An introductory Chinese course in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Modern Standard Chinese. The student will learn pinyin, basic grammar, and a limited set of characters to understand basic everyday conversations and elementary readings. The course is designed for the absolute beginners and intended primarily for students with no previous exposure to Chinese or who are not of Chinese heritage.

Pre-requisite(s): Beginning Chinese 1 or equivalent; or with permission from instructor

This course is designed for (1) students who already possess some proficiency in spoken Chinese but no formal education in Chinese; (2) students returning from summer study abroad programs; and (3) students who are not of Chinese heritage, with prior coursework in Chinese and wish to further develop their reading and writing skills in Chinese. Students will need to take a placement test prior to the beginning of the course.

Pre-requisite(s): YLC1201 Beginning Chinese and YLC1202 Beginning Chinese 2; have passed Chinese O & A Levels; or with permission from the instructor

This course is designed for students who completed the Beginning Chinese sequence: YLC1201 and YLC1202, or students who passed Chinese O & A Levels. It emphasises the ability to communicate accurately and function appropriately in Modern Chinese. Students will need to take a placement test. The course aims to develop students by: (1) acquiring basic knowledge and communicative skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing Chinese; (2) gaining solid understanding of the cultural and social context of Chinese; (3) developing research skills to understand Chinese texts and culture by using Chinese input system and online dictionary, as well as useful online resources.

Pre-requisite(s): YLC2201 Intermediate Chinese 1; have passed Chinese O & A Levels; or with permission from the instructor

This course is designed for students who completed Intermediate Chinese 1 (YLC2201) or students who passed Chinese O & A Levels. It emphasises the ability to communicate accurately and function appropriately in Modern Chinese. Students will take a placement test prior to the beginning of the course. The course aims for students to: (1) acquire basic knowledge and communicative skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing Chinese; (2) gain solid understanding of the cultural and social context of Chinese; (3) develop research skill to understand Chinese texts and culture by using Chinese input system and online dictionary, as well as useful online resources.

Pre-requisite(s): YLC2201 Intermediate Chinese 2; have passed Chinese O & A Levels; or with permission from the instructor

This course, together with Advanced Chinese 2, bridges the gap between our current offerings of intermediate- and advanced-level Chinese, serving students who have completed YLC 2202 or students who passed Chinese O & A Levels. It continues to develop students’ abilities in speaking, orally comprehending, reading, and writing modern Mandarin Chinese and, concomitantly, also serves to deepen students’ understanding of the social and cultural issues facing China today. Students will be routinely drilled in reading and writing throughout the semester. Systematic discussion, debate, and presentation provide students with ample opportunities to practise and enhance their newly acquired linguistic skills and oral fluency. Class instruction and discussion will be conducted only in Chinese.

Pre-requisite(s): YLC3203 Advanced Chinese 1; have passed Chinese O & A Levels; or with permission from the instructor

The course is the continuation of Advanced Chinese 1 and prepares students to take further courses in advanced-level Chinese. It is designed for students who have studied at least 2.5 years of Chinese at college level to achieve greater proficiency in oral and written uses of modern Mandarin, or students who passed Chinese O & A Levels. The course further develops language skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, with particular emphasis on enhancing reading and writing abilities. It builds upon the foundations of Advanced Chinese 1 yet differs by giving the students increased exposure to authentic written (and audio-visual) materials that are not specifically designed for classroom learning.

Pre-requisite(s): YLC3204 Advanced Chinese 2; have passed Chinese A Levels; or with permission from the instructor

This course is designed to promote the development of critical Chinese reading and writing skills. It aims to further improve students’ Chinese skills in all aspects.

This course will cover the most representative prose writings in modern Chinese literary history by noted writers, and will give the students a unique opportunity to get access to the essence of Chinese cultures as well as the charm of the language itself. Students will be introduced to a few significant topics concerning Chinese culture and history written in different genres and styles by  major writers.

This course will also adopt a few contemporary Chinese films adapted from or based on Chinese literary works.

All the texts are original and unabridged. Vocabulary list will be provided with the texts. Class instruction and discussion will be conducted only in Chinese.

Pre-requisite(s): YLC3204 Advanced Chinese 2; have passed Chinese A Levels; or permission from the instructor. A placement test is required before registration. Preclusion(s): Students who took the earlier version of YLC3202 Advanced Chinese: Readings in Modern Chinese Literature in AY2016-17 will not be allowed to take this course.

This course is designed to promote the development of critical Chinese reading and writing skills. It aims to further improve Mandarin Chinese skills in all aspects. Students will gain access to the essence of Chinese culture as well as the charm of the language itself through notable works of modern Chinese literature. They will be introduced to significant topics concerning Chinese culture and history written in different styles and genres. Most of the texts are original and unabridged written by well-known authors such as Yuan Qiongqiong from Taiwan; Xixi from Hong Kong; and Mo Yan from mainland China.