MLCH 101 Discovering Chinese I (3 credits)
The following course is closed to all students who have taken more than one year of Chinese in high school or college. If you are not sure or have any questions, contact the instructor or the Chair of the Modern Languages Department.
This course is designed for students with no prior experience studying Chinese or less than one year of high school study. Through a communicative-based approach, students in this class will learn to understand and participate in basic conversations on familiar and everyday topics. There will be an emphasis on practicing words, phrases and simple sentences using practical vocabulary and basic grammatical structures. Students will be exposed to basic cultural practices employed by native speakers in order to understand appropriate interpersonal behaviors and communicative practices unique to Chinese culture. By the end of the course, students will be able to express basic needs and personal preferences and ask and answer simple questions both orally and also in writing.
Typically Offered: Fall
MLCH 102 Discovering Chinese II (3 credits)
Context and Perspective: Globalization
This course is designed for students who have taken the Chinese Placement Test and were placed in 102 and have discussed this placement with a Chinese professor. Students who have taken MLCH 101 in college are also allowed to take this course. Through a communicative-based approach, students will learn to understand and participate in conversations on familiar topics. There will be an emphasis on expanding vocabulary related to everyday topics and on how to speak about present and past events. By the end of the course, students will be able to express, ask about, and react to preferences, feelings, and opinions through a series of connected sentences both orally and also in writing. They will also be able to rehearse appropriate interpersonal behaviors and communicative practices unique to Chinese culture.
Typically Offered: Spring
MLCH 105 Chinese Basic Course: A Practical Approach (3 credits)
See Course Description
This course is project-based. Students will remotely work with Kaidun International School in Shanghai China on the actual in-class teaching projects. Kaidun International School was founded in 2008 by Hongen Education Group and Kaiser Kastle textbook Publisher. It now has over 20 branches in China, focusing on early childhood education. Each student is expected to work with one local branch in China on a weekly basis. In order to participate in this class, students will need to have completed at least one year of Chinese learning in high school or are currently enrolled in MLCH102 or a higher-level Chinese class.
Typically Offered: Once a year
MLCH 201 Continuing Chinese I (3 credits)
Context and Perspectives: Globalization
This course is designed to reactivate and build upon knowledge gained through previous language study. Students gain cultural competencies/competency while using the target language. They also analyze the role of language and how it reflects and shapes the culture(s) in which it is spoken. All four language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) are emphasized. Special attention is given to grammatical structures and the inclusion of original reading and/or viewing materials in the target language.
Typically Offered: Fall
MLCH 202 Continuing Chinese II (3 credits)
Context and Perspectives: Globalization
This course further develops student’s language proficiency introduced in 201. In addition to actively using the target language, students deepen their cultural awareness and understanding through the study of videos and authentic texts. The course focuses on enhancing listening comprehension and oral proficiency, improving proficiency in writing and reading comprehension, as well as providing a more complex insight into language customs and lifestyles.
Typically Offered: Spring
MLCH 203 Chinese Writing System and Calligraphy (3 credits)
This course offers an in-depth exploration of the unique writing system used in the Chinese language, as well as the art of calligraphy. It provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the structure, history, and cultural significance of the Chinese writing system, while honing their calligraphy skills.
Typically Offered: Once a year
MLCH 204 Chinese for Business - Exploring Real Companies (3 credits)
Context and Perspectives: Globalization
Business Chinese for Success is designed for the learners of Chinese who have studied the language for two or three years in a regular college program or learners with equivalent language proficiency. It is aimed to enhance learners’ linguistic skills and communicative competence and prepare them to function more comfortably and confidently in the Chinese business environment. It is also intended to help students gain a better understanding of the macro and micro Chinese economic situations and specific market needs.
Typically Offered: Every two or more years
MLCH 205 Chinese Language Immersion (3 credits)
With a theoretical and hands-on approach, this intermediate course offers the opportunity for students to increase all four language skills (aural-oral/reading/writing/grammar) while at the same experiencing the culture firsthand. Students will attend classes every day and will visit various sites under the supervision of the Bentley Modern Language Faculty. These visits will offer students a chance to appreciate the history and culture of China. This course will fulfill the same requirements for the Modern Language intermediate course depending on language placement. Therefore, it can fulfill the Arts and Sciences language requirement, or the LSM Global Perspective language requirement, as well as Modern Language Chinese minor requirements.
Typically Offered: Every two or more years
MLCH 206 Chinese Conversation and Composition (3 credits)
Context and Perspective: Values, Ethics, and Society
Designed to enhance students' proficiency in both spoken and written Chinese, this interactive course focuses on engaging students in conversations in Chinese and developing their skills in composing written texts. Students will be guided through various aspects of Chinese language, including grammar usage, vocabulary expansion, sentence structure, and the development of coherence.
Typically Offered: Once a year
MLCH 207 Learn Chinese through Learning Chinese Music (3 credits)
Music is an expressive language of culture. In this course, we will analyze lyrics of popular Chinese songs as authentic texts. We will not only learn words, phrases, and grammar through understanding the lyrics, but will also learn to analyze the genres and to dig deeper to understand the feelings and contexts behind those words. Students can choose to sing the song or recite the lyric as a poem to demonstrate their own interpretations of the piece. You will need to have a minimum of one year of Chinese learning in high school or have completed MLCH102 at Bentley or at an equivalent level. This course is not designed for native speakers, however, heritage speakers who struggle with reading and writing are welcome.
Typically Offered: Every two or more years
MLCH 208 Chinese for Business II -- Exploring Real Companies (3 credits)
See Course Descriptions
Context and Perspectives: Globalization
Chinese for Business II is designed for the learners of Chinese who have studied the language for two or three years in a regular college program or learners with equivalent language proficiency. It is aimed to enhance learners’ linguistic skills and communicative competence and prepare them to function more comfortably and confidently in the Chinese business environment. It is also intended to help students gain a better understanding of the macro and micro Chinese economic situations and specific market needs. This course is not designed for native speakers.
Typically Offered: Once a year
MLCH 210 Cultural Roots: Chinese Language & Culture for Heritage Learners (3 credits)
This course offers a comprehensive exploration of Chinese language and culture, with a particular focus on understanding the intersections of race, gender, and inequality within the Chinese-speaking communities.
Typically Offered: Once a year
MLCH 303 Chinese Public Speaking (3 credits)
This class is taught in Chinese Mandarin. It is open to both native and non-native advanced Chinese speakers. It is designed to help students who already have Chinese proficiency and desire to become better speakers in Chinese. Students will build strong presentation skills, learn to avoid common speaking blunders, and acquire techniques to explain difficult concepts in Chinese.We will watch and study seven selected winning speeches in Chinese. Each speech demonstrates unique presentation skills, such as “passion of the presenter”, “Art of storytelling” etc.. Students are required to study these winning speeches through analyzing the heart of the presentation, the supporting evidence, and the techniques observed. Also, students should be open to point out what they consider insufficient or can be further improved.
Typically Offered: Once a year
MLCH 304 Media Chinese (3 credits)
This course provides a comprehensive exploration of the Chinese language within the context of media and communication. It is designed to develop students' language proficiency while enhancing their understanding of Chinese media landscapes, trends, and cultural implications.
Typically Offered: Once a year
MLCH 398 Experimental Course in Chinese (3 credits)
Experimental courses explore curriculum development with specific content intended for evolution into a permanent course. A topic may be offered twice before it becomes a permanent course. Students may repeat experimental courses for credit with a different topic.
Typically Offered: Every two or more years
MLCH 401 Directed Study in Chinese (3 credits)
Permits students to do special studies in language, literature or culture not offered as a departmental course.
Typically Offered: Every two or more years
MLCH 402 Seminar in Chinese (3 credits)
Pre-Req: Open to heritage or near native Chinese speakers.
This course brings together advanced and native speakers of the same language to engage in the study of a selected topic using a critical lens of analysis.
Typically Offered: Every two or more years
MLCH 403 Chinese for Cinema (3 credits)
Context and Perspectives: Globalization
Chinese for Cinema is designed for students whose Chinese proficiency is beyond advanced level or near-native speakers. In the process of appreciating, analyzing, and discussing the portrayals on the screen in a broad historical and sociopolitical context, students will be able understand a general framework of Chinese historical issues (eg. The Cultural Revolution), gender issues, popular cultures, identification, and nationalism under globalization era. An interdisciplinary approach, including a wide diversity of readings and multimedia materials, will also be incorporated into understanding and discussing these topics.
Typically Offered: Every two or more years
MLCH 404 Chinese/English Interpretation (3 credits)
Pre-Req: Native or near-native Chinese-English speaker or permission of the instructor.
Context and Perspectives: Globalization
Advanced Chinese for heritage and native Chinese speakers whose English skills are at minimum near-native. This course will help develop students listening comprehension skills, reading skills, note-taking skills and verbal interpretation skills in both languages. Students will practice and accumulate vocabulary for verbal interpretation in a variety of situations, such as a social event, business meeting, reception, legal courtroom or a company tour.
Typically Offered: Every two or more years