Overview
Jessie Jia
Masaaki Kamiya, chair
Kyoko Omori
Zhuoyi Wang
Special Appointment
Xi Chen
Chia-Hua Lee
Haruka Snyder
Emi Tasho
The goal of the East Asian Languages and Literatures Department is to introduce students to the region’s changing identity while emphasizing the attainment of language proficiency as well as knowledge of East Asian culture, literature, film, and linguistics.
Students Will Learn to:
- Write in the target language at the academic level
- Present ideas orally in the target language at the academic level
- Discuss East Asian literature and culture in both English and the target language
- Analyze East Asian cultural production in both English and the target language
The East Asian Languages and Literatures Department consists of the Chinese program and the Japanese program. The department offers courses in Chinese and Japanese languages, film and media studies, literature, linguistics, and cultures. The department has concentrations and minors in both Chinese and Japanese.
Language courses focus on language acquisition and introduction to the cultures and civilizations of the target countries and regions. Both the Chinese and Japanese programs also offer culture, literature, film, media, linguistics, and pedagogy courses taught in English and the target languages. These courses are a vital part of the department’s concentrations and minors, and the courses offered in English also attract students who have not studied the languages but are interested in the cultures and society of East Asia.
Chinese Concentration
A concentration in Chinese consists of nine courses numbered 140 or higher, including at least one 400-level course (in the target language and culture course) in each semester of the senior year, and the required senior project (CHNSE-550). Note that only one 100 level non-language course taught in English counts toward the major.
A minor in Chinese consists of five courses numbered 140 or higher, including at least one 400-level course.
After being approved by the EALL Department chair, students may use courses that focus on China that are offered by Chinese in EALL, the Asian Studies Program, or another department, to satisfy the concentration or minor requirements. Students who concentrate in Chinese may select the credit/no credit option for only one course used to fulfill their concentration requirements. Students in the minor may not use any courses graded CR/NC for minor requirements.
Japanese Concentration
A concentration in Japanese consists of nine courses numbered 140 or higher, including at least one 400-level course (in the target language and culture course) in each semester of the senior year, and the required senior project (JAPN-550). Note that only one 100 level non-language course taught in English counts toward the major.
A minor in Japanese consists of five courses numbered 140 or higher, including at least one 400-level course.
After being approved by the EALL Department chair, students may use courses that focus on Japan that are offered by Japanese in EALL, the Asian Studies Program, or another department, to satisfy the concentration or minor requirements. Students who concentrate in Japanese may select the credit/no credit option for only one course used to fulfill their concentration requirements. Students in the minor may not use any courses graded CR/NC for minor requirements.
To obtain departmental honors, students must have an average of A- (A- = 3.67) or higher in all coursework in Chinese or Japanese.
Study of the Chinese and the Japanese languages to the level of CHNSE-140/JAPN-140 in the East Asian Languages and Literatures department also satisfies the two-year language requirement of the Asian Studies Program. Students are encouraged to strengthen their understanding of cross-cultural issues by integrating their language and culture studies with courses offered in Asian studies.
It is highly advised that students interested in beginning or continuing their Chinese or Japanese language studies make an immediate start with the 100- or 200-level courses in the first semester, or consult with the department chair. All 100-, 200- and 300-level courses taught in English are open to juniors and seniors without prerequisites, unless otherwise noted.
The Chinese Program sends students to its own study abroad program, Associated Colleges in China (ACC). The Japanese Program has a list of recommended programs, and students will select a program in consultation with faculty.
SSIH Requirements
Along with its curricular mission and disciplinary expectations, both the Chinese and Japanese programs require their concentrators to fulfill the College’s Social, Structural, and Institutional Hierarchies (SSIH) requirement. Students concentrating in Chinese or Japanese need to take one of the courses listed below:
CHNSE-425 Current Issues in China
CHNSE-442 Cinematic Heroes and Heroines in Post-Mao China
CHNSE-450 Remembering Chinese Revolution through Film
JAPN-401 Selected Readings in Japanese
JAPN-402 Japanese Textual Analysis and Translation
Associated Colleges in China
Administered by the East Asian Languages and Literatures Department, the program provides summer, fall and spring study in Beijing (Capital University of Economics and Business) with intensive coursework through individualized instruction with a high level of participation and interaction. The courses are taught entirely in Chinese and encompass topics including advanced language, Chinese politics, society, economics, religion, art, folklore and literature. Unique features and activities of the program include the language pledge (speaking Chinese only), language practicum (individual projects conducted with local citizens), Chinese host families, Chinese language table, field trips in historically and culturally important sites outside of Beijing and extracurricular activities such as Taichi, Chinese food cooking, calligraphy, etc.
The courses taken with ACC will count toward the Chinese concentration requirement. However, students with concentrations other than Chinese should consult with the appropriate department for transfer of credit for the concentration.
The ACC Program is open to sophomores, juniors and first-semester seniors. It is in principle a full-year program (summer, fall and spring); however, applications may be made for any of the three sections. To be admitted, students must take at least two semesters of Chinese, a course on the culture and civilization of China and have the permission of the ACC director.