Major: Chinese
The CIA's World Factbook
Chinese culture has existed for more than three thousand years with an influence extending well beyond
Chinese majors learn how to speak, write, and read Chinese. They also study ancient and modern Chinese literature.
“If you have solid study habits, the language, as difficult as it may be, is highly learnable.”
Scott Cook, Associate Professor of Chinese, Department of Chinese and Japanese, Grinnell College
Are You Ready To...?
- Memorize several hundred Chinese written characters, also called “ideographs,” each semester
- Learn the “four tones” of speaking, which give words different meanings depending on how you say them
- Learn classical Chinese well enough to read ancient poetry in the original
- Live in
It Helps to Be...
Ready to immerse yourself in an entirely new language. You’ll also need to be patient when learning new words and written characters, as it takes time to master Chinese.
College Checklist
- How many full-time professors does the program have?
- How many other departments offer related courses?
- How many years of Chinese language courses does the program offer?
- How many hours a week do language courses meet and what is the usual class size?
- How active is the Chinese community on campus?
- Does the department sponsor cultural activities, such as Lunar New Year celebrations?
- Does the program offer a study-abroad program?
Did You Know?
- Chinese is spoken by more than one billion people, making it the most widely spoken language in the world.
Course Spotlight
Be ready to speak, listen to, read, write, and even dream in Chinese. Required language courses usually meet five days a week -- and no English allowed! In your first year, courses often emphasize speaking and listening to Chinese. Your instructor may also introduce Chinese written characters, which, by your second year, you will be memorizing. While progress may seem slow, you should feel more confident by the end of your second year.
