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B.A. in Chinese

Objectives

China has the longest continuous culture surviving from ancient times. Chinese culture had influence beyond its borders to the whole of East Asia, contributing to the shape of the cultures of Japan and Korea. The BA Honours course in Chinese at Oxford is designed to give students an understanding of both traditional and modern China, based on a knowledge of the classical and the modern Chinese languages.

The modern Chinese language forms the basis from which one can pursue any aspect of Chinese studies and is given high priority throughout the course, with the students being taught not only the skills of reading and writing, but also spoken Chinese with a basic training in interpreting and in giving oral presentations. A training in Classical Chinese is important, not only as a key to understanding traditional China, but because it remains a significant element in the modern written language.

The Course

The Chinese course lasts four years, and is structured in two main parts, with important University examinations at the end of the fifth term during the second year (Moderations) and of the fourth year (Finals). A four-month study visit to a Chinese University is required in the mid-point of the course in the second year.

The main emphasis in the first year is on building a sound basic knowledge of contemporary written and spoken Chinese, which involves at least ten hours a week of classroom and tutorial teaching, including language laboratory work. A further three hours a week are devoted to the study of the language of Ancient China. The language training continue into the second year with intensive reading of both modern and classical texts. There are also tutorials on the history, institutions and culture of China, involving extensive background reading and training in essay writing.

After returning from China at the beginning of the 3rd year, students begin the second half of the course, the aim of which is to provide: linguistic skills. In addition to the oral examination, language ability is tested in three papers; Modern Chinese prose composition, unprepared translation from Modern Chinese, and unprepared translation from Classical Chinese. Students receive instruction in interpreting, newspaper reading, prose composition and listening comprehension, all taught in small groups, often with the use of the Language Laboratory. detailed study of texts. This part of the course aims to give students an expert understanding of a limited amount of specific source material. Two translation papers test classical texts, and a third paper is devoted to Optional Texts, works which students have studied from an area of their own choice. (At present the subjects on offer are: texts on the modern society and politics of China, modern literary texts, traditional literary texts, ancient historical texts,or Korean historical texts in Chinese as part of the subsidiary in Korean or Tibetan.) A separate essay paper examines the subject matter and background of the Optional Texts. a broad understanding of Chinese society. This is begun in the Moderations Paper on the history and civilization of China, and is continued in the Optional Text essay paper. In the Finals there is also a compulsory paper covering the history of China in the 19th and 20th centuries. independent study. Students are required to submit a short dissertation, which may be on a topic relating to any area of Chinese studies, such as literature, art, religion, and aspects of contemporary China. special language work. Students who are not doing a subsidiary subject in Korean or Tibetan have the choice of studying Japanese, Korean, Tibetan, General Linguistics, or Chinese texts related to their chosen option. For more information, please consult the Handbook for the B.A. in Chinese

Study Abroad

Living and studying in a Chinese environment enables students to make rapid progress in all aspects of the modern language. At the end of the second year, immediately following the Moderations examination, all undergraduates must spend a period of at least four months on an approved course of study in East Asia. In 2001 students attended Peking University.

Career Prospects

The Oxford degree in Chinese is not designed as a vocational course leading simply to a career requiring functional language skills. It should be regarded primarily as a chance to study a great society and civilization remote from the European tradition, and to gain an educational experience which is valuable for its own sake. However, a special knowledge of China and its language does give advantages in certain careers, for example, diplomatic work, international finance and commerce, and journalism. The Oxford course also provides a good foundation for further academic work and possible career opportunities in universities, museums and libraries.

Reading

Books on China are not always easy to find in local libraries. Rather than list individual titles, we suggest looking for works by the following authors:

for reading about traditional China:

Jonathan Spence, Frederick Wakeman, Joseph Needham, Arthur Waley, Burton Watson, David Hawkes and Jacques Gernet;

and for modern China:

Edgar Snow, David Goodman, Perry Link, Geremie Barmé and John Minford.

Translations of Chinese fiction, poetry, and philosophical works are available in Penguin; others are published by the Foreign Languages Press in Beijing. Michael Sullivan's works on Chinese art are also recommended.

For a more general survey consult:

• The Cambridge Illustrated History of China, ed. Patricia Ebney, 1996.
• A Cultural Atlas of China, Mark Elvin and Caroline Blunsden, Oxford, 1983.
• Chinese, Jerry Norman, Cambridge, 1988.

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• B.A. in Chinese
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