School of Chinese Studies

The Nineteen Poems in Antiquated Style: Composed by anonymous poets during the Eastern/Latter Han dynasty (25-221 A.D.), the poems (along with the Ballad) brought in a new dawn in poetry and exerted immense influence on the start and popularity of the pentasyllabic poetry. These poems depict profound, but deceptively and seemingly simple and light, views of ordinary people through vivid and poignant images of the winding country lanes and flowing rivers, the shining moon and flying birds, telling subtly the poets’ preference of an inspired aloneness to a forlorn loneliness.

The poems uniquely contain a delicacy and poise widely imitated in the following centuries. The poems posed clearly as a break from the songs sung before, such as those in Book of Songs and Songs of the South, making a shift to fully display a new poetic vista. These nineteen songs mark the beginning of a poetic tradition, much treasured as some of China’s most lovely poetic works accessible to a large number of readers, aficionados of poetry and literature.

Two of the most prominent poets to be discussed in the course are Cao Cao (曹操) and Tao Yuanming (陶渊明).Cao Cao (155-220) is one of the most colorful and controversial statesmen, militarists, and poets in the history of China. His poems functioned most significantly as a literary cornerstone that bridged the quatrosyllabic poems of antiquity and the later pentasyllabic poems.Tao Yuanming (372-427) is China’s greatest poet after Qu Yuan and before Li Bai. It is no exaggeration to state that all poets after Tao Yuanming were more or less inspired by him in both spirit and style. Enlightened by the quintessence of the Dao and Buddhist views and teaching, Tao Yuanming’s life and works stress the significance of a spiritual serenity found in a Zen-inspired poet… Read More

Schedule:
Tuesday, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
April 13 – June 15
10 sessions (20 hours)
$500 member / $540 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

Through a sampling of masterpieces by celebrated authors from Lu Xun (1881-1936) to Zhang Ailing (1920-1995), this course offers an extraordinary chance to analyze modern Chinese fiction for anyone who wishes to comprehend why and how China went through a turbulent century of violence, struggles, wars, revolutions and reforms as the birth of a new national language and mass culture seemed to forecast lasting impacts in China.

Selected short stories include works by Lu Xun, Li Jieren (1891-1962), Yu Dafu (1896-1945), Lao She (1899-1966), Shen Congwen (1902-1988), Ba Jin (1904-2005), Qian Zhongshu (1910-1998), and Zhang Ailing. Some pieces have not yet been explored within American college classrooms…Read More

Thursday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
April 15 – June 17
10 sessions (20 hours)
$500 member / $540 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)
*This class is taught in Chinese. Advanced level of proficiency in the Chinese language is required.

Learn Chinese through Songs is an innovative approach for learning the Chinese language, created by Professor Hong Zhang of Binghamton University, SUNY, in 1992. This is a specially designed, interdisciplinary course, emphasizing both language acquisition and music appreciation and performance. Carefully selected songs students will learn in this class include famous Chinese art songs, folk songs, and popular songs. Song lyrics will serve as main texts, accompanied by vocabulary lists and exercises. Students will learn new words and sentence patterns as in regular language classes, while the improvement of pronunciation, diction, fluency, articulation, voice projection, and language expression will be achieved through singing practice. Students will also learn basic singing techniques such as breath support, voice projection, correct posture, and legato singing. In addition, presentation skills will be taught including building confidence, concentration, relaxation, communication with the audience, conveying song meaning, and stage deportment. Students will go through a step-by-step learning progression, from “singing along” to “singing alone.” By the end of the course, students will develop a foundation of singing, a special training on speaking Chinese well, an appreciation of beautiful Chinese songs, and enjoyment and confidence in learning Chinese. [Learn More]

Prerequisite: One year of Chinese with a good mastery of pinyin.

Class Schedule and Tuition

8 sessions (8 hours)
Wednesdays, April 14 – June 2
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Tuition: $225 Member/$265 Non-member
Non-Refundable Registration Fee: $30.00
Maximum Number of Students: 15

This class has been cancelled for the Spring 2021 semester.

The three pillars of the traditional Chinese culture, i.e. Confucianism (Rújiā), Buddhism (Fόjiā) and Daoism (Dàojiā), competed against each other, influenced each other, but maintained distinct features. Daoism (Dàojiā) originated from a book of about 5000 characters popularly named as Dao De Jing (DDJ, the Classic of the Way and Virtue) reputedly written by a legendary figure of the 6^th century BC named Laozi. For more than 2000 years this little book, in spite of its short length, has tremendously shaped the traditional Chinese culture. As Wing-Tsit Chan said, “No one can hope to understand Chinese philosophy, religion, government, art, medicine—or even cooking—without a real appreciation of the profound philosophy taught in this little book.” In the 16^th century DDJ entered the West, inspired many great thinkers such as Leibniz, Kant, Hegel, Tolstoy, Jung, Needham and so on, and became a master key to the traditional Chinese culture. DDJ is the second most translated book in the world after the Bible.  Read More

This class is designed for students who are interested in studying Mandarin Chinese at a faster pace, i.e., completing Beginning Chinese 101 and 102 in 10 weeks. Upon completion, a solid foundation will be established both in pronunciation (initials, vowels and most importantly, the tones) and fundamental knowledge of the Chinese characters. Students will be able to carry out conversations on daily activities and master about 120 Chinese words and expressions.

The textbooks required for this course are Road to Success: Threshold and Lower Elementary, Vol. 1.

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

Tuesday & Thursday, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
April 13 – June 17
20 sessions (40 hours)
$900 member / $950 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This course is a continuation of the Intermediate Intensive I (levels 201-202 and is designed for students who are interested in studying Mandarin Chinese at a faster pace, i.e., completing Intermediate Chinese 203 and 204 in 10 weeks.

The textbooks required for this course are Road to Success, Elementary《顺利篇》 Vol 1, L9-12 and

Road to Success, Elementary《顺利篇》 Vol 2, L13-16.

This class has been cancelled for the Spring semester.

This course is designed for absolute beginners with little or no knowledge of Chinese Mandarin. This class will introduce the phonics of Chinese Mandarin, sounds and tones, using the pinyin Romanization system. Upon completion, students will be expected to establish a solid foundation in Chinese pronunciation (initials, vowels and most importantly, the tones). In addition, students will easily master about 80 basic Chinese characters, most of which are very commonly used to construct other characters. Students are also expected to be able to conduct short daily conversations, including greetings, expressing gratitude, and introducing oneself and others, etc.

The textbook required for this course is Road to Success: Threshold.

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

– Wednesday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
April 14 – June 16
– Saturday, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
April 17 – June 19
10 sessions (20 hours)
$465 member / $505 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This class will continue to build on the pronunciation and tones taught in Beginning Chinese 101. In addition, this course will cover the topics of making acquaintance, describing oneself, making appointments, discussing everyday situations, asking various types of questions, making suggestions or comments, etc.

The textbook required for this course is Road to Success: Lower Elementary, Vol.1. Lessons 1-6

*Upon completion of this level, students may be eligible to take the HSK 1.

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

– Thursday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
April 15 – June 17
– Saturday, 12:30 – 2:30 PM
April 17 – June 19
10 sessions (20 hours)
$465 member / $505 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This class will continue to introduce new vocabulary and sentence patterns. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to communicate about daily necessities, including shopping, making a purchase, and going to the bank, among many others.

The textbook required for this course is Road to Success: Lower Elementary, Vol.1 Lessons 7-12.

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

*Upon completion of this level, students may be eligible to take the HSK 1.

– Thursday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
April 15 – June 17
– Saturday, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
April 17 – June 19
10 sessions (20 hours)
$465 member / $505 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This class will bring students to a high beginner level. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to talk about daily activities, going to the movies, taking classes, and discussing sports.

The textbook required for this course is Road to Success: Lower Elementary, Vol.2 (Lessons 13-17).

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

*Upon completion of this level, students may be eligible to take the HSK 1-2.

Monday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
April 12 – June 21 (No Class on 5/31 Memorial Day)
10 sessions (20 hours)
$465 member / $505 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This class will continue to introduce new vocabulary and sentence patterns. Topics to be covered include directions and locations, talking about personal skills, and describing sickness.

The textbook required for this course is Road to Success: Lower Elementary, Vol.2, L18 – L22.

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

*Upon completion of this level, students may be eligible to take the HSK 2.

Saturday, 12:30 – 2:30 PM
April 17 – June 19
10 sessions (20 hours)
$465 member / $505 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This class will continue to introduce new vocabulary and sentence patterns. Topics to be covered include style of clothing, making comparisons on weather, food and cities. New grammar and sentence patterns include reduplication of verbs, the complement of manner, making comparisons, among many others.

The textbook required for this course is Road to Success: Lower Elementary, Vol.2 (Lessons 23-28).

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

*Upon completion of this level, students may be eligible to take the HSK 2.

– Thursday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
April 15 – June 17
– Saturday, 12:30 – 2:30 PM
April 17 – June 19
10 sessions (20 hours)
$465 member / $505 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This course has been cancelled for the Spring 2021 Semester.

This course is designed specifically for heritage Chinese students who possess speaking skills but limited reading and writing skills in Chinese. It will introduce basic vocabulary, sentence patterns and phrases and fundamental grammar rules in Chinese. Writing is also an important part of the training in this class.

The textbook required for this course is Contemporary Chinese for Heritage Learners, Lessons 1-8.

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon.

This course will bring students to the intermediate level courses, and covers topics of phone conversation, renting an apartment, going out to eat in a restaurant and watching TV programs, among many others. Upon completion, students will be able to discuss different aspects of daily life and use more complicated structures for language expressions.

The textbook required for this course is Road to Success: Elementary, Vol. 1 (Lessons 1-4).

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

*Upon completion of this level, students may be eligible to take the HSK 2 or 3.

Saturday, 12:30 – 2:30 PM
April 17 – June 19
10 sessions (20 hours)
$465 member / $505 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This class will continue with Intermediate Level 201. Students will learn how to express exclamation and other emotions, explain issues, and describe resultative events.

The textbook required for this course is Road to Success: Elementary, Vol. 1 (Lessons 5-8).

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

*Upon completion of this level, students may be eligible to take the HSK 2 or 3.

Saturday, 12:30 – 2:30 PM
April 17 – June 19
10 sessions (20 hours)
$465 member / $505 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This class will continue with Intermediate Level 202. Students will learn how to make emphasis and comparison in a more complex way, describe events in the future, talk about experience, and so forth.

The textbook required for this course is Road to Success, Elementary Vol 1 (Lesson 9-12).

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

*Upon completion of this level, students may be eligible to take the HSK 3.

Saturday, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
April 17 – June 19
10 sessions (20 hours)
$465 member / $505 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This class will continue with Intermediate Level 203. It will cover topics of social communication such as special event celebration, visiting friends and patients, picking up someone at the airport, etc. Students will be able to construct sentences with unique grammatical elements in Chinese, i.e., directional completion complements and 把.

The textbook required for this course is Road to Success, Elementary Vol 2 (Lesson 13-16).

*Upon completion of this level, students may be eligible to take the HSK 3.

Wednesday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
April 14 – June 16
10 sessions (20 hours)
$465 member / $505 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This class is a continuation of Intermediate Chinese 206. Topics focus on various aspects of life in China such as consulting Chinese medicine, dining out cultures, traveling during Chinese holidays, discovering Taiji, Peking opera and other traditional Chinese arts. Students will be able to talk about personal and social life at a high intermediate level.

The textbook required for this course is Road to Success, Upper Elementary Vol 1 (Lesson 1-4).

*Upon completion of this level, students may be eligible to take the HSK 3 or 4.

Saturday, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
April 17 – June 19
10 sessions (20 hours)
$465 member / $505 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This class is designed for students learned about 1,000 vocabularies and structures covering various topics in daily life or at an equivalent proficiency level but want to improve conversational skills. The class will help students speak the language with sufficient structural accuracy and vocabulary to participate effectively in most informal conversational and business settings. The class is highly conversational and interactive, with a focus on live conversations and discussions to achieve fluency of the spoken Chinese. Topics for discussion revolve around a wide range of themes, including latest hot topics in China and worldwide.

NO textbook is required to purchase for this class. Materials will be provided in class.

-Tuesday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
April 13 – June 15
– Saturday, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
April 17 – June 19
10 sessions (20 hours)
$465 member / $505 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This course brings the Heritage Chinese Beginner class to its intermediate level. It is designed specifically for heritage Chinese students who possess speaking skills but limited reading and writing skills in Chinese. It will introduce more functional vocabulary and sentence patterns and phrases, and provide a systemic review of grammar through reading texts in various cultural related topics. Writing is also an important part of the training in this class.

The textbook required for this course is HSK Standard Course, HSK 4 上 (Lessons 1-5).

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

Monday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
April 12 – June 21 (No Class on 5/31 Memorial Day)
10 sessions (20 hours)
$465 member / $505 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This course is a continuation of Heritage Chinese Intermediate II. It is designed specifically for heritage Chinese students who possess speaking skills but limited reading and writing skills in Chinese. It will introduce more functional vocabulary and sentence patterns and phrases, and provide a systemic review of grammar through reading texts in various cultural related topics. Writing is also an important part of the training in this class.

The textbook required for this course is HSK Standard Course, HSK 4 下 (Lessons 11-15).

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

Wednesday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
April 14 – June 16
10 sessions (20 hours)
$465 member / $505 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This course will bring students to the advanced level classes. It is designed for students who have achieved an overall intermediate-advanced level of proficiency in the Chinese language and seek guided training to bridge the gap between informal spoken Chinese and more formal written Chinese. The textbook for this course is the newest book of the widely used reader series by Princeton University: Eyes on China: An Intermediate-advanced Reader of Modern Chinese (2019). The content is not just “contemporary” china, but rather “present day” China. Texts cover a wide range of topics, including the problem of air pollution, anti-corruption, infrastructure development, rural-urban disparity and the wealth gap, the development of high-speed railways, new tech trends, and the relationship between mainland China and Taiwan, among many others.

The textbook required for this course is Eyes on China: An Intermediate-advanced Reader of Modern Chinese, 2019 by Princeton University Press, (Lessons 1-5).

*Upon completion of this level, students may be eligible to take the HSK 4 or 5.

Tuesday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
April 13 – June 15
10 sessions (20 hours)
$465 member / $505 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

The class will continue with the book Eyes on China: An Intermediate-advanced Reader of Modern Chinese. It will continue to introduce new vocabulary and sentence patterns that bridges the gap between informal spoken Chinese and more formal written Chinese. Topics include online payment and bike-sharing in China, the studying abroad craze among middle class families, and discussions on some of the major social issues currently facing China.

 

The textbook required for this course is Eyes on China: An Intermediate-advanced Reader of Modern Chinese, 2019 by Princeton University Press, (Lessons 11-15).

Wednesday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
April 14 – June 16
10 sessions (20 hours)
$465 member / $505 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

The class will continue with the book Eyes on China: An Intermediate-advanced Reader of Modern Chinese. It will continue to introduce new vocabulary and sentence patterns that bridges the gap between informal spoken Chinese and more formal written Chinese. Topics include cyber-bullying and freedom of speech, privacy and security, urbanization, and some major social issues because of the fast economic progress and urbanization currently happening in China.

The textbook required for this course is Eyes on China: An Intermediate-advanced Reader of Modern Chinese, 2019 by Princeton University Press, (Lessons 21-25).

Tuesday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
April 13 – June 15
10 sessions (20 hours)
$465 member / $505 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This course is a necessary bridge between high intermediate Chinese and advanced level courses. Students will be trained to develop real-life competence in pronunciation, spoken communication and active listening skills mainly through watching selected authentic videos. Skills in writing, reading, vocabulary and grammar will progress as well. In addition, students will become familiar with Chinese customs, popular idioms, phrases and expressions used in daily life. Discussion topics are designed to allow students to apply content, language, grammar and linguistic style learned in the videos to guided speeches and presentations. This course has been designed for those who have completed high intermediate level courses (206~209) but lack the proficiency competence for the advanced courses.

NO textbook is required for this class. Materials will be provided in class.

– Saturday, 10:00am – 12:00pm
April 17 – June 19
10 sessions (20 hours)
$465 member / $505 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This course is designed for those who have achieved an overall high intermediate to advanced level of proficiency in the Chinese language and wish to advance their spoken fluency and sophistication. Students will be fully engaged in discussions on a variety of reading topics about China’s economy, politics, social and cultural issues.

NO textbook is required to purchase for this class. Materials will be provided in class.

Thursday, 6:30 – 8:30pm
April 15 – June 17
10 sessions (20 hours)
$465 member / $505 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

Spring Semester Starts the week of April 12, 2021.

Register by March 5, 2021 to receive $30 discount off tuition.

China Institute will continue to provide online Chinese Brush Painting via Zoom. The instructor Ms. Sungsook Setton will employ a flexible and creative approach to teach her virtual Brush Painting class, integrating group instruction and individual tutoring.

This class provides training in the fundamentals of traditional brush painting, its principles, techniques, subject matters and styles. Themes covered include landscapes, birds-and-flowers, insects, fish, and others. Students are trained to master brushstrokes and taught the skills of capturing the essence of forms. [Read More]

20 sessions (30 hours)
April 13 – June 18
Tuesday & Friday, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
$430 members / $470 non-members
(plus $30 non-refundable registration fee)

The pipa, or Chinese lute, is an ancient instrument that is both elegant and playful, charming, and adaptable to both traditional and modern sounds. The origins of the pipa date back to the Han dynasty, about 2,000 years ago, when a similar type of stringed instrument was brought into China from Persia via the Silk Road. It has enjoyed wide popularity throughout its long history, especially during the Tang dynasty, and now again in our own time.

The pipa has four strings on a pear-shaped body and fretted neck. It is played by plucking and strumming much like a guitar, but is held upright with the base on the lap and the neck at the player’s shoulder.

Learning the pipa introduces the student to a wealth of tunes and an exciting solo repertoire. Pipa can also be played in Chinese instrument orchestras and ensembles, and has found its way into world music ensembles in recent years.

In this beginning-level class, students will learn plucking techniques and basic fingering, posture, tuning and care for the instrument, and basic notation, culminating in the ability to play a few simple songs.

No musical experience necessary. Instruments are provided for in-class instruction and are available to rent at a small fee. [Read More]

Class Schedule
8 sessions (20 hours)
Saturday, April 17 – June 5
8:00 PM – 10:30 PM
Tuition: $680 member / $720 non-member
Non-Refundable Registration Fee: $30.00
Maximum Number of Students: 6