East Asian Languages and Cultures

UC Davis

College of Letters and Science

Languages & Literatures

Frequently Asked Questions

Updated October 2, 2008

This page answers frequently asked questions about the Chinese program at UC Davis. Click on a specific question under a subject category below to find the answer to that question. If your question is not included on this page, please contact the faculty advisor of the program.

Chinese Major and Minor

I am interested in taking Chinese language classes. How do I know which class is right for me?

Every student must take a placement test before taking Chinese language classes. See FAQs about Chinese placement test.

If I cannot get into the language class I want, can I take a higher level for now and take a lower level later?

This is called "back-tracking" and violates university policy. For example, if you have taken CHN 3BL and then take CHN 2BL in a subsequent quarter, the lower class result would become invalid. Similarly, you cannot take CHN 120 (advanced Chinese) and then take 111, 112, or 113 (third-year Chinese) later. However, CHN 130, 131, 132, 140, 160, and literature courses can be taken out of sequence.

I finished Middle School in China, do I still need to take CHN 111, 112, 113?

You need to take a placement evaluation to test out of these courses. Once you test out of these courses, you can take three other upper-division Chinese courses in place of 111, 112, 113.

I am interested in majoring in Chinese. What courses do I need to take?

You must take 15-30 credit hours of lower-division language courses. This means CHN 1-6 for true beginners, CHN 1BL, 2BL, and 3BL or CHN 1CN, 2CN, and 3CN for heritage learners. These are preparatory units.

You must also take 44 credit hours of upper-division courses. These qualify as "depth subject matter." Among them, CHN 106, 107, 111, 112, 113, 114, and 160 are required. The other 16 credit hours of 4 elective courses are to be chosen from the language and literature courses offered by EALC, including CHN 100A, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 108, 109A-I, 110, 115, 116, 120, 130, 131, 132, and 140. One of the 4 courses must be from 101, 102, 103, 104, or 109G. One lower-division course, including CHN 10, 11, 50, Comp. Lit 14, Japanese10, Linguistics 1, and History 9A may count toward upper-division "depth subject matter". For other recommended elective courses in Chinese art history, history, anthropology, religious studies, comparative literature, sociology, Japanese literature, etc., see UCD General Catalog (2008-2010), page 204.

If you test out of CHN 111-112-113 (or if you do not need these third-year Chinese langauge courses since you are a native speaker of Chinese), you must take three other upper- division courses in Chinese language and/or literature or other recommended courses. The same policy regarding backtracking applies: You cannot take CHN 115 (classical Chinese II) first and then take 114 (classical Chinese I). You cannot take CHN 114 (classical Chinese) and then take CHN 1-6 later, since modern language skills are prerequisite for taking classical language. Heritage learners on the BL track are encouraged to have a good command of modern Chinese before taking classical language.

What happens if I place out of two years of Chinese language and into third-year Chinese? Do I still have to take 55 units for the major?

Yes, you would still take at least 55 units. Because of your background and abilities, however, more of your courses will be linguistics or literature courses than would be the case for true beginners (who take the CHN 1-6 track) or heritage learners (who take the BL 1-3 or CN 1-3 track). In addition, your study plan might involve more courses from outside of the EALC department. The exact combination of courses in this case would depend on the student's individual needs and interests. The major form has a list of recommended non-language lower-division and upper-division courses.

How do I declare Chinese as my Major?

You may declare Chinese major after having completed two upper-division Chinese courses. You will need to complete and submit a Petition for Change of Major . A checklist of "Chinese Major Requirements" is available in two locations in Sproul Hall:

Outside room 309 (third floor),
On the 5th floor Chinese Bulletin Board, outside room 524

OR download an e-copy here.

See UCD General Catalog (2008-2010 edition), pages 204-207 for the major requirements and course descriptions in Chinese and Japanese.

I am an economics major and want to declare Chinese as my second major. What should I do?

You need the advisor for your first major to sign the "Change of Major" form, fill in Chinese as your second major on the same form, list all the Chinese courses you have taken and their grades as well as courses you plan to take. See the Chinese advisor to get his/her signature and submit the form to your college. The same applies to those students declaring Chinese as their third major.

Information about declaring a second major can be found with the "Multiple Major Approval Form" here.

You will also need to complete a "Petition for Change of Major" form which you can obtain here.

To be eligible to file a petition to declare a double major, you must have first completed at least two upper-division courses in each of your proposed majors. It is not necessary to have completed all of the preparatory subject matter in the two majors in order to declare a double major, but you will be asked to list any preparatory courses you have remaining at the time you submit the double major petition.

A student may overlap between majors by 20% (which amounts to about 2 courses). If the two courses needed to declare happen to be overlapping between majors, that is not a problem. The latest date a student can choose a major is the end of the quarter prior to the final quarter before graduation. Many students choose a major in their final quarter and then must postpone their graduation for one quarter. The Office of the Registrar needs the time for the appropriate graduation information.

You will complete the forms as instructed andobtain the signature of the faculty advisor for each of the majors you propose on the "Multiple Major Approval Form" and the "Petition for Change of Major". You will then submit these documents to the College of Letters and Science for final approval. That office is located in Room 200, Social Sciences and Humanities Building .

When do I declare Chinese as my second major?

The first major must be declared after 90 units have been taken. You can choose Chinese as your second or third major after you have successfully completed at least two upper-division courses in Chinese.

Are there any advantages to declaring Chinese major early?

Yes. You should declare as soon as you know you can finish the major requirements before your planned graduation time. We can get you on our e-mail list to notify you of major-related activities. It is a good idea to talk to the faculty advisor to plan your courses early, since you may not be able to get into the courses you what, especially in the language courses, and that may delay your graduation. It is important for the department to know the number of students majoring in Chinese to plan accordingly and to offer courses to accommodate all those wish to take them.

I am interested in EAP (Education Abroad Program). What do I need to do?

For program information, application form, and financial aids, etc., check out the websites of the UC EAP (China) program and UC Davis Education Abroad Center.

I took some courses in EAP. Can they be transferred toward my Chinese major or minor?

It is your responsibility to keep all the course materials for evaluation. In case your course materials do not suggest the level of Chinese competence that you assume you have (e.g., you think you can transfer credits for 3rd-year Chinese but your course exam papers and homework only indicate the second level of achievements), you may need to take an evaluation test to ascertain your actual level. To transfer literature courses, please see the faculty advisor for Undergraduate Studies.

I studied in China for a year at a university that is not part of the EAP. Can I still have some credits transferred toward the major or minor requirement?

There is a residence requirement: Students can only use up to 16 units from another institution for the major. One must take at least 22 units at UCD and they all must be upper-division courses. For the Chinese major, only 4 courses (16 units) out of 9 courses (36 units) may be transfer credits. The same policy regarding transferring credits applies. To determine the transferability of the credits from another institution, you must have the Chinese advisor's approval. You should make an appointment with the advisor to go over the official transcripts, syllabi, and sometimes course material (text books, exams, and homework). Transfer of credits is not automatic.

I am interested in getting a Chinese minor. What do I need to do?

You must take 5 upper-division courses for a total of 20 credits. One course can be a lower-division literature class, such as CHN 10, 11, 50, Japanese 10, 25, 50. One course can be taken from outside of EALC from our suggested list of courses such as Anthropology 149A-149B, Art History 164, History 194A-194B-194C, and Religious Studies 170 and 172.
After completing 20 credit hours, you will need to complete and submit a petition. The petition can down-loaded from: http://www.ls.ucdavis.edu/Students/Forms/

After you have completed all your courses, see the Chinese advisor for his/her signature. There is no need to declare the minor before your courses are completed. You are welcome to seek advice about what courses to take from the faculty advisor.

You must submit the completed minor form to your college at the beginning of the quarter when you plan to graduate.

Can I take courses other than those listed in the catalog as substitutions for the Chinese major or minor?

It is your responsibility to take all the required courses and the electives of your choice when they are offered. You cannot take substitution courses without prior approval by the Chinese advisor.

A checklist of "Chinese Minor Requirements" is available in two locations in Sproul Hall:

Outside room 304 (third floor)
On the 5th floor Chinese Bulletin Board, outside room 524.

For more information, see UCD General Catalog , page 204, for the minor requirement and course descriptions.

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Language Courses

I am interested in taking Chinese language classes. How do I know which class is right for me?

You must take a placement evaluation before registering for a Chinese language class. The evaluation result will place you in the appropriate class. See the FAQ on Chinese placement evaluation below.

What are the differences between Chinese 1 & 1BL?

Chinese 1 (and Chn 2 & 3 series) is offered for true beginners of Mandarin Chinese. Students in the class are not assumed to have any background in spoken Mandarin and written Chinese. The course equally develops elementary level skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing in Mandarin Chinese in everyday communication settings. Fundamentals of pronunciation, grammar, and Chinese characters will be introduced.

Chinese 1BL (and 2BL & 3BL series) is designed for students who already have elementary level ability to understand and speak Mandarin Chinese in daily communication, although they may have some accent or not be completely fluent when speaking Mandarin. While all the communicative skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing will be trained in Chinese 1BL, the emphases will be on standard Mandarin pronunciation, Chinese characters, and discourse level conversations.

By contract, Chinese 1CN (and 2CN & 3CN series) is a beginning Mandarin Chinese class for students who cannot speak Mandarin Chinese but already have basic comprehension and speaking skills in Cantonese or another Chinese dialect. Additionally, students in 1CN are also assumed to have had certain prior exposure to reading and/or writing in Chinese. While all the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing will be trained in 1-3CN course series, the emphasis will be on Mandarin pronunciation and fluent conversation. Depending on their reading and writing competence, students will be placed into different levels of Chinese courses upon successful completion of the course series (CHN 1-3CN).

I do not know any Chinese and would like to begin studying it, but my fall schedule is already full. Can I start learning Chinese in the winter or spring quarter?

First-year Chinese is a year-long sequence, beginning in the fall. It consists of Chinese 1, 2, and 3 for students with no prior background, and Chinese 1BL, 2BL, and 3BL for students who have basic conversational ability. If the placement evaluator determines that Chinese 1 or Chinese 1BL is the appropriate course, you must start in the fall. However, if you have already known some Chinese, you perhaps might begin the sequence with Chinese 2 or 2BL in winter, or 3 or 3BL in spring. The placement evaluator will determine which class is appropriate for you.

If I cannot get into the language class I want, can I take a higher level now and take a lower level later?

No. This is called "back-tracking" and violates university policy. For example, if you have taken CHN 3BL and then take CHN 2BL in a subsequent quarter, the lower class result would become invalid. Similarly, you cannot take CHN 120 (advanced Chinese) and then take 111, 112, or 113 (third-year Chinese) later. However, CHN 130, 131, 132, 140, 160, and literature courses can be taken out of sequence.

I am a Cantonese speaker. Do we have Cantonese courses?

Currently we only offer Mandarin Chinese courses.

I only know bopomofo as used in Taiwan, but our textbooks use pinyin. What should I do ?

Experience has shown that students who know bopomofo can learn pinyin in 1-3 hours. Visit the Pinyin and BoPoMoFo comparison chart with sound files for practice.

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Placement Evaluation

Is the placement test mandatory?

Yes. All students who did not take Chinese language courses at UC Davis in the past two years must take the placement evaluation BEFORE enrolling in a Chinese class. You will be directed to the appropriate course according to the evaluation result.

When should I take the placement test? And where can I take it?

You should take the placement test as soon as possible. The earlier you take the test and register for the appropriate course, the greater the possibility that you can enroll in the class. The placement test schedule is posted on the Chinese Program website.

What is the format of the placement test?

The evaluation consists of three parts: a questionnaire, a written exam, and an oral interview. The questionnaire examines your Chinese language background. The written exam tests your ability in written Chinese. The oral interview ascertains your spoken Chinese proficiency.

How long does the test take?

20 to 80 minutes, depending on your Chinese competence.

How should I prepare for the placement test?

You do not need to prepare. The purpose of the test is to identify your Chinese competence so that to direct you to the appropriate course.

I am certain that I will be at the first and most basic level class since I have not taken any Chinese courses or do not have any other Chinese language background. Do I still have to take the placement test?

Yes. You still need to come to complete a questionnaire and have a short oral interview with the evaluator.

Last year, I took a Chinese placement test but did not enroll in a Chinese class. Does that test count now?

Since we redesigned the evaluation format and standards in Fall 2004, you should take the test again if you took it before August 2004.

I originally registered in the CHN 1 course. After I took the placement test, I was told to go into the CHN 1BL course. Now I am waitlisted #5 for the 1BL class. Will the Chinese department help me get into the class?

The placement test only determines which course you should take. It does not guarantee your enrollment in the course. Whether you can enroll in the course depends on how many students will drop or switch from that course. Your enrollment is governed by the school registration policies and procedures. In your case, being in the fifth place on the waiting list gives you a good chance to be enrolled. But there is no guarantee. We strongly encourage students who want to enroll in Chinese courses to move quickly. First take the placement test and then register for the course, as the test results indicates, as early as possible.

If I can't enroll this quarter, when I want to register for the class in the future, do I need to retake the placement test?

Generally speaking, the placement test result is valid for two years. But if you receive either formal or informal Chinese instruction elsewhere or spend a substantial time in a Mandarin-speaking community during the two years after you take the placement test, you should re-take it.

I was placed into Chinese 1BL since I can understand some Mandarin and speak a little, but I do not know how to write Chinese at all. Should I enroll in Chinese 1 instead?

You should take the course the evaluator asks you to take. The reason we conduct the placement test is to direct students to appropriate courses. We group students with similar language backgrounds into the same course, in order to teach them well and give them the best possible educational experience.

The BL track is only a little faster than the regular track, and students are not expected to be completely fluent in speaking or good at writing. The BL classes do cover Mandarin pronunciation, conversation, and new vocabulary, as well as writing.

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Waiting-lists and Auditing

I am still the sixth on the waiting list. I don't think I can be enrolled in the class. Can I audit the class?

We appreciate your enthusiasm for learning Chinese. Unfortunately, we have to limit the class size in order to maintain quality control over the language learning environment. Language courses require intensive interaction and practice. Consequently auditing Chinese language courses is not permitted. Exceptions are possible only if the class size is less than the limit, and if the instructor gives you special permission.

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Transferring Credits

I took some courses in EAP (Education Abroad Program). Can they be transferred toward my Chinese major or minor?

To determine the transferability of the credits from EAP, you must have the Chinese advisor's approval. You should make an appointment with the advisor to go over the official transcripts, syllabi, and sometimes course material (text books, exams, and homework). Transfer of credits is not automatic. To transfer language courses, please see Professor Chengzhi Chu, coordinator of the Chinese language program, for evaluation. It is your responsibility to keep all the course materials for evaluation. In case your course materials do not suggest the level of Chinese competence that you assume you have (e.g., you think you can transfer credits for 3rd-year Chinese but your course exam papers and homework only indicate the second level of achievements), you may need to take an evaluation test to ascertain your actual level. To transfer literature courses, please see the faculty advisor for Undergraduate Studies.

I studied in China for a year at a university that is not part of the EAP. Can I still have some credits transferred toward the major or minor requirement?

There is a residence requirement: For the Chinese major, students can only use up to 16 units from another institution. That is to say, only 4 courses (16 units) out of 9 courses (36 units) may be transfer credits for the major. One must take at least 22 units at UCD and they all must be upper-division courses. For minors, only 2 courses (8 units) out of 5 courses can be transfer credits from EAP program.

The same policy regarding transferring credits applies. Transfer of credits is not automatic. To determine the transferability of the credits from another institution, you must have the Chinese advisor's approval. You should make an appointment with the advisor to go over the official transcripts, syllabi, and sometimes course material (text books, exams, and homework). For evaluation and approval to transfer credits of language courses, see Professor Chengzhi Chu. For approval to transfer credits of literature courses, see Chinese faculty advisor.

Students wishing to transfer credits for China-related courses taken abroad in anthropology, art history, economics, political science, sociology, and other non-language and non-literature fields should request approval from the appropriate department. EALC only approves transfer credits for language and literature courses.

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Chinese Tutoring

Is Chinese tutoring considered as internship or a course? Do I have to fill out a contract?

Chinese tutoring is neither a TAship nor an internship. It is a special language practice course (Chinese 197T). The course provides a unique opportunity for you to improve your own language skills by providing conversational model or by offering other appropriate assistance in listening, speaking, reading, and writing for lower level Chinese students. Meanwhile, you also gain teaching experience for a possible career in language teaching.

To take this course, you earn one unit of academic credit by successfully offering a 3-hour tutoring session each week under the supervision of the Chinese language program coordinator. You need to meet with the Chinese language program coordinator and sign a form (or you can call it a contract) prepared by the school to register for the course.

This is my first time tutoring students in Chinese. Do I have to clock in and out when I go to/leave the shift?

Yes, you must come on time and cannot leave early. Every time you come to the office, you should sign under your name on the tutoring schedule sheet.

If students ask me something I don't know, how should I respond?

In that case, refer the student to other tutors who can help or to the teachers.

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Summer Program

Do you offer Chinese courses in the summer?

Yes. In summer 2005 we offered CHN S1A--Accelerated Intensive Elementary Chinese and CHN S120--Advanced Chinese at UC Davis. CHN S1A is equivalent to the first-year regular Chinese (Chinese 1 through 3). CHN S120 is a fourth-year level Chinese course. It's possible that we'll offer more summer courses in the future. Interested students may check the school summer-sessions course website for details.

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Internships

Do you have any information on this quarter's internships?

The EALC Department does not currently have any formally established internships. If you wish to create your own internship and enroll in a section of CHN 192, you will need to speak with the academic advisor. Also, we strongly encourage students interested in internship options to contact the school's Internship and Career Center on the second floor of South Hall (Ph: 530-752-2682).

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Overseas Chinese Programs

Can you recommend some overseas Chinese programs?

UC Davis-sponsored overseas Chinese programs are available at Peking University and at Beijing Normal University in Beijing , East China Normal University in Shanghai, and at National Taiwan University in Taipei. Contact the Education Abroad Center for details.

For other independent overseas Chinese programs, you can consider:

IUP (Inter-University Program)
Princeton in Beijing
ACC (Associated Colleges in China)
CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange)
CET in Beijing, Harbin, Nanjing, and Hangzhou
The Hopkins-Nanjing Center for Chinese and American Studies (graduate programs)
Thunderbird Language and Business Program

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524 Sproul Hall - Phone: (530) 752-4999 - Fax: (530) 752-8630 - Email: gjhart@ (Jeanne Hart)

Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures