Introductory Japanese A is an introduction to Japanese language and culture and is designed for students who have had little or no experience learning Japanese. The goal of this course is to develop four basic skills in modern Japanese with an emphasis on grammatical accuracy and socially appropriate language use. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to engage in basic daily conversations and to develop the ability to read and write hiragana as well as katakana.
The sequence includes JPNS UN1001 Introductory Japanese A and JPNS UN1002 Introductory Japanese B. These courses combined (JPNS UN1001 and JPNS UN1002) are the equivalent to JPNS UN1101 First Year Japanese I and fulfills the requirement for admission to JPNS UN1102 First Year Japanese II.
This course provides basic training in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Korean. Introductory Korean A is equivalent to the first half of First Year Korean I.
This is an introductory course to the Chinese language for absolute beginners. Students will develop basic skills in listening and speaking Chinese, while familiarizing themselves with its writing system. This course is divided into two parts: Introductory Chinese A and Introductory Chinese B. The two parts together cover the same materials as CHNS UN1101 FIRST YEAR CHINESE I.
This course offers an immersive look into contemporary China, combining both dialogues and narratives. Through meticulously designed texts and exercises, it highlights key Chinese linguistic structures and functions, provides cultural insights, and draws students into China’s continually evolving landscape. By the end of the full course (two semesters), students are expected to have the following proficiencies: Listening: Grasp conversations, narratives, and informational content matched to their proficiency level. Speaking: Handle everyday situations and participate in discussions on daily events, careers, society, and culture. Reading: Delve into expository and narrative writings, ensuring accurate vocabulary usage, and discern the primary theme of passages. Writing: Construct essays spanning from personal accounts to analytical discussions, utilizing appropriate vocabulary. Culture: Understand and adhere to fundamental Chinese social conventions, employing the language in harmony with these guidelines.
Prerequisites: JPNS C1101, F1101, or W1001-W1002, or the equivalent. Basic training in Japanese through speaking, listening, reading and writing in various cultural contexts.
An introduction to written and spoken Korean. Textbook: Integrated Korean, Beginning I and II.
Prerequisites: () VIET 1101 or equivalent This course introduces students to the linguistic and grammatical structures of Vietnamese, a major language of South East Asia. Language skills include listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students will also be introduced to some aspects of Vietnamese life and culture.
The course is specially designed for students of Chinese heritage and advanced beginners with good speaking skills. It aims to develop the students basic skills to read and write modern colloquial Chinese. Pinyin system is introduced; standard Chinese pronunciation, and traditional characters. Classes will be conducted mostly in Chinese. Open to students with Mandarin speaking ability in Chinese only. CC GS EN CE
Prerequisites: NOTE:Students must register for a discussion section, ASCE UN1360 The evolution of Chinese civilization from ancient times to the 20th century, with emphasis on characteristic institutions and traditions.
This course explores the core classical literature in Chinese, Japanese and Korean Humanities. The main objective of the course is to discover the meanings that these literature offer, not just for the original audience or for the respective cultures, but for us. As such, it is not a survey or a lecture-based course. Rather than being taught what meanings are to be derived from the texts, we explore meanings together, informed by in-depth reading and thorough ongoing discussion.
This class is designed to meet the needs of both first-time learners of Tibetan, as well as students with one year or less of modern colloquial Tibetan. It is intended to lay the foundation for reading classical Tibetan writings, including religious, historical, and literary texts. By focusing on basic grammatical constructions and frequently used vocabulary, this class offers an introduction to the classical Tibetan language.
This is an introductory course and no previous knowledge is required. It focuses on developing basic abilities to speak as well as to read and write in modern Tibetan, Lhasa dialect. Students are also introduced to modern Tibetan studies through selected readings and guest lectures.
Prerequisites: VIET W1101-W1102 or the instructors permission. This course further develops students familiarity with the linguistic and grammatical structures of Vietnamese, a major language of South East Asia.
As the second half of a one-year program for intermediate Chinese learners, this course helps students consolidate and develop everyday communicative skills in Chinese, as well as
introducing aspects of Chinese culture such as the social norms of politeness and gift-giving. Semi-formal and literary styles will also be introduced as students transition to more advanced
levels of Chinese language study. While providing training for everyday communication skills, Second Year Chinese aims to improve the student's linguistic competence in preparation for
advanced studies in Mandarin.
Prerequisites: JPNS C1201 or the equivalent. Further practice in the four language skills. Participation in a once a week conversation class is required.
Prerequisites: KORN W1102 or the equivalent. Consultation with the instructors is required before registration for section assignment. Further practice in reading, writing, listening comprehension, conversation, and grammar.
Second-Year Chinese W (I & II) : This course is designed for heritage learners with conversational abilities and foundational literacy skills in Mandarin Chinese. Through a combination of interactive lessons, focused linguistic exercises, cultural exploration, and real-world applications, students will deepen their understanding of their cultural heritage while expanding their vocabulary and enhancing their language skills. By the end of the course, students will be better equipped to engage confidently with family members and other Chinese-speaking communities.
Accelerated Korean II is specifically designed for heritage students of Korean, who already have previous knowledge of basic grammar and culture. This course completes the college's two-year foreign language requirement.
For those whose knowledge is equivalent to a student whos completed the First Year course. The course focuses on the further development of their skills in using the language to engage with practical topics and situations, such as seeing a doctor, reading news, writing letters, and listening to music.
This course will focus on helping students gain greater profiency in reading Tibetan Buddhist philosophical and religious historical texts.
Third Year Chinese II, CHNS3004UN, 5 points. You are required to take Third Year Chinese I, CHNS3003UN, 5 points with this course.
Instructor
:
Zhirong Wang
Prerequisites
: Two (2) years of college-level Chinese or the equivalent
Texts
: Jingua Chinese (Columbia University staff, published by Peking University Press; simplified characters)
Introduces Chinese social values and attitudes, focusing on the rapid changes now taking place in China. Uses materials from Chinese newspapers and modern short stories to teach essential elements of semi-formal and formal writing. Reading and writing are routine tasks, and oral discussion and debate are important components of the class, allowing students to integrate and improve their communication skills in Chinese.
To enroll in this course, you must apply to the
Virtual Columbia Summer Chinese Language
program through the Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement (UGE).
Global Learning Scholarships
available.
Tuition
charges apply.
Please note the program dates are different from the Summer Term A & B dates.
Prerequisites: CHNS W4005 or the equivalent. Admission after Chinese placement exam and an oral proficiency interview with the instructor. Especially designed for students who possess good speaking ability and who wish to acquire practical writing skills as well as business-related vocabulary and speech patterns. Introduction to semiformal and formal Chinese used in everyday writing and social or business-related occasions. Simplified characters are introduced.
Prerequisites: JPNS W4005 or the equivalent. Readings in authentic/semi-authentic texts, videos, and class discussions.
Prerequisites: KORN W1202 or the equivalent and consultation with instructor. (See Entrance to Language Courses Beyond the Elementary Level in the main bulletin under Department of Instruction -- East Asian Languages and Cultures.) Readings in modern Korean. Selections from modern Korean writings in literature, history, social sciences, culture, and videos and class discussions.
The course will closely examine 1) the various traits of postmodern Japanese cinemas in the 1980s and the 1990s after the phase of global cinematic modernism, 2) contemporary media phenomena such as media convergence and the media ecologies of anime, 3) media activism after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, and beyond. We will proceed through careful analysis of films, anime, and digital media, while also addressing larger questions of historiography in general.
For those whose knowledge is equivalent to a student whos completed the Second Year course. The course develops students reading comprehension skills through reading selected modern Tibetan literature. Tibetan is used as the medium of instruction and interaction to develop oral fluency and proficiency.
Study of the role of the Mongols in Eurasian history, focusing on the era of the Great Mongol Empire. The roles of Chinggis and Khubilai Khan and the modern fate of the Mongols to be considered.
Prerequisites: Senior majors only. Senior Seminar required of all majors in East Asian Studies. Open only to senior majors.
Close readings of specific texts, as well as methods, skills, and tools.
Prerequisites: two years of Chinese study at college level. This course is designed for students who have studied Chinese for two years at college level and are interested in business studies concerning China. It offers systematic descriptions of Chinese language used in business discourse. CC GS EN CE
This course is designed to help students master formal Chinese for professional or academic purposes. It includes reading materials and discussions on selections from Chinese media covering contemporary topics, Chinese literature, and modern Chinese intellectual history. The course aims to enhance students' strategies for comprehension, as well as their written and oral communication skills in formal modern Chinese.
Prerequisites: CHNS W4017 or the equivalent. This is a non-consecutive reading course designed for those whose proficiency is above 4th level. See Admission to Language Courses. Selections from contemporary Chinese authors in both traditional and simplified characters with attention to expository, journalistic, and literary styles.
Prerequisites: JPNS W4017 or the equivalent. Sections 1 - 2: Readings of advanced modern literary, historical, political, and journalistic texts, and class discussions about current issues and videos. Exercises in scanning, comprehension, and English translation. Section 3: Designed for advanced students interested in developing skills for reading and comprehending modern Japanese scholarship.
This course, taught in English, offers an in-depth exploration of the Chinese language and its historical development. Key topics include historical phonology and syntax, the Chinese script, and the classification and linguistic features of major dialects. The course also explores the emergence of modern standard Chinese and early poetic traditions. The primary goal is to deepen students’ understanding of the language’s evolution while strengthening their critical thinking skills.
This course is designed for students who have completed seven semesters of Vietnamese class or have equivalent background of advance Vietnamese. It is aimed at developing more advance interpersonal communication skills in interpretive reading and listening as well as presentational speaking and writing at a superior level. Students are also prepared for academic, professional and literary proficiency suitable for post-secondary studies in the humanities and social sciences.
This course aims to provide a deeper understanding of the Korean language, culture, society, and history through critical analysis of Korean contemporary popular culture (e.g., music, drama, films, TV shows, advertisements, comic books, and other digital discourses). More specifically, the purposes of the course are twofold: (1) to analyze various sociolinguistic issues represented in contemporary Korean pop culture (e.g., honorifics, dialects, language changes, language variations across gender and generations, language contacts, neologism, slangs) and (2) to develop cultural awareness, critical thinking, digital and media literacy, and multimodal competence in Korean media and popular culture.
Prerequisites: KORN W4006 or the equivalent. Selections from advanced modern Korean writings in social sciences, literature, culture, history, journalistic texts, and intensive conversation exercises.
Advanced Business Chinese II is the continuation of Advanced Business Chinese I, both of which are designed to help Columbia students who have achieved the advanced level of proficiency in Chinese use the language to communicate effectively in professional contexts. Topics to be discussed include, but are not limited to, the concept of Face, Guanxi/Interpersonal obligations, Chinese modesty and humility, and Chinese style of negotiation and decision making.
In viewing historical films and media works, we often grapple with the question of historical accuracy, and whether visual media is suited to the task of historical accounts, but another question we could ask is: Of what is film a history? This course will examine Korean history through cinema, and Korean cinema through history, by viewing films from various time periods that depict moments in Korean history.
This course examines experiences and legacies of China’s “long 1980s” (1978-1992), a period of “reform and opening” with lasting impacts on contemporary discourses and realities. It introduces students to a wide range of primary materials (in English translation), including cinema, literature, photography, contemporary art and other social commentaries, along with theoretical readings and secondary literature from a variety of disciplines including literary and media studies, and social, economic, intellectual and art histories. Topics include politics of rehabilitation at the end of the Cultural Revolution; political and artistic movements of the Beijing Spring; cultural productions amidst rural and urban economic reforms; humanism and cybernetic imagination; extractive economies and environmental transformation; gender and financialization; and China’s integration into the world economy.
Prerequisites: CHNS W3301: Classical Chinese I; completion of three years of modern Chinese at least, or four years of Japanese or Korean. Please see department. Prerequisites: CHNS W3301: Classical Chinese I; completion of three years of modern Chinese at least, or four years of Japanese or Korean.
Prerequisites: CHNS W4007 or the equivalent. Admission after placement exam. Focusing on Tang and Song prose and poetry, introduces a broad variety of genres through close readings of chosen texts as well as the specific methods, skills, and tools to approach them. Strong emphasis on the grammatical and stylistic analysis of representative works. CC GS EN CE
The Fifth Year Chinese course is designed for advanced learners who have a proficient command of the Chinese language in all four aspects: listening, speaking, reading, and writing, regardless of whether they have Chinese heritage. The course provides a wide variety of literary genres, ranging from short stories to aesthetic essays to academic articles, to enhance students' mastery of formal written Chinese. While the primary objectives of this course lie in reading, students also have opportunities to develop their speaking competence through a variety of in-class discussions, debates, and presentations.
This course examines the transformation of natural environments, rural and urban landscapes on the Tibetan Plateau in the 20th and 21st centuries, with a special emphasis on the material and social lives of rivers, roads and infrastructure. We will draw on primary source readings (in English) and maps, as well as secondary readings in anthropology and human geography, to examine the processes of infrastructure creation, national integration, urbanization and adaptation in the Tibetan regions of China.
China's search for a new order in the long twentieth century with a focus on political, social and cultural change.
This course describes the morphological, syntactic and phonological structures of Chinese language within the framework of the functional grammar. The focus is placed on the “mapping” of linguistic forms and their semantic and pragmatic functions. Pedagogical suggestions on how to teach these structures are also provided.
Prerequisites: CHNS G5000x. This course is designed for graduate students who have successfully passed Course I (G5000) and who are permitted by the Department to take this course, which entails working as a teaching assistant in the Chinese language program. In addition to coordinating closely with his or her mentors and the course coordinator, the student TA has to design and teach first year drill sessions, team-teach with his or her mentors, and do other teaching-related assignments.
This course brings graduate students interested in Vietnam Studies together across field lines and period focus to discuss some foundational questions of historiography and methods within the field. We have striven to combine key conceptual or theoretical work with examples drawn from the specific context of the study of Vietnam. The course is intended to provide a common vocabulary for the discussion of Vietnam Studies.
This course examines the rise and demise of the Chinese Revolution from the unique angles provided by avant-garde writers, artists, designers, graphic novelists, filmmakers, playwrights, and theatre directors in modern China.
Provides students the opportunity to present work in progress or final drafts to other students and relevant faculty to receive guidance and feedback.
Prerequisites: JPNS W4007-W4008 or the equivalent, and the instructors permission.