Chinese

Want to study one of the most in-demand languages in the world?

Consider taking Chinese at Austin College!

Mandarin, the dialect of Chinese language taught here at AC, is the native language of over one billion people, making it the most common first language in the world.  In addition to the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan, Mandarin is also widely spoken in the nations of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei, and the Philippines.  Mandarin has been designated a “super critical need language” by the US Department of State and many scholarships for both graduate and undergraduate study are coming available.

The Chinese program is designed to equip students with the linguistic and cultural know-how to access an over 5000 year old culture and communicate with the second largest economy in the world and one the US’s largest trading partners!

More than just instruction in language, the Chinese program offers courses that educate students in China’s most important literary and cultural traditions, which still bear important influence on contemporary society. 

Every year, many students begin Chinese 101 with no background in the language and find success. While the spoken tonal language and lack of alphabet take some getting used to, the grammar of the language is easier than most foreign languages for native English speakers: Mandarin mostly follows English rules for word order and verbs are not conjugated as they are in western languages.
 
AC students of Chinese are encouraged to take advantage of the college’s variety of study abroad programs:  faculty lead Janterm programs to the PRC, Hong Kong, or Taiwan nearly every year and the college sponsors semester and year-long study abroad options in Beijing, Shanghai, Kunming, Xi’an, Hangzhou, and Taipei.  



On campus, there are also many opportunities to enrich your study of Chinese.  Students are encouraged to apply for residency in the language house, take conversation classes, and participate in language table in the campus center.  These activities are all supervised by the year’s language assistant, a native speaker recruited from abroad to spend the year in residence at the language house.

AC students have paired their study of Chinese with study in Business, International Relations, History, Computer Science, Asian Studies, Biology, Pre-medicine curriculum, and Economics.  The program’s open-ended nature encourages these connections and the enhanced opportunities they provide for students.

Interested? Follow the program blog or our Facebook page.

AC Chinese Logo designed by Will Gagné '13.