Major
Chinese Studies
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What will I study?
Overview
Your course structure
The Bachelor of Arts requires the successful completion of 24 subjects (300-points), including at least one major. Most students study eight subjects each year (usually four subjects in each semester) for three years full-time, or the part-time equivalent.
Most Arts majors require 100 points of study (usually eight subjects) for attainment. This means out of your 300-point program, you have the opportunity to achieve two majors in your course.
Completing your major
Students completing a major or minor in Chinese Studies will need to complete a certain distribution of compulsory and elective subjects based on their entry point. Due to the wide range of student language proficiency levels (from beginners to fluent), the Chinese Studies major provides six language entry points, the super advanced entry point is only available as a minor, available to students who have completed secondary education in a Chinese environment. For more information on the different entry points required subjects, view the Handbook entry for this course.
- Students who undertake a major in Chinese Studies from entry point 1 (beginners level) must complete ten Chinese subjects (125 points) taken as Arts discipline subjects.
Breadth studies
Breadth is a unique feature of the Melbourne Model. It gives you the chance to explore subjects outside of arts, developing new perspectives and learning to collaborate with others who have different strengths and interests — just as you will in your future career.
Some of our students use breadth to explore creative interests or topics they have always been curious about. Others used breadth to improve their career prospects by complementing their major with a language, communication skills or business expertise.
Rachel Madin
Rachel Madin is currently completing a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Chinese Studies and Screen and Cultural Studies.
In high school my two favourite subjects were Chinese and Theatre Studies, so I wanted to find a university course in which I could continue to study Chinese and also explore other options related to the dramatic arts. The Bachelor of Arts and the Melbourne Model provided me with the opportunity to do this.
Studying Chinese Studies as my major has definitely changed my worldview. It has opened up a whole new world for me and given me opportunities to communicate and interact with people I previously wouldn’t have been able to. Recently, I’ve been making friends from all over the world who also speak or study Chinese.
Studying Chinese has not only encouraged me to get to know Chinese international students, but has also made me braver to go up to Chinese tourists on campus and ask them if they need directions or help taking photos. This often leads to a lot of really funny and interesting conversations.
I have found that the best way to get involved in extra-curricular activities is through the student clubs and societies. My favourites have been Australia China Youth Association (ACYA) and Mandarin Language Club (MLC) which have allowed me the opportunity to meet students from China. This has not only assisted with my Chinese language and communication skills but has enabled me to meet so many great people, not only from Australia and China but from all over the world.
Explore this major
Explore the subjects you could choose as part of this major.
- Chinese 1 12.5
Chinese 1
Students will develop their ability to communicate and understand in simple Chinese by engaging with the following key cultural situations in Chinese society such as situations relating to the use of names, family relationships, social exchanges which deploy different forms of address, and engaging with physical spaces and geography, and temporal systems. Student expertise in the employment of both linguistic and cultural resources is developed through reading short Chinese texts addressing each of these cultural situations, acquitting the literacies associated with these situations. The study of Chinese texts is supported by additional materials introducing the cultural topics. The texts’ study is also supplemented by students’ oral presentations, role plays and engaging in group discussions, as well as their conductions of written exercise. All this ensures that students’ acquisition of linguistic and cultural competence is facilitated with the image of situated language through an explicit focus on social and physical situations.
- Chinese 2 12.5
Chinese 2
Students will further develop their ability to communicate and understand in simple Chinese by engaging with the key cultural situations in Chinese society including the norms and customs affecting interactions everyday life. Student expertise in the employment of both linguistic and cultural resources is further developed through reading short Chinese texts addressing each of the cultural situations, acquitting the literacies associated with these situations. The study of Chinese texts is supported by additional materials introducing the cultural topics. The texts’ study is also supplemented by students’ oral presentations, role plays and engaging in group discussions, as well as their conductions of written exercise. All this ensures that students’ acquisition of linguistic and cultural competence is further facilitated with the image of situated language through an explicit focus on a wider range of social and physical situations.
- Chinese 3 12.5
Chinese 3
This is a post-elementary subject in Chinese. By the end of this subject students should know 750 Chinese characters and should have a good grasp of basic grammatical structures as well as furthering their knowledge of Chinese cultural practices.
- Chinese 4 12.5
Chinese 4
Chinese 4 is a post-elementary subject, a continuation of Chinese 3. It continues to focus on the understanding and use of the Chinese language, with emphasis on selected vocabulary, complex sentences and basic grammatical structures. By the end of this subject students should have mastered the basic grammatical structures of Modern Chinese and have a vocabulary of approximately 1000 characters. Students should have sufficient listening and speaking skills to cope with everyday situations in China. They should have basic knowledge of using Chinese language in Chinese cultural situations through practical activities.
In the course of building up their linguistic competence, students will continue to expend their cultural awareness to prepare themselves in cross-cultural communication. Chinese texts will be supported by brief English introduction, video, audio or additional reading materials dealing with the cultural topics.
- Chinese in Context 1 12.5
Chinese in Context 1
This is an intermediate subject for students of non-Chinese background who are taking Chinese major starting from Chinese 1. The subject is designed to consolidate and extend students' oral and listening skills while building on and expanding the grammatical knowledge and vocabulary introduced in their previous courses.
Students will develop their ability to communicate in Chinese at an intermediate level and their skills of the Chinese language through engaging with a range of topics associated with contemporary Chinese society and culture. Students will enhance their linguistic competence through reading Chinese texts, writing and presenting short opinion pieces on selected current socio-cultural and socio-political issues in Chinese, and participating in group discussions.
By the conclusion of this subject students should have mastered the general grammatical structures of Modern Chinese and have a vocabulary of approximately 1200 characters. Students should have sufficient listening and speaking skills to cope with everyday situations in China, and have basic knowledge of Chinese cultural practices. They will be better reprepared to communicate in Chinese on a variety of topics in both spoken and written form.
- Chinese in Context 2 12.5
Chinese in Context 2
This subject is a continuation of Chinese 3 (major). It is designed as an upper-intermediate subject in Chinese for students of non-Chinese background who are doing Chinese major starting from Chinese 1. It aims to consolidate and extend students' oral and listening skills while building on and expanding the grammatical knowledge and vocabulary introduced in their previous courses.
Students will develop their ability to communicate in Chinese at an upper-intermediate level and their skills of the Chinese language through engaging with a range of topics dealing with contemporary Chinese society and culture. Their linguistic competence will be enhanced through reading Chinese texts, writing and presenting short opinion pieces on selected current socio-cultural and socio-political issues in Chinese, and participating in group discussions.
By the conclusion of this subject students should have mastered the general grammatical structures of Modern Chinese and have a vocabulary of approximately 1400 characters. Students should have sufficient listening and speaking skills to cope with everyday situations in China. They should be better informed and aware of Chinese cultural practices. They will be more confident in communicating in Chinese on a variety of topics in both spoken and written forms.
Core
- Chinese 512.5
Chinese 5
This subject is designed for students of non-Chinese speaking background who have completed Chinese 3 and Chinese 4 (previously offered as Chinese 2A and 2B), or equivalent. Students will build on the knowledge gained through their previous studies and broaden their reading, listening comprehension and speaking skills.
Students will develop their ability to communicate in Chinese at a beginning-advanced level and their analytical skills of the Chinese language through engaging with a range of topics concerning contemporary Chinese society and culture. Their linguistic competence will be enhanced through exposure to Chinese materials dealing with a variety of socio-cultural situations, writing and presenting opinion pieces on current issues in Chinese, and participating in group discussions. Study activities will be supported with linguistic and cultural resources, including background information in brief English passages, along with video, audio and additional reading materials introducing the cultural topics.
By the conclusion of this subject students should have an enhanced understanding of Chinese cultural practices. They will be more competent in communicating in Chinese on a variety of topics in both spoken and written forms.
- Chinese 612.5
Chinese 6
This subject is a continuation of Chinese 5. It is designed for students of non-Chinese speaking background who have completed Chinese 5 (previously offered as Chinese 3A), or equivalent. Students will build on the knowledge gained through their previous studies and broaden their reading, listening comprehension, speaking and writing skills.
Students will develop their ability to communicate in Chinese at a beginning-advanced level and their analytical skills of the Chinese language through engaging with a range of topics concerning contemporary Chinese society and culture. Their linguistic competence will be further enhanced through exposure to Chinese materials dealing with a variety of socio-cultural situations, writing and presenting opinion pieces on current issues in Chinese, and participating in group discussions. Study activities will be supported with linguistic and cultural resources, including background information in brief English passages, as well as video, audio and additional reading materials introducing the cultural topics.
This subject will allow students to gain confidence and independence in handling written Chinese language materials so as to make the transition from textbook material to original Chinese texts.
- Chinese News Analysis12.5
Chinese News Analysis
This subject is an advanced unit introducing the techniques of Chinese newspaper analysis for fields such as politics, international affairs, intellectual debates etc. Students will use current reading materials to study a range of social and political affairs in the People's Republic of China. On completion of the subject students should be able to read news articles in Chinese with the aid of a dictionary. demonstrate a knowledge of issues of current importance for Chinese society. have an understanding of the function of news media in Chinese society. and develop analytical skills in dealing with Chinese material.
Electives
- Modern Chinese Literature12.5
Modern Chinese Literature
This subject examines developments in modern Chinese literature from the Literary Revolution to the present with a focus on the contemporary period. Students will be encouraged to use digital technologies to facilitate reading comprehension in Chinese. By the end of the subject students should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the major developments in modern Chinese literature since the Literary Revolution and of popular literature in Contemporary China. They should significantly improve their skills in reading comprehension and cultural analysis of Chinese texts.
- Great Chinese Classics12.5
Great Chinese Classics
This subject offers an introduction to literary Chinese (wenyan) which was the formal written language of imperial China and the foundation of modern written Chinese. A knowledge of literary Chinese is thus indispensable in attaining higher level literacy in Chinese. Literary Chinese also includes texts written in classical Chinese in antiquity. In this subject students will read masterpieces of Chinese philosophy and literature from antiquity to the Tang period. Students will develop skills in reading texts written in full-form characters and acquire a basic knowledge of the particles and syntax of literary Chinese. They will also explore the origin and meaning of Chinese proverbs and the function of wenyan in contemporary usage.