidently and accurately in polite and informal registers, in a style appropriate to the situation, content, and audience.
- Identify and use advanced grammatical rules and complicated sentence structures relevant to a range of conversational situations and texts.
- Engage with authentic materials in Chinese such as offical news, literary works and social media by summarising, analysing, and critically evaluating the content.
- Write texts in the appropriate genre, with correct grammatical structures and thematic vocabulary relevant to the level of the student.
- Write, perform and record presentations or interviews either individually or in cooperative groups, and answer questions based on those performances or interviews. It's based on real-time situation and research.
- Through the development of language and cultural skills, develop and deploy critical thinking through reflection on the similarities and differences between cultures and systems of meaning.
Other Information
Students with previous “language experience or exposure” are required to take a language proficiency assessment to ensure enrolment at the most appropriate level. This major cannot be taken by students who have pre-existing language competence at or above CHIN3023.
Relevant past experience includes:
- Previous study of the language (both formal and informal, for example but not limited to, at school, or, home, or through online activities, etc.)
- Being exposed to the language in childhood via a family member or friend
- Travel or living in a country where the language is spoken
- The language being spoken in your home (even if you do not speak it yourself)
Students who are not sure if they need to take a proficiency assessment should seek advice from the course or language convenor.
Students who intentionally misrepresent their language proficiency level may be investigated under the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 as having failed to comply with assessment directions and having sought unfair advantage. This may results in a penalty such as reduced grades or failure of the course.
Students are not permitted to enrol in a language course below one that they have already successfully completed, except with permission of the language and/or course convenor.
Relevant Degrees
Requirements
This major requires the completion of 48 units which must include:
48 units from the following sequence of Chinese language courses
CHIN1012 Modern Chinese 1: Spoken
CHIN1013 Modern Chinese 1: Written
CHIN2022 Modern Chinese 2: Spoken
CHIN2023 Modern Chinese 2: Written
CHIN3017 Modern Chinese 3
CHIN3018 Modern Chinese 4
CHIN3022 Modern Chinese 5
CHIN3023 Modern Chinese 6
CHIN3024 Modern Chinese 7
CHIN3025 Modern Chinese 8
Students who receive an exemption through a Language Placement Assessment (LPA) may choose from the following list of courses to complete their major. Students cannot receive an exemption through an LPA for CHIN3023, CHIN3024, CHIN3025.
ASIA2100 Linguistic Histories in Asia and the Pacific (L)
ASIA2103 Language in Asia and the Pacific (L)
ASIA3525 Learning Language Locally (6-12 units)
CHIN2019 Literary Chinese 1
CHIN2021 Literary Chinese 2
CHIN2024 Cantonese 1
CHIN2025 Cantonese 2
CHIN3041 Chinese-English Translation
CHIN3216 Chinese-English Interpreting
CHST3211 Reading China: Past and Present
CHST3212 Reading Chinese Literature: Theory and Criticism
6 units from completion of the following course(s):
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ASIA2103 | Language in Asia and the Pacific (L) | 6 |
42 units from completion of the following course(s):
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ASIA 3006: Prac Assign in Asia Pacific | ||
| CHIN1012 | Modern Chinese 1: Spoken | 6 |
| CHIN1013 | Modern Chinese 1: Written | 6 |
| CHIN2022 | Modern Chinese 2: Spoken | 6 |
| CHIN2023 | Modern Chinese 2: Written | 6 |
| CHIN 3020: Modern Chinese 3 | ||
| CHIN 3021: Modern Chinese 4 | ||
| CHIN3022 | Modern Chinese 5 | 6 |
| CHIN3024 | Modern Chinese 7 | 6 |
| CHIN3025 | Modern Chinese 8 | 6 |
| CHIN 3030: Classical Chinese 1 | ||
| CHIN 3031: Classical Chinese 2 | ||
| CHIN 3032: Classical Chinese_3 | ||
| CHIN 3033: Classical Chinese_4 | ||
| CHIN 3034: Chinese Society | ||
| CHIN 3035: Chinese History | ||
| CHIN3041 | Chinese-English Translation | 6 |
| CHIN 3042: Toolkit | ||
| CHIN 3043: Readings in Taiwan Studies | ||
| CHIN 3114: Classical Chin Poetry | ||
| CHIN 3201: Cantonese A | ||
| CHIN 3202: Cantonese B | ||
| CHIN 3211: Advanced Readings in Chinese A | ||
| CHIN 3212: Advanced Readings in Chinese B | ||
| CHIN 3214: Gender & Sex: Chin Lit & Film | ||
| CHIN3216 | Chinese-English Interpreting | 6 |
| CHIN 3220: Translating Chinese Literature | ||
| CHIN3023 | Modern Chinese 6 | 6 |
