Course Description

List of courses offered in AY2023-2024 Semester 2

Note: Not every course will be available in a semester.

In the descriptions of courses given below, the workload for the courses is displayed in an A-B-C-D-E format where:
A – No. of lecture hours per week
B – No. of tutorial hours per week
C – No. of laboratory hours per week
D – No. of project/assignment hours per week
E – No. of hours for preparatory work per week

Pre-requisites indicate the base of knowledge on which the subject matter of a particular course will be built. Before taking a course, a student should complete any pre-requisite course(s) listed for that particular course. Where pre-requisites are specified, equivalent courses will also be accepted. If in doubt, students should consult the course instructor or academic advisors regarding acceptable equivalent courses.

Chinese Studies 汉学

Basic Course 基本课程

CH1101E Retelling Chinese Stories: Change and Continuity 经典故事的演变与继承

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): A pass in GCE “O” Level Chinese Language “B” syllabus or higher, or equivalent.
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This is a bilingual introductory course on some of the most interesting topics in Chinese history, literature, and culture. We will be studying these topics through the changes and continuities in the famous stories retold over time. The stories include those of the revengeful, the assassins, the queers, the cross dresser, and the ghost lovers. What you really need is a curious mind and an ability to comprehend basic spoken Mandarin. All assigned readings and presentation slides will be in English. Classes will be bilingual, and you can choose to do the term essay in either language.

Literature 文学

CH2121 History of Chinese Literature 中国文学史

Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s):
1) At least a B4 for GCE ‘O’ level Chinese or Higher Chinese; OR
2) A pass in GCE ‘A’ level H1 Chinese or H2 Chinese; OR
3) Equivalent qualifications may be accepted.
Preclusion(s): CL2121
Cross-listing(s): CL2121

An essential course for students majoring in Chinese Studies/Chinese Language, this course is a general survey of the development of Chinese literature from ancient times to the Qing Dynasty. It is designed to introduce students to the main features of various literary trends, genres and styles, as well as to major writers of various periods and their representative works. The course also caters to students across the University with an interest in classical Chinese literature. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH2162 Reading Classical Chinese Texts 历代文选

Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): CH1101E and either CH2121/CL2121 or CH2141/CL2241
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

Students are taught how to critically read, appreciate and analyze texts in classical Chinese in their specific historical, literary and philosophical contexts. Translating the original texts into modern Chinese is an integral part of the course. This is a compulsory course for students majoring in Chinese Studies. Readings include representative works of prose and rhyme‐prose from the pre‐Qin to the Qing period. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH2221 Modern Chinese Literature 中国现代文学

As a comprehensive introduction to modern Chinese literature of the period between 1917 and 1949, this course studies the 1917 Literary Revolution and May-Fourth Movement, the modern literary genres that flourished in the hands of literary giants like Lu Xun, Hu Shi, Yu Dafu, Zhu Ziqing and Zhang Ailing, the important literary organizations and theories, and the debates between the various schools of writers who supported different literary ideas and concepts.

CH2226 Selected Authors/Text I 作家/专书研究㈠

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s):
1) At least a B4 for GCE ‘O’ level Chinese or Higher Chinese; OR
2) A pass in GCE ‘A’ level H1 Chinese or H2 Chinese; OR
3) Equivalent qualifications may be accepted.
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course is designed to concentrate on the study of two or more selected authors or texts in modern Chinese history, literature or philosophy. The course is suitable for students who are interested in modern Chinese history, literature or philosophy. Target students for this course are undergraduates across the University. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH2292 Special Topics in Chinese Literature (in English) 中国文学专题

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course aims at promoting students’ ability in reading and analysing Chinese literature. It introduces students to important writers and works, genres, and other literary elements in Chinese literature. Texts and reference materials used for study are all in English. This course is open to students across the University with an interest in Chinese literature.

CH2391 Strangers in Chinese Fiction and Film (in English) 华文文学里的他者和弱者

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-3-4
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

Why should we study the downtrodden, the disempowered and the dispossessed in literature? Selecting Chinese-language narratives from various locales—especially Singapore and Malaysia—that feature “strangers, outsiders and nobodies,” this course examines the portrayal of figures living on the social margins, and across the fault lines of class, politics, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion and language. It also explores the social imaginaries encoded in literary and cinematic texts to reveal the values and anxieties of the societies we live in, thus facilitating a collective discussion on the importance of feeling for those we find unfamiliar. No knowledge of Chinese is necessary.

CH3221 Selected Readings in Chinese Verse 中国诗歌选读

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Must obtain:
1) At least a B4 for GCE ‘O’ level Chinese or Higher Chinese; OR
2) A pass in GCE ‘A’ level H1 Chinese or H2 Chinese; OR
3) Equivalent qualifications may be accepted.
Preclusion(s): CL3221
Cross-listing(s): CL3221

This course aims at promoting students’ ability in reading and analysing Chinese poetry. Various Chinese poetic themes, forms, styles and techniques are discussed through the analysis of selected poems of different periods. The course is provided for students who already have basic reading ability in classical Chinese and wish to advance their knowledge in Chinese rhymeprose and poetry. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH3222 Chinese Drama 中国戏剧

The course is divided into four sections: (1) major theatrical forms prior to the Yuan Dynasty; (2) northern drama and its literary contribution; (3) southern drama and its relationship to twentieth century Chinese opera, and (4) vernacular drama from the May Fourth period to the present. The course aims to develop students’ skill in analysing dramatic texts and theatrical performances. It is intended for students who are interested in Chinese literature and theatrical art. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH3223 Selected Authors/Texts II 作家/专书研究（二）

Students reading this course are expected to conduct an in‐depth study of two or more writers or texts in pre‐ modern Chinese history, literature or philosophy, with an emphasis on analytical discussion of selected authors or texts. Students who have taken CH2226 and want to develop their knowledge in this field are encouraged to take this course. This course is taught in Chinese.

CH3225 Keywords in S’pore and M’sian Chinese Literary Studies 关键词：新马文学研究入门

This is an introductory course on Singapore and Malaysian Chinese literature from the nineteenth century to the present. No prior knowledge of Chinese literature is necessary. Through the lenses of ten keywords, such as "author", "language," "place" and "gender," the course explores issues surrounding the definition and the history of "xinma" (Singapore-Malaysian) Chinese literary production. Students will also sample significant literary texts of this tradition.

CH3227 Chinese Vernacular Stories 中国白话小说
(Defunct with effect from Sem 1, AY2023/2024.)

This is an in-depth evaluation of vernacular stories of the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Special attention will be given to different vernacular stories. Examples may include the three large collections of Chinese vernacular stories, Common Words to Warn the World (Jingshi tongyan), Constant Words to Awaken the World (Xingshi hengyan) and Clear Words to Inform the World (yushi mingyan), collected or written by Feng Menglong (1574-1646). Significant chapters from the three collections will be selected for intensive reading and close analysis. The reason for the rise of the vernacular story as well as the relationship between the author/editor and the stories will be discussed in the course. Some cases of the evolution from earlier versions to those collected in later periods will be explored. The narrative characteristics applied in the collections will be explained. Several thematic designs in the texts will also be interpreted. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH3228 Classical Poetry: Writing and Criticism 唐宋诗选与习作

One of the best ways to understand the essence of poetry is to write one’s own composition. This method is particularly important in the study of classical Chinese poetry, for it can practically help one acquire the knowledge of tones, prosody, forms, structures and aesthetics of this traditional literary genre. Through critical analysis of Tang‐Song masterpieces and traditional poetry discourses, this course will introduce the skill of poetry writing to students, deepen their understanding of the art of classical shi poetry as well as the historical, social and cultural backgrounds related to the genre’s stylistic development, and nourish their aesthetic criticism on poetry as a whole. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH3229 Modern Literature in Taiwan and Hong Kong 台湾与香港文学

This course studies the modern literature in Taiwan and Hong Kong. It surveys the fictions of Modern and Contemporary Chinese and analyses the characteristic of narratology. The course will focus on the dialogues between national, regional imaginaries and literary cultures in the Sinophone world. Close reading is a required skill for this course.

CH3230 Ci Lyric in the Tang-Song Period 唐宋词

The objective of the course is to introduce to students the evolution of ci lyric, the main features of ci aesthetics and criticism, the form and regulations of ci writing, as well as their relationships with popular and elite cultures. Major topics include: pre-Song anonymous popular lyrics found in Dunhuang and those written in the Song; major literati ci writers from Tang to Southern Song; lyrics sung in entertainment quarters and brothels; stylistic and thematic innovations in Northern Song; the distinction between the haofang (heroic and abandon) school and the wanyue (delicate and retrained) school; the evolution of ci criticism since the Five Dynasties. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH3231 Chinese Fiction 中国小说

Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Must obtain:
1) At least a B4 for GCE ‘O’ level Chinese or Higher Chinese; OR
2) A pass in GCE ‘A’ level H1 Chinese or H2 Chinese; OR
3) Equivalent qualifications may be accepted.
Preclusion(s): CH2223
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course is designed to acquaint students with the historical evolution and characteristics of ancient Chinese fiction. It covers different genres of the fictional narrative tradition, zhiguai, zhiren, Tang chuanqi short tale, huaben colloquial short story and full-length xiaoshuo. The course is open to students across the University with an interest in Chinese literary tradition and particularly in Chinese fiction. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH3232 Selected Readings in Chinese Prose 中国散文选读
(Defunct with effect from Sem 1, AY2023/2024.)

Representative pieces of Chinese prose of various periods are selected for intensive reading and close analysis with a view to introducing students to the development of Chinese prose from the pre-Qin period to the present. Emphasis is placed on the reading of texts in classical Chinese. This course is designed for students who are interested in classical Chinese and who have basic reading ability of classical Chinese. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH3273 Modern and Contemporary Chinese Popular Literature 中国现当代通俗文学

This course surveys the development of Chinese popular literature from late Qing Dynasty to the present by tracing the transformation of three themes in vernacular fiction: martial arts, court romance, and science fiction. Through reading some of the most important works of the period, discussing the movies and TV dramas based on them, as well as examining how the Chinese literary landscape was shaped by the shift in medium of transmission from paper to the Internet, students will develop analytical skills in critically reflecting upon the modernization of Chinese literature. This course is taught in Chinese.

CH3881 Topics in Chinese Literature I 中国文学专题（一）

This course is designed for doing a general survey on chosen topics in Chinese Literature depending on the specialty of the instructor. Most likely the topic will change from year to year. This course is taught in Chinese.

CH4222 Chinese Classical Novels 中国章回小说

Units: 4
Workload: 0-0-0-5-5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4222HM
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course is designed to expose students to classical colloquial novels of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. One of the masterpieces in this novelistic tradition such as the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin,
Journey to the West and the Story of the Stone will be selected for in-depth study. The analysis will focus on the novel’s thematic concern, narrative form and structure, and its way of characterisation in relation to the sociocultural milieu in which the text was produced. The course caters to students with a strong interest in ancient Chinese novels and Ming-Qing literati culture. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH4222HM Chinese Classical Novels 中国章回小说

Units: 5
Workload: 0-0-0-5-7.5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4222
Cross-listing(s): Nil

CH4223 Chinese Literary Criticism 中国文学批评

Units: 4
Workload: 0-0-0-5-5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4223HM
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course is a survey of traditional Chinese literary theories from the Pre-Qin period to the Qing Dynasty, for enhancing students’ competence in analysis of literary works. The content of the course covers a series of traditional concepts in criticism of lyric poetry such as ethical or aesthetical function of poetry, vision or dynamic process as nature of poetry, use of correlative thinking in lyric aesthetics, and taste and flavour in connoisseurship. The course is designed for students with an interest in Chinese lyricism and literary criticism. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH4223HM Chinese Literary Criticism 中国文学批评

Units: 5
Workload: 0-0-0-5-7.5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4223
Cross-listing(s): Nil

CH4224 Studies in Chinese Verse 中国辞赋研究

Units: 4
Workload: 0-0-0-5-5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4224HM
Cross-listing(s): Nil

The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the tradition of Chinese classical poetry in the forms of shi, ci, qu and fu. Representative works of important authors are selected for intensive reading to train students to interpret and appreciate classical Chinese poetic writings. Works in one or two poetic forms will be selected for in-depth study. The course is designed to deepen students’ understanding of the four poetic genres in the Chinese literary tradition. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH4224HM Studies in Chinese Verse 中国辞赋研究

Units: 5
Workload: 0-0-0-5-7.5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4224
Cross-listing(s): Nil

CH4226 The City in Modern Chinese Literature 城市与现代中国文学

Units: 4
Workload: 0-0-0-5-5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4226HM
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course takes a close look at how the metropolis and urban life figure in twentieth‐century Chinese literature and culture. We will examine the literary and visual representations of the city in modern China through close
analyses of the novels, short stories, films, and photographs that illuminate Chinese urbanism. The cultural manifestations of such Chinese metropolises as Shanghai and Beijing will be extensively discussed. Also, Hong Kong and Taipei will be included. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH4226HM The City in Modern Chinese Literature 城市与现代中国文学

Units: 5
Workload: 0-0-0-5-7.5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4226
Cross-listing(s): Nil

CH4227 Contemporary Chinese Literature in Twelve Key Words 十二个词汇里的当代中国文学

Units: 4
Workload: 0-0-0-5-5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4227HM
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course is a literary and cultural study of contemporary Chinese literature through the lens of twelve key words. Drawing on Raymond William’s methodology of keyword studies, this course introduces twelve critical vocabularies associated with modern and contemporary Chinese literary dynamics: modernity, enlightenment, revolution, nostalgia, city, youth, romance, diaspora, trauma, gender, disease, and utopia. It brings together multi-disciplinary approaches ranging across literary studies, media culture, and cultural studies to address critical issues confronting modern Chinese writers, such as the double bind of revolution versus enlightenment, the rural-urban divide, utopianism, Chinese diaspora, and the polemics surrounding China’s market reforms.

CH4227HM Contemporary Chinese Literature in Twelve Key Words 十二个词汇里的当代中国文学

Units: 5
Workload: 0-0-0-5-7.5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4227
Cross-listing(s): Nil

CH4262 Transregional Chinese Literary Connections 新马文学与跨域连结

Units: 4
Workload: 0-0-0-5-5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4262HM
Cross-listing(s): Nil

How can we approach shared histories among locales of Chinese literary production? Treating Singapore-Malaysia as a nexus to consider its literary relations in the long 20th century with other localities (e.g., mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong), this course introduces the critical concept of “place” to account for the shifting attributes and implications of the cultural linkages affecting our perspectives on literary heritage. Through literary texts that address questions of sojourn, mobility and migration, it highlights the importance of historicisation when analysing literary transregionalism and shows how geographical distance does not necessarily co-relate with the strength of connections.

CH4262HM Transregional Chinese Literary Connections 新马文学与跨域连结

Units: 5
Workload: 0-0-0-5-7.5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4262
Cross-listing(s): Nil

CH4881 Topics in Chinese Literature II 中国文学专题(二)

Units: 4
Workload: 0-0-0-5-5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4881HM
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course will examine specialised topics in Chinese Literature at an advanced level depending on the specialty of the instructor. The topics offered will generally be more specialised in scope than the Department’s already existing courses. Most likely the topic will change from year to year. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH4881HM Topics in Chinese Literature II 中国文学专题(二)

Units: 5
Workload: 0-0-0-5-7.5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4881
Cross-listing(s): Nil

History/Culture 历史/文化

CH2141 General History of China 中国通史

An essential course for students majoring in Chinese Studies, this is a general survey of the socio-political and intellectual developments in China from ancient times to the Opium War (1842). The characteristics of each Chinese imperial dynasty and the relationship between China and other Asian countries will also be examined. The course is also offered to students across the University with an interest in the history of traditional China. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH2161 Traditional Chinese Taxonomy of Learning 经史子集

Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-1-6
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course aims to depict the development and evolution of traditional Chinese scholarship. Topics covered include (i) Jing (“Classics”): Chinese classic texts; (ii) Shi (“Histories”): Traditional historiography; (iii) Zi (“Masters”): Miscellaneous genres philosophy, arts and science, among others, and (iv) Ji (“Collections”): Literary Collections. Emphasis will be given to how works of different genres and nature made their ways into the socalled “Emperor’s Four Treasuries” (Siku Quanshu), the largest collection of books in Chinese history compiled during the mid-eighteenth century based on the Quadripartite System (sibu) of knowledge classification. This course is designed for students majoring in Chinese Studies.

CH2242 A Global Perspective on Chinese Identities 全球视野下的华人文化与身份认同

Units: 4
Workload: 6-0-0-4-10
Prerequisite(s):
1) At least a B4 for GCE ‘O’ level Chinese or Higher Chinese; OR
2) A pass in GCE ‘A’ level H1 Chinese or H2 Chinese; OR
3) Equivalent qualifications may be accepted.
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

The course investigates the complex historical processes through which a “Chinese” identity is constructed and contested, both within and without China, from the late nineteenth century to the present. Special attention will be paid to delineating how global flows of peoples, capitals and cultures influenced the ways Chinese communities in various parts of the world defined themselves against others and how that has changed over time and across space. The course is intended for students who are interested in identity politics in general and the “Chinese identity question” in particular. Field learning is an integral component of the course.

CH2243 Chinese in Southeast Asia 东南亚华人

Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-3-4
Prerequisite(s):
1) At least a B4 for GCE ‘O’ level Chinese or Higher Chinese; OR
2) A pass in GCE ‘A’ level H1 Chinese or H2 Chinese; OR
3) Equivalent qualifications may be accepted.
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course is aimed at providing students with essential information on the Chinese communities in Southeast Asia and the critical ability to understand/analyse their modern transformations. It begins with the factors leading to the mass migration of Chinese to Southeast Asia in the mid-nineteenth-century and the internal structure of Chinese communities in the region. The focus is on their economic, political, cultural activities, identity transformation as well as their contributions towards the region’s development since the early twentieth-century, especially after the end of World War II. The course will also examine the role of ethnic Chinese in the socio- cultural interactions between China and Southeast Asia. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH2245 Modern China: Literature, Culture, History 跨界现代中国：文学　·　文化　·　历史

This course offers a comprehensive, interdisciplinary introduction to modern China since 1800 from a cultural perspective. Students will become familiar with the major developments and the transformation of Chinese literature, culture, and history in the modern era. In addition to understanding long term trends, essential events, personages, and works are discussed. In the tutorials, students are introduced to practical skills, such as bibliography, use of reference tools and databases, and academic writing. The course is designed for students from the Department of Chinese Studies and interested students from all faculties and departments. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH2247 Socio-Cultural Dimensions of Cross-Strait Relations 台湾海峡两岸关系之社会文化变迁

We often approach cross-strait relations between mainland China and Taiwan from the perspective of the high politics of war and diplomacy. This course introduces students to other aspects of the relation, focusing on the social and cultural networks, and competitions between the two regimes over time. Topics to be covered include migration, trades ― both legal and illegal ― religious networks and cultural exchanges. It is intended for anyone who is interested in cross-strait relations in particular and East Asian political, economic, social and cultural landscape in general.

CH2291 Chinese Tradition (taught in English) 中国传统导论

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course is a general survey of the cultural tradition of China. It is aimed at giving students a deeper understanding of how the Chinese lived and worked in the traditional era, their institutions and their thinking. The “Great tradition” and the “Small tradition” of Chinese society and their relevance to the present will be examined. Topics of discussion will include early Chinese worldview, Chinese religiosity, Chinese symbolism, Chinese names, Chinese festivals and folk customs, etc. Having read this course, students would have a better appreciation of the linkage between Chinese traditions in the past and modern society.

CH2292A Understanding Modern China Through Film (in English) 中国电影文化

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): CH2292
Cross-listing(s): Nil

The aim of the course is to introduce students to twentieth-century Chinese history and society through the study of Chinese film. The focus of the course is on the aesthetic response of film to major historical crises and social changes. In this course, history is not presented as a mere backdrop to culture, but the motivating factor that shapes and determines it. Rather than giving a chronological overview, the course examines significant cultural phenomena through the lens of cinema. Target students are those who are interested in Chinese film and culture.

CH2294 Religion in Chinese Societies 中国社会中的宗教

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course will demonstrate to the students that Chinese religion comprises more than just Buddhism, Daoism, and deity worship. Understanding the interactions that moulded the development of different religious traditions, as well as the syncretism that shaped Chinese culture is part of our focus. On top of surveying the core teachings of the major traditions, this course will also pay close attention to the effects of religion on all aspects of Chinese life (and afterlife). The exchanges between Christianity, Islam and Chinese culture will also be studied. (This course is taught in English.)

CH2295 Commerce and Culture in China’s Past (in English) 中国历史上的商业与文化

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

China has a long history of commercial activities ranging from domestic to international trade. The complex relation between state, culture and society in the last millennium of imperial Chinese history provided the space for a vibrant and yet different (as compared to that of the modern world) commercial culture to flourish. This course aims to understand how the Chinese people conducted business activities in the peculiar setting of late imperial China and its impact on intellectual, literary, religious and material culture, as well as gender politics of that period.

CH2298 Chinese Personalities in Southeast Asia 东南亚华裔人物
(Defunct with effect from Sem 1, AY2023/2024.)

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): A pass in GCE “O” Level Chinese Language “B” syllabus or higher, or equivalent, since there would be lessons conducted in Chinese and students have the option to do their assignments in Chinese.
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course examines Chinese communities in Southeast Asia through biographical studies of prominent Chinese in the colonial period. Selected personalities from British Malaya (including Singapore) and Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) in the 19th and early 20th centuries will be discussed and examined in historical, social, economic, cultural and political contexts. This is a bilingual course: classes will be delivered in both English and Chinese, but readings will be mainly in English. Students can choose to make the presentations and write the essays in either English or Chinese.

CH2390 Chinese Diasporas (in English) 世界华人移民研究

Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

Using a multi-disciplinary approach, this course is a critical examination of the phenomenon of Chinese diasporas. It discusses the dynamics of Chinese emigration and economic expansion to Southeast Asia, the Americas, Africa and other continents in history and the present. Using country studies from different world regions, it also studies the development of identity politics and citizenship concerning ethnic Chinese in the last half-century.

CH2392 Chinese Women in Context (in English) 华裔女性研究

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): CH2244
Cross-listing(s): Nil

According to conventional wisdom, Chinese women in history were particularly oppressed. It was only in the modern period that the patriarchal system started to break down and gender equality was finally realized. Such a simplistic view of dividing Chinese women’s experiences into two mutually exclusive categories of “traditional” and “modern” is misleading. This course sets out to provide a more complex and nuanced picture of the life of Chinese women over time in China and elsewhere. Topics cover include marriage, women’s education, works and property rights, ideas about the female body and chastity and so on.

CH3243 Chinese Cultural History 中国文化史

This course consists of readings and research on selected topics concerning the cultural history of China, from the Shang and Zhou periods to late imperial China. Emphasis will be on both urban and rural, elite and popular cultures in Chinese society. The precise topic varies from year to year; representative subjects include religious beliefs, rites and rituals, folklores, customs and symbolism. The course is designed for students across the University with an interest in Chinese culture and particularly its historical trends. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH3244 Topics on Contemporary China 当代中国研究

This course deals with the political, social, economic and/or cultural developments in China after 1949. It aims at providing students with key processes of China’s contemporary transformation within a changing international
environment. The topics covered may include reforms and revolutionary trends from 1949 to 1966, China’s Cultural Revolution as inspired by Mao Sedong, socio-political changes after 1978, and the origins, development and meaning of nationalism as it has been perceived in contemporary China. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH3245 Overseas Chinese Society 海外华人社会

This course analyses and compares Chinese societies in the United States, Australia and Southeast Asia. Emphases are placed on the following topics and issues: comparative history of Chinese immigration, early Chinese immigrants, anti-Chinese movements in the United States and Australia in the late nineteenth and early twentieth-centuries, Chinese overseas and political developments in China before 1949, developments and characteristics of Chinese communities, and the roles played by ethnic Chinese in different countries or regions after the second world war. This course is offered to students across the University with an interest in the history of the Chinese diaspora. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH3246 Socio-Political History of Modern China 近代中国社会政治史

This course is a comprehensive study of changes and problems in modern China, with particular attention to the major historical events and influential personalities from the Opium War (1839-1842) to the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. Topics and issues for discussion and analysis include the impact of the West on China and the Chinese intellectuals’ responses to the challenge, rebellions and wars, reforms and revolutions, political and social developments in modern China, the new cultural movement in the early twentieth century and its impact on contemporary China. This course is offered to students across the University with an interest in modern China. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH3247 Socio-Economic History of China 中国社会经济史
(Defunct with effect from Sem 1, AY2023/2024.)

This is an in-depth study of the socio-economic development in the history of China, covering the period from 3000B.C. to A.D. 1911. It includes critical analysis of various economic practices, land systems and financial administrations during the period covered, and their implications on political, social and cultural aspects of the country. Major economic and financial theories will be discussed; prominent economists and financial bureaucrats will also be appraised in relation to the political and social impacts of the reform policies they implemented. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH3248 Contemporary China: 1949 to Present 当代中国：1949至今

This course provides a comprehensive overview of the political, social, economic and cultural developments in China since 1949. It introduces key events, personages, and documents and provides students with an “inside perspective,” cultivating a detailed understanding, based on original sources, of the evolution of contemporary China. The topics covered include the revolution of 1949 and its interpretations, the construction of socialist "New China," the Great Leap Forward (1958-60), the Cultural Revolution (1966-76), as well as the political, economic, and cultural trajectory of China in the reform era (1978 to present). (This course is taught in Chinese.).

CH3255 Introduction to Chinese Buddhism 中国佛教概论

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-4-3
Prerequisite(s):
1) At least a B4 for GCE ‘O’ level Chinese or Higher Chinese; OR
2) A pass in GCE ‘A’ level H1 Chinese or H2 Chinese; OR
3) Equivalent qualifications may be accepted.
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course surveys the chronological development of Buddhism in China from its earliest beginnings to the Republican Period and examines how the religion was transmitted, translated, and transformed by exploring its literature, institutions, ideas, practices, and schools. The main topics include the interaction of Buddhism with Chinese culture, the scripture‐translating enterprise, and the Chinese transformation of Buddhism.

CH3271 Contemporary Chinese Society and Culture 当代中国社会与文化

This course aims to introduce to students the diverse cultural and arts forms of China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Students are expected to have a fuller and deeper understanding of the dynamics of cultural changes in modern Chinese communities after reading this course. Topics include a wide range of cultural movements and intellectual currents in China, HK, Taiwan, such as visual arts (paintings and documentaries), performing arts (identity questions raised by dance and theatre performances), internet literature and body writing, youth culture, political parody in pop songs and gender politics in the contemporary fiction. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH3274 Lu Xun and Modern China 鲁迅与现代中国
(Defunct with effect from Sem 1, AY2023/2024.)

This course explores the cultural and historical development of modern China through the prism of Lu Xun (1886‐1936), the preeminent intellectual figure of his age. As a writer and a public figure, Lu Xun stands at the crossroads of Chinese literature, culture, society, history, and politics. His works and his legacy illustrate China’s search for modernity, from the last years of the Qing dynasty to the eve of the twenty‐first century. The course explores the different facets of a fascinatingly complex figure and provides an introduction to the literature, culture, and history of modern China.

CH3291 Contemporary Chinese Culture (taught in English) 当代中国社会与文化

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): CH3271
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course aims to introduce to students the diverse cultural and arts forms of China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Students are expected to have a fuller and deeper understanding of the dynamics of cultural changes in modern Chinese communities after reading this course. Topics include a wide range of cultural movements and intellectual currents in China, HK, and Taiwan, such as visual arts (paintings and documentaries), performing arts (identity questions raised by dance and theatre performances), internet literature and body writing, youth culture, political parody in pop songs and gender politics in the contemporary fiction.

CH3292 Selected Topics in Chinese Civilisation (in English) 中国文明专题

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course focuses on the beginning and early development of Chinese civilisation. The primary purpose of this course is to fathom the dimensions pertaining to the question of how the Chinese became Chinese. Various dimensions, including the art of governing, social relations, modes of thinking, religious and non-religious beliefs, moral concepts, etc., will be explored through archaeological discoveries as well as historical and philosophical writings. The course, taught in English, is open to all students who are interested in traditional Chinese civilisation.

CH3294 Science and Medicine in China (in English) 中国的科学与医学

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course will explore the development of Chinese science and medicine from the beginning to the present. It adopts an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on the perspectives of cultural and social history, gender studies, philosophy and religion. The course is designed for students interested in understanding science and medicine in the historical and the cultural context of China. We will read primary texts (in translation) and secondary scholarship. The course is taught in English.

CH3295 Understanding China: Past and Present (in English) 认识中国：过去与现在

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

The course is structured on an intensive basis with classes and fieldtrips conducted exclusively in China. The aim of the course is to provide students a greater understanding of China by focusing on topical aspects of both historical and contemporary issues of the transformation in China from the past to the present. Topics include cultural changes, language reforms, Westernization, legal system, and issues on family and environment.

CH3296 'China' in the Making (in English) 缔造“中国”：中国古代帝国的形成

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course focuses on the early development of Chinese civilizations from prehistoric times to the Song dynasty (960‐1279). Its primary purpose is to show that certain cultural features that we would today identify as Chinese actually emerged from a complex historical situation where different historical trends interacted, negotiated and competed with one another. Various dimensions, including the art of governing, modes of thinking, social and cultural practices and etc. will be explored in light of historical, literary and philosophical writings. The course, taught in English, is open to all students who are interested in traditional Chinese civilisation.

CH3298 Chinese in Southeast Asia (in English) 东南亚华人

Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course offers a multidisciplinary and topical approach to understanding key issues pertaining to the Chinese communities in Southeast Asia. Students will learn about the social and cultural experiences of the various Chinese communities in different parts of the region and their transformations over time through official records, newspaper reports, literary writings, films, music, art, and so on. This course is designed for students who are interested in appreciating the shifting meanings of “Chineseness” within the specific political, social, economic and cultural contexts of Southeast Asia, past and present.

CH3882 Topics in Chinese History I 中国历史专题㈠

This course is designed for doing a general survey on chosen topics in Chinese history depending on the specialty of the instructor. Most likely the topic will change from year to year. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH3390 Chinese Temples Across Southeast Asia (in English) 东南亚华人庙宇
(Defunct with effect from Sem 2, AY2022/2023.)

Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): CH3882A Chinese Temples Across Southeast Asia (taught in English)
Cross-listing(s): Nil

Chinese Temples are important religious and social sites in overseas Chinese communities. The networks that many of these temples forged are also major channels of flow for resources, ideas, and information in Southeast Asia. By studying these temples, students will gain a deeper appreciation of Chinese religious activities, as well as new perspectives in understanding overseas Chinese communities.

CH4242 Selected Periods of Chinese History I 中国断代史㈠

Units: 4
Workload: 0-0-0-5-5
Prerequisite(s): Cohort 2019 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL or 28 units in GL/GL recognised non-language courses, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track. Cohort 2020 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4242HM
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course is a detailed study of specific periods, i.e. dynasties in ancient and medieval China. It includes critical analysis of the political, social, cultural and economic aspects of the periods concerned. Selected historical figures will also be appraised. The course is designed for students in the Department, and those with a good understanding of the general history of China are encouraged to read the course. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH4242HM Selected Periods of Chinese History I 中国断代史㈠

Units: 5
Workload: 0-0-0-5-7.5
Prerequisite(s): Cohort 2019 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL or 28 units in GL/GL recognised non-language courses, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track. Cohort 2020 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4242
Cross-listing(s): Nil

CH4243 Selected Periods of Chinese History II 中国断代史㈡

Units: 4
Workload: 0-0-0-5-5
Prerequisite(s): Cohort 2019 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL or 28 units in HY or 28 units in GL/GL recognised non-language courses, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track. Cohort 2020 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL or 28 units in HY, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4243HM
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course is a detailed study of the Song, Yuan, Ming or Qing dynasty in China. It includes critical analysis of the political, social, cultural, and economic aspects of the periods concerned. Selected historical figures will also be appraised. The course is designed for students in the Department. Students with a good understanding of the general history of China are encouraged to read the course. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH4243HM Selected Periods of Chinese History II 中国断代史㈡

Units: 5
Workload: 0-0-0-5-7.5
Prerequisite(s): Cohort 2019 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL or 28 units in HY or 28 units in GL/GL recognised non-language courses, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track. Cohort 2020 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL or 28 units in HY, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4243
Cross-listing(s): Nil

CH4244 Selected Topics on the Overseas Chinese 海外华人专题

This course aims at providing students with essential information on the changing characteristics of Chinese communities in various parts of the globe and their evolving ties with China in the contemporary era. It covers topics and issues such as theory and methodology, patterns of migration, multiple identities, the emergence of new migrants, the formation of transnational business networks and the impact of political and economic developments in China on the Chinese overseas and vice versa. These thematic issues will be discussed in conjunction with specific cases drawn from selected countries (e.g. Japan, Australia and Singapore) or regions (e.g. North America and Europe). (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH4244HM Selected Topics on the Overseas Chinese 海外华人专题

CH4246 Chinese Local History 中国地方史
(Defunct with effect from Sem 1, AY2023/2024.)

Units: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-2-7.5
Prerequisite(s): Cohort 2019 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL or 28 units in GL/GL recognised non-language courses, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track. Cohort 2020 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This research seminar aims to challenge the nation-centred approach of treating China as a coherent unit of historical analysis and provide students with a more complex understanding of Chinese history by focusing on the history of specific localities. We will select a locality each semester for conducting an in-depth analysis of its social, economic, and cultural developments in history and will attempt to answer broader historical questions based on the findings. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH4247 Print Culture in Modern China 现代中国报刊文化

Units: 4
Workload: 0-0-0-5-5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4247HM
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course examines modern Chinese literature and history through the lens of books, newspapers, journals, and other print products from the late 19th century to the present. Interdisciplinary in nature, this course explores both the material aspects (printing, illustrations, book sales etc.) and the symbolic aspects (the contents and ideas) of these works. Students will not only get an understanding of Modern China from an alternative point of view, but also learn to work with these important primary sources. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH4247HM Print Culture in Modern China 现代中国报刊文化

Units: 5
Workload: 0-0-0-5-7.5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4247
Cross-listing(s): Nil

CH4248 China Transnational: 1850 to the Present 现代中国与现代世界
(Defunct with effect from Sem 1, AY2023/2024.)

This course explores Modern China in its transnational context. It focuses on the interactions – chiefly cultural, but also social, political, and economic – of China with the world beyond its borders. Topics addressed will include translations of literary and non-literary texts, Chinese foreign students abroad, institutions and patterns of cultural exchange, and the introduction of new things, ideas, and concepts to China. The aim of this class is to raise awareness that China is not a stand-alone unit, but has always interacted extensively with her neighbors, in the modern era more so than ever before. This course is taught in Chinese.

CH4882 Topics in Chinese History II 中国历史专题㈡

Units: 4
Workload: 0-0-0-5-5
Prerequisite(s): Cohort 2019 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL or 28 units in GL/GL recognized non-language courses, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track. Cohort 2020 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4882HM
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course will examine specialized topics in Chinese history at an advanced level depending on the specialty of the instructor. The topics offered will generally be more specialized in scope than the Department’s already existing courses. Most likely the topic will change from year to year. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH4882HM Topics in Chinese History II 中国历史专题㈡

Units: 5
Workload: 0-0-0-5-7.5
Prerequisite(s): Cohort 2019 and before: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL or 28 units in GL/GL recognized non-language courses, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track. Cohort 2020 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4882
Cross-listing(s): Nil

CH4882A Personalities in Modern Chinese History 近代中国历史人物

This course will examine modern Chinese history through autobiographies and biographies. The aim is to involve students in the debates and issues over official history versus unofficial history, objectivity versus subjectivity, and understanding modern China from different perspectives. Selected personalities will be discussed and examined in historical, social, cultural and political contexts of 20th century-China.

CH4882A Personalities in Modern Chinese History 近代中国历史人物

Thesis/Research 论文/研究

CH4401 Honours Thesis 荣誉学位论文

Units: 15
Workload: 0-0-0-0-37.5
Prerequisite(s): Cohort 2015 and before: Completed 110 units including 60 units of CH/CL major requirements with a minimum GPA of 3.50. Cohort 2016 onwards: Completed 110 units including 44 units of CH/CL major requirements with a minimum GPA of 3.50.
Preclusion(s): CH4660
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This is an optional course designed for qualified students of the Department. It presents the methodology of writing an academic thesis of a stipulated length. Students are expected to work independently and meet their supervisors on an agreed schedule, during the semester, to discuss their progress. Upon completion of the thesis, it is submitted for evaluation by the Department.

CH4660 Independent Study 独立专题研究

Units: 5
Workload: 0-0-0-0-12.5
Prerequisite(s): Cohort 2012 to 2015: To be offered subject to the agreement of the Supervisor and Department. Completed 100 units, including 60 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 Cohort 2016 onwards: To be offered subject to the agreement of the Supervisor and Department. Completed 100 units, including 44 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20
Preclusion(s): CH4401, CH4401S
Cross-listing(s): Nil

The Independent Study course is designed to enable the student to explore an approved topic within the discipline in-depth. The student should approach a lecturer to work out an agreed topic, readings, and assignments for the course. A formal, written agreement is to be drawn up, giving a clear account of the topic, programme of study, assignments, evaluation, and other pertinent details. Head’s and/or Honours Coordinator’s approval of the written agreement is required. Regular meetings and reports are expected. Evaluation is based on 100% Continuous Assessment and must be worked out between the student and the lecturer prior to seeking departmental approval.

Philosophy 哲学

CH2252 History of Chinese Philosophy 中国哲学史

Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This is a general survey of the development of Chinese philosophy from the pre-Qin period to the Qing Dynasty, with emphasis on the major schools of Chinese philosophy such as Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and NeoConfucianism. The course is intended for students who are interested in reading Chinese philosophy. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH3253 Confucian Thought 儒家思想专题

This course discusses major topics of Confucian thought in the pre-Qin, Song/Ming and modern contemporary periods in detail so as to give students a better understanding of the significance and value of the development of Confucianism in these three stages. The course is intended for students who are interested in reading Chinese philosophy. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH3254 Neo-Confucianism in Chinese History 宋明理学
(Defunct with effect from Sem 1, AY2023/2024.)

In the eleventh century, a new intellectual movement that we retrospectively called Neo‐Confucianism began to take shape and after a few centuries of intense competition with other intellectual trends, it became the orthodoxy of the late imperial system. This course will trace the origins and development of Neo‐Confucianism within the political, social and cultural context of the last thousand year of imperial China’s history. It will allow students to see the complexity that accompanied the spread of Neo‐Confucianism in history. It is intended for students who are interested in studying Chinese thought from a historical perspective. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH3261 Prescribed Text: The Four Books 专书:《四书》

This is an in-depth evaluation of one to two prescribed texts not covered under CH2261. Significant chapters of the texts will be selected for intensive reading and close analysis. The course will be of interest to students who wish to further their study in Chinese thought, history and literature. Target students for this course are second- and third-year undergraduates across the University and those majoring in Chinese Studies. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH3883 Topics in Chinese Philosophy I 中国哲学专题(一)

This course is designed for doing a general survey on chosen topics in Chinese philosophy depending on the specialty of the instructor. Most likely the topic will change from year to year. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH4251 Modern-Contemporary Chinese Thought 中国近代、现代思想

Units: 4
Workload: 0-0-0-5-5
Prerequisite(s): Cohort 2015-2019: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL or 28 units in PH or 28 units in GL/GL recognised non-language courses, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track. PH students who believe they have sufficient background knowledge for the course should consult the lecturer for permission to take it. Cohort 2020 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL or 28 units PH, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track. PH students who believe they have sufficient background knowledge for the course should consult the lecturer for permission to take it.
Preclusion(s): CH4251HM
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course aims to explore the significance of modern and contemporary Chinese thought and the intellectual transition occurring in China from the late nineteenth century to the present. It covers topics such as modern Chinese thought (1898-1949), modern Confucianism. The course is intended for students who interested in how Chinese thought had developed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH4251HM Modern-Contemporary Chinese Thought 中国近代、现代思想

Units: 5
Workload: 0-0-0-5-7.5
Prerequisite(s): Cohort 2015-2019: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL or 28 units in PH or 28 units in GL/GL recognised non-language courses, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track. PH students who believe they have sufficient background knowledge for the course should consult the lecturer for permission to take it. Cohort 2020 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL or 28 units PH, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track. PH students who believe they have sufficient background knowledge for the course should consult the lecturer for permission to take it.
Preclusion(s): CH4251
Cross-listing(s): Nil

CH4261 Prescribed Text: Zhuangzi 专书:《庄子》

Units: 4
Workload: 0-0-0-5-5
Prerequisite(s): Cohort 2012-2014: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track. Cohort 2015 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL or 28 units in PH, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track. PH students who believe they have sufficient background knowledge for the course should consult the lecturer for permission to take it.
Preclusion(s): CH4261HM
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This is an in-depth evaluation of one or two prescribed texts not covered under CH2261 and CH3261. Significant chapters of the texts will be selected for intensive reading and close analysis. The course is designed for students who want to extend their knowledge beyond that acquired from CH2261 and CH3261. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH4261HM Prescribed Text: Zhuangzi 专书:《庄子》

Units: 5
Workload: 0-0-0-5-7.5
Prerequisite(s): Cohort 2012-2014: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track. Cohort 2015 onwards: Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL or 28 units in PH, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track. PH students who believe they have sufficient background knowledge for the course should consult the lecturer for permission to take it.
Preclusion(s): CH4261
Cross-listing(s): Nil

CH4883 Topics in Chinese Philosophy II 中国哲学专题(二)

This course will examine specialized topics in Chinese philosophy at an advanced level depending on the specialty of the instructor. The topics offered will generally be more specialised in scope than the Department’s already existing courses. Most likely the topic will change from year to year. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH4883HM Topics in Chinese Philosophy II 中国哲学专题(二)

Art/Business/Media 艺术/工商/媒体

CH2272 Introduction to Chinese Art (taught in Chinese) 中国艺术概论
(Defunct with effect from Sem 1, AY2023/2024.)

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Must obtain at least a Grade B4 and above in:
1) CL or CL2 (AO level) at the GCE “A” Level Examination, OR
2) HCL or CL1 at the GCE “O” Level Examination. Equivalent qualifications may be accepted.
Preclusion(s): CH2293
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course is a general introduction to the history of art in China, from its earliest manifestations in the Neolithic period to the Qing dynasty. Major art forms to be studied may include ceramics, jade, architecture, painting and calligraphy. The social and cultural contexts of important art works from different periods in Chinese history will also be discussed. The course is intended for all students who are interested in Chinese art and culture. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH2273 Chinese Media in Singapore: Theory and Practice 新加坡的中文媒体：理论与实践
(Defunct with effect from Sem 1, AY2023/2024.)

This course takes a critical approach to the study of various Chinese media—newspaper, television, radio and internet—and their roles in contemporary Singapore society. Apart from examining the production and consumption of Chinese media from an academic perspective, a significant portion of the course is devoted to cultivating students’ skill in producing news articles for the Chinese media. This course is designed for students who are interested in Chinese media as a social phenomenon and those who intend to pursue a career in related industries upon graduation. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH2274 Discovering the Chinese Business Environment 中国商务

Since its economic reformation in 1978, China has undergone tremendous and rapid changes. This course introduces students to such changes in the context of contemporary political, economic, social and cultural development in mainland China so as to better equip and prepare them to work in the business setting and adapt to the social environment in China. The rise of China and the impact of its rapid economic growth on the SEA region, particularly on Singapore, will also be discussed. This course is open to undergraduates across the University and is taught in Chinese.

CH2275 Chinese Pop Music in East Asia 东亚地区的中文流行音乐

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-3-4
Prerequisite(s): A pass in GCE “O” Level Chinese Language “B” syllabus or higher, or equivalent.
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course introduces the production and consumption of Chinese pop music in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Sinophone worlds in Southeast Asia from the early twentieth century to the present. It uses Mandarin (and dialect) pop music as cases for examining the complex relations between nationalism, regionalism and globalization and their impact on the cultural politics and the processes of identity‐construction in the region. Classes will be delivered in both English and Chinese orally, but readings will be mainly in English. Students can choose to complete the assignments in either language.

CH2276 Understanding Chinese Media and Cultural Industries 理解华文媒体和文化产业
(with effect from Sem 2, AY2023/24)

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-0-0-7
Prerequisite(s):
1) At least a B4 for GCE ‘O’ level Chinese or Higher Chinese; OR
2) A pass in GCE ‘A’ level H1 Chinese or H2 Chinese; OR
3) Equivalent qualifications may be accepted.
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

Through exploring different areas within the Chinese language and cultural domain, including Chinese media, content creation, book publishing, and Chinese teaching, the course aims to familiarize students with today's volatile society and market, equipping them with the necessary skills to comprehend the dynamics of these industries within current political, social, cultural and linguistic contexts. Through these insights, students will gain a deeper understanding of the professional landscape and learn to combine their knowledge of Chinese language and culture with design thinking approaches for addressing opportunities and challenges they encounter in their future career.

CH2293 Introduction to Chinese Art (taught in English) 中国艺术概论

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): CH2272
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course is a general introduction to the history of art in China, from its earliest manifestations in the Neolithic period to the contemporary period. Major art forms to be studied may include ceramics, jade, architecture, painting and calligraphy. The social and cultural contexts of important art works from different periods in Chinese history will also be discussed. The course is intended for all students who are interested in Chinese art and culture.

CH2299 Art of Modern and Contemporary China (in English) 中国现代和当代艺术

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course focuses on Chinese art and visual culture from the late imperial period to the 21st century against the backdrop of major socio-political and economic changes in China and the world. Through the study of material forms and the contexts in which they were created, we will look at the ways in which art, artists and their audiences responded to the challenges of modernity, reform, revolution, war, marketization and globalization. The phenomenon of Chinese contemporary art, its collection and connoisseurship, and the role of art schools, museums, biennales, galleries and auction houses will also be examined.

CH2393 Chinese Business Enterprises and Management (in English) 中国的商务企业与管理

Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-5-2
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): CH3297
Cross-listing(s): Nil

The course is jointly offered with NUS Research Institute (NUSRI) in Suzhou, with classes and fieldtrips conducted exclusively in China. The objective is to provide students an in‐depth understanding of the different types of enterprises in China, focusing on development and challenges, so as to better equip and prepare students to work in the business setting and adapt to the social environment in China. Topics include geographic and economic landscapes, cultural and social environments in doing business, characteristics, development and challenges of various enterprises such as state‐owned, SME, e‐commerce, start‐up, and MNC in China. It is open to all undergraduates.

CH3272 Selected Topics in Chinese Art (taught in Chinese) 中国艺术专题
(Defunct with effect from Sem 1, AY2023/2024.)

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): CH2272 or CH2293
Preclusion(s): CH3293
Cross-listing(s): Nil

The course consists of readings and research on selected topics in Chinese art and focuses on one to two particular art forms in Chinese history, for example, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese ceramics, wood-block prints and Chinese painting. Historical development, changing forms and techniques, and the relation between the art form and society will be discussed. The course is designed for students across the University with an interest in Chinese art.

CH3293 Selected Topics in Chinese Art (taught in English) 中国艺术专题

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): CH3272
Cross-listing(s): Nil

CH3550 Chinese Studies Internship (taught in English) 中文系实习课程

Units: 4
Workload: 0-0-0-6-4
Prerequisite(s): Major in CH/CL with 24 units of CH/CL courses
Preclusion(s): Any other XX3550 internship courses in China. (Note: Students who change major may not do a second internship in their new major)
Cross-listing(s): CK3550

Internships vary in length but all take place within organisations or companies, are vetted and approved by the Department of Chinese Studies, have relevance to the major, involve the application of subject knowledge and theory in reflection upon the work, and are assessed. Available credited internships will be advertised at the
beginning of each semester. Internships proposed by students will require the approval of the Department.

CH3551 FASS Undergraduate Research Opportunity (UROP)

Units: 4
Workload: 0-0-0-8-2
Prerequisite(s): Students must: have declared a Major, completed a minimum of 24 units in that Major, and have a GPA of at least 3.20.
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

A UROP involves the student working with a supervisor, and usually in a team, on an existing research project. It has relevance to the student’s Major, and involves the application of subject knowledge, methodology and theory in reflection upon the research project. UROPs usually take place within FASS or ARI, though a few
involve international partners. All are vetted and approved by the Major department. All are assessed. UROPs can be proposed by supervisor or student, and require the approval of the Major department.

Chinese Language 汉语

Basic Module 基本课程

CL1101E Chinese Language: Its Past and Present 汉语:过去的历史和现在的变异

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): A pass in GCE “O” Level Chinese Language “B” syllabus or higher, or equivalent.
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This is a bilingual introductory course for undergraduates to learn interesting issues of the Chinese language like the structure of Chinese language, the use and variation of Chinese language in society, changes in Mandarin and Chinese dialects, the comparative and diachronic aspects of Chinese language, and the relationship between Classical Chinese and Modern Chinese dialects. This will give students a new perspective of the Chinese language, making the Chinese language current and relevant in today's world. Classes will be delivered mainly in Chinese, with English as a supplementary tool. Students can choose to do assignments and examinations in either language.

Language 语言

CL2101 The Chinese Script: History and Issues 中国文字学

This course deals with various aspects of Chinese characters. The historical portion of the course covers the origin of Chinese characters, the principles of character formation, the evolution of styles over time, analyses of correlations between shapes and meanings, traces of pronunciations of Old Chinese as revealed in phonogram graphs, etc. The contemporary study covers an appraisal of Simplified Characters, an evaluation of Chinese characters in terms of frequency studies and neurolinguistic studies. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CL2102 Chinese Phonetics 汉语语音学

This course is designed to provide students with a systematic knowledge of Chinese phonology. The topics covered are syllable, intonation, the Neutral Tone, the diminutive marker “er”, the influence of phonology on lexicon and grammar, etc. The differences and commonalities between Standard Chinese and the various dialects will be discussed whenever pertinent. Students will do three to four exercises and an essay about 2500 characters. The course is designed for students across the University with an interest in the Chinese language. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CL2103 Chinese Grammar 汉语语法

This course is designed to provide students with a systematic knowledge of Chinese grammar. The course covers various grammatical constructions and markers as well as their functions. This course will enhance the students’ ability in analysing the Chinese language, written and spoken, besides their general proficiency of the language. Students will do three to four exercises and an essay of about 2500 characters. The course is designed for students across the University with an interest in the Chinese language. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CL2206 Topics in Chinese Linguistics I 语言学专题(一)
(Defunct with effect from Sem 1, AY2023/2024.)

The course is designed to acquaint students with selected topics in Chinese linguistics such as sentence structures, meaning and structure of Chinese words, cognitive grammar, semantics, dialectal variations at various levels, the similarities and differences between Chinese and English at various structural levels. Fieldwork will be involved. The course is designed for students who have already read CL1101E Introduction to Chinese Language and are interested in learning more about the theoretical aspects of the language. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CL2260 Selected Readings 选读
(Defunct with effect from Sem 1, AY2023/2024.)

Representative writings of Chinese literature of various periods are selected for intensive reading and close analysis. The objective of this course is to cultivate the students’ ability in interpreting and appreciating Chinese literature. Materials are chosen from works in the pre-Qin period to the present. This course is suitable for students who have basic reading ability of Chinese and who are interested in both modern and classical Chinese literature. It is offered to students across the University. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CL2291 Chinese Anthropolinguistics (in English) 汉语人类语言学

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

What does “Chinese” mean when we talk about “Chinese” language, “Chinese” culture or “Chinese” people? What is “Chinese‐ness”, and what is the anthropolinguistic evidence for this? The issues and topics covered in this course will help us to address these questions. These include interpersonal communication between “Chinese” people themselves (“intracultural communication”); between “Chinese” people and other “non‐Chinese” peoples (“intercultural communication”); and, between selected groups of “Chinese” people. This course covers a wide range of interesting real‐life scenarios involving anthropological, linguistic, psychological and
communicative evidence. Students will find practical use for the knowledge acquired in this course. (This course is taught in English.)

CL3104 Reading/Writing Chinese 大学基础写作

Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-4-3
Prerequisite(s):
1) At least a B4 for GCE ‘O’ level Chinese or Higher Chinese; OR
2) A pass in GCE ‘A’ level H1 Chinese or H2 Chinese; OR
3) Equivalent qualifications may be accepted.
Preclusion(s): CL2104
Cross-listing(s): Nil

The objective of this course is to cultivate the students’ writing skills through intensive critical reading and analysing of exemplar pieces in literary masterpieces, historical essays, philosophical treatise and other genres. Students will be required to submit written assignments on a regular basis in the form of creative writing, argumentative essay, text summarization, and so on. This is an essential course for all Chinese Language and Chinese Studies majors and is open to all students who are looking to ways to improve their reading and writing skills in Chinese.

CL3201 Communicating through Chinese Rhetoric and Metaphors 沟通艺术:汉语修辞学和转喻

This course will introduce the theoretical principles, devices and practice of Chinese rhetoric using various types of examples ranging from classical to modern texts. In addition, students will also learn about the use of metaphors. Students will learn how to analyze any written or spoken text of their interest from popular culture and media. This training will heighten their awareness of the effective use of rhetoric and metaphors in different forms and situations equipping them with the skills for better Chinese communication.

CL3202 Chinese Lexicology 汉语词汇学

This course analyses the formation, meaning and historical development of Chinese words and idioms. Major topics to be covered include the nature of Chinese word-hood, the differences between Chinese words and Chinese phrases, the nature and characteristics of Chinese idioms, the historical origin of idiomatic expressions and other lexical categories, new words and their standardisation, and various semantic relationship among words in Chinese. Preference will be given to students who have already read CL1101E Introduction to Chinese Language. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CL3203 Chinese Pragmatics 汉语语用学

This course aims at applying the methodologies of discourse analysis in the study of Chinese discourse. This course discusses how context influences the interpretation of meaning. Essential topics in pragmatics such as speech acts, presuppositions, deixis, conversational maxims, and implicature with special reference to the Chinese language, etc. will be discussed. Preference will be given to students who have read CL2203/CL2103 Chinese Grammar. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CL3204 Classical Chinese 古代汉语

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): CL1101E
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

The course is designed to introduce students to important grammatical features of Classical Chinese. Lexical study and some knowledge of Chinese writing system will also be examined for their contribution to our understanding of Classical Chinese. The course is focused on the analysis of Pre-Qin literature. Classroom activities will include lectures, group discussions and some take-home assignments. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CL3205 Topics on Chinese Linguistics II 语言学专题(二)

This course is designed to introduce students to some selected topics in Chinese linguistics, such as contrastive analysis of Chinese and other languages (mainly English) or between Chinese dialects (at various levels: phonological, morphological, syntactic, lexical, etc.), comparative rhetoric, language variation, standardisation, language planning, etc. The above topics are also discussed from historical, social, and cultural perspectives, in addition to a descriptive one, whenever pertinent. Students are expected to carry out extensive fieldwork. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CL3207 Chinese Sociolinguistics 汉语社会语言学

This course deals with the Chinese sociolinguistic issues of the interaction between language and society, language variation, dialects and national standard languages, bilingualism, language contact, language planning, language policy and language education. It aims to educate students with a positive attitude toward language and language variation. The course is designed for students across the University with an interest in language and society, and should be especially important for Singapore students who are living in a multi-cultural and multi-lingual society. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CL3209 Chinese Language Acquisition 汉语语言习得
(Defunct with effect from Sem 1, AY2023/2024.)

This course introduces students to the various mechanisms behind how the Chinese language is acquired. Differences as well as similarities in the acquisition process by learners of Chinese as a first and second language are examined. Students will gain an insightful glimpse at learning Chinese as a first language or (to a lesser extent) second language, along with their associated linguistic, developmental and socio‐cultural issues. There is a significant practical orientation to this course which include collecting real‐life linguistic data (through recordings etc.), transcribing the data and analysing them.

CL3210 The Grammars and Lexicons of the Chinese Dialects 汉语方言语法和词汇

There are eight major dialects and hundreds of sub-dialects with their own grammatical features and special lexical items. This course is designed to help students appreciate the variety of the Chinese languages. The causes for this variations including historical immigrations, the distinct cognition of the people of different areas, the unbalanced developments of the language, different cultures and geographic environments, etc. Regularities will be drawn from different dialects. Also, the variations among different dialects reveal language universals among different languages.

CL3211 The Standardization of the Chinese Language 汉语规范化入门

This course provides students with a systematic knowledge of the standardization of modern Mandarin. Thetopics discussed include the Chinese Romanization system 'The Scheme of Chinese Pinyin System' 《汉语拼音方案》, 'The Orthography of Chinese Pinyin System' 《汉语拼音正词法》, the standardization of Chinese words with more than one pronunciation (异读词), the standardization of Chinese lexicon (the Chinese neologism and loanwords), and the standardization of Chinese grammar. The course is designed for students with an interest in the Chinese language and linguistics in general.

CL3212 Trendy Chinese 汉语潮语纵观
(Defunct with effect from Sem 1, AY2023/2024.)

“Trendy” words or chao yu in Chinese represent an emergent class of words and word-like phrases that characterise an aspect of modern Chinese language usage. Like them or loathe them, many such words/phrases are in wide use and many have eventually become a stable part of “standard” Chinese vocabulary. What can we make of this situation? What are the controversies behind such words/phrases? Are they necessarily impediments to Chinese learning? We will attempt to resolve these questions as well as find ways of describing and analysing these trendy words/phrases linguistically.

CL3213 Chinese Semantics 汉语语义学

This course aims to familiarise students with the nature of meaning in languages, the change in the meaning of a word in different contexts as well as through time, and the theory of Chinese semantics. Major topics to be covered include the meanings of Chinese words, changes in meaning, logical relations and semantic relations in the Chinese language. The course is designed for students with some theoretical background in the structure of the Chinese language. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CL3214 Aspects of Chinese Linguistics 汉语语言学要略

This course sets forth some fundamentals of contemporary linguistic findings about the Chinese language, especially those concerning present-day Mandarin Chinese. Topics on typological characteristics describe what Chinese is, or is not, in comparison with other languages. Historical changes and dialectal variations in some areas are also included. Also introduced are Chinese characters and the Chinese lexicon. The course is designed for students across the University. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CL3215 Chinese Language and Culture 语言与文化

This course takes students through an exciting journey of discovering Chinese culture through the Chinese language. Instead of seeing language as a tool, students are trained to view language as the container of culture from ancient Chinese to modern Chinese. They will learn cultural heritage from Chinese phrases, understand ancient way of life through the creation of Chinese characters, study Chinese culture through Chinese dialects and borrowing words. They will also learn that Chinese names of places and surnames are all related to Chinese culture and how Chinese kinship terms reflect the culture of family relationships. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CL3216 Chinese Stylistics 汉语风格学
(Defunct with effect from Sem 1, AY2023/2024.)

This course aims to introduce students to some basic concepts of stylistics and the current schools of theories. Texts of various types will be used for illustration. The course deals with an aspect of literary study that focuses on the analysis of various elements of style as well as the devices in a language that produces expressive value. It is offered to students across the University with an interest in the Chinese language. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CL3217 The Analysis of Chinese Morphosyntax 汉语语法分析

Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): CL2103
Preclusion(s): CL2210
Cross-listing(s): Nil

The course is designed to acquaint students with aspects of Chinese grammar, with the focus on parts of speech, morphology, and sentence structure.

CL3218 External Influences on Chinese Language 汉语的异文化影响

This course introduces students to external sources of change to Mandarin Chinese, with focus on the influence from non-Sinitic languages. Based on evidence from different aspects of Chinese, the course aims to reveal to students how the Chinese language has been influenced by languages of different typological types through contact in the past 2000 years. Taught in Chinese, this course is designed for students who are fluent in Chinese.

CH4201 Chinese Classical Phonology 汉语语韵学

Units: 4
Workload: 0-0-0-5-5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CL3208, CH4201HM
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course deals with the nature, characteristics and tradition of Chinese classical phonology. In addition to rhyme books, rhyme tables, and the various categories and elements in them, students will also be expected to understand the application of Chinese phonology in the study of textual criticism, poetics and Chinese dialectology. Three main periods of Chinese in respect to phonology will be covered: Old Chinese, Middle Chinese and Old Mandarin. The course is offered to students in the Department.

CH4201HM Chinese Classical Phonology 汉语语韵学

Units: 5
Workload: 0-0-0-5-7.5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CL3208, CH4201
Cross-listing(s): Nil

CH4202 Chinese Semasiology 汉语训诂学

Units: 4
Workload: 0-0-0-5-5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4202HM
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course aims to provide students with a general knowledge of traditional semasiology (Xunguxue), and to acquaint them with methods and principles of studying meanings of words in classical Chinese as well as paraphrasing classical literature and textual criticism. The course is targeted at students in the Department with a solid background in classical Chinese and Chinese language. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH4202HM Chinese Semasiology 汉语训诂学

Units: 5
Workload: 0-0-0-5-7.5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4202
Cross-listing(s): Nil

CH4203 Chinese Dialectology 汉语方言学

Units: 4
Workload: 0-0-0-5-5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4203HM
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course studies the origin, distributions and characteristics of major Chinese dialects. The relationship between modern Mandarin and these dialects will also be discussed. The course also provides students with basic training in dialectal research through field work. Historical comparisons with Middle Chinese will also be discussed. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH4203HM Chinese Dialectology 汉语方言学

Units: 5
Workload: 0-0-0-5-7.5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4203
Cross-listing(s): Nil

CH4204 Selected Topics in Chinese Linguistics 汉语语言学专题

Units: 4
Workload: 0-0-0-5-5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4204HM
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course explores a wide variety of linguistic topics in the Chinese language. It covers historical phonology of Chinese, Chinese scripts, classical and modern sentence structures, the application of current linguistic theories to Chinese, dialectal studies (including topics related to Chinese dialects in Singapore and language planning), etc. For Chinese historical linguistics, this course introduces both the Chinese traditional approach (rhyme books, rhyme tables, old texts, phonogram graphs, etc.) and the Western approach (sound change, comparative method, reconstruction). This course is offered to students in the Department. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH4204HM Selected Topics in Chinese Linguistics 汉语语言学专题

Units: 5
Workload: 0-0-0-5-5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4204
Cross-listing(s): Nil

CH4205 Chinese Metaphors 汉语的概念隐喻

Units: 4
Workload: 0-0-0-5-5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4205HM
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course aims to show students how metaphors are an integral part of our daily lives and everyday language. There is a mapping between metaphors and the issues they are used to represent. Students will read research papers written on Chinese metaphors and their usage in everyday language. They will explore the different metaphors used in different writings such as sports reports, political speeches, business correspondences, etc. to understand why certain metaphors tend to be important in certain writings. In understanding the usefulness and effectiveness of metaphors, students will understand the cognitive implications behind these metaphors. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH4205HM Chinese Metaphors 汉语的概念隐喻

Units: 5
Workload: 0-0-0-5-7.5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4205
Cross-listing(s): Nil

CH4206 Theoretical Issues in Chinese Grammar 汉语语法的理论问题

Units: 4
Workload: 0-0-0-5-5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL; and CL2103, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4206HM
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course is a theoretical study of Chinese grammar. Topics will include: traditional and modern systems of Chinese grammar, the relationship between Chinese characters and morphemes, ‘wordship’ in Chinese, the distinction between words and morphemes/phrases, classification of Chinese words and sentences, grammatical units, logical relations and grammatical forms, sentence analysis, grammar-morphology-phonology interface. There will also be a brief introduction of the history of Chinese grammatical studies, and the influence of western linguistic theories in the history. Selected original books and articles important in the development of Chinese grammatical theories will also be discussed. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH4206HM Theoretical Issues in Chinese Grammar 汉语语法的理论问题

Units: 5
Workload: 0-0-0-5-7.5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL; and CL2103, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CH4206
Cross-listing(s): Nil

CH4207 History of Chinese Language 汉语史

Units: 5
Workload: 0-0-0-5-5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CL3206, CH4207HM
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course aims to trace the development of the Chinese language and to describe the characteristics of its phonology, lexicon and syntax in various historical periods. Major topics included are theories on the historical periods, the historical development of Chinese words, mono-/bi-syllabic features of Chinese words, the emergence of some function words and their effects on the Chinese grammatical structure, tones and their historical origin, changes in sentence patterns through various stages of Chinese. The course is designed for students across the University with some background in classical Chinese. (This course is taught in Chinese.)

CH4207HM History of Chinese Language 汉语史

Units: 5
Workload: 0-0-0-5-7.5
Prerequisite(s): Completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): CL3206, CH4207
Cross-listing(s): Nil

Translation 翻译 (Cohort 2020 and Before)

TRA2101 Basic Translation 基础翻译 (Formerly CL2280 Basic Translation)

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s):
1)Exempted from NUS Qualifying English Test, or passed NUS Qualifying English Test, or passed ES1103; AND
2) At least a B4 for GCE ‘O’ level Chinese or Higher Chinese; OR a pass in GCE ‘A’ level H1 Chinese or H2 Chinese; OR equivalent qualifications may be accepted.
Preclusion(s): CL2280
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course introduces students to the basic issues of written translation and acquaints them with the fundamentals of intercultural communication. The practice-oriented course is conducted in an interactive manner. Through in-class discussion, hands-on exercises and scenario-based translation activities, students are expected to acquire a wide range of translation strategies and apply them to various English-Chinese communicative settings. A variety of genres and fields will be introduced, including literature, politics, economics, science, and technology.

INT2101 Basic Interpreting (Formerly CL2281 Translation and Interpretation)

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s):
1) Exempted from NUS Qualifying English Test, or passed NUS Qualifying English Test, or passed ES1103; AND
2) At least a B4 for GCE ‘O’ level Chinese or Higher Chinese; OR a pass in GCE ‘A’ level H1 Chinese or H2 Chinese; OR equivalent qualifications may be accepted.
Preclusion(s): CL2281
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course aims to present and discuss the fundamental principles of interpreting, featuring hands-on interpreting exercises using real-world examples. This course follows a progression, starting with in-class activities to develop students’ basic interpreting abilities such as listening, rephrasing and speaking, with complementary practice in simple sight translation. Students will be introduced to the history of interpreting, a range of basic interpreting strategies, different types of interpreting and different communicative risks in various interpreting scenarios.

TRA3201 Advanced Translation 高级翻译 (Formerly CL3281 Advanced Translation)

Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): TRA2101 or CL2280 or CL2281
Preclusion(s): CL3281
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course, designed for Level 2nd-4th year students, deals with some problems not specified for attention under the basic translation course, requiring students to translate some literary works into Chinese and English respectively. Topics will include the relationship between contemporary translation theory and practice, the use of more specific semantic and cultural understanding of the text, as well as more complex formation of textual structures in the process of translation. Special attention will be paid to online resources for translators.

TRA3202 Mass Media Translation 传播媒介翻译 (Formerly CL3282 Mass Media Translation)

Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): TRA2101 or CL2280 or CL2281
Preclusion(s): CL3282
Cross-listing(s): Nil

The course is structured on an intensive basis with seminars, group projects/presentations and individual assignments. The course is essentially practical which aims to train students to become professional media translators by reinforcing the skills and techniques required of their translations of different media text‐types into Chinese‐English and vice versa. Students will learn from regular exercises in translating a wide variety of print and electronic media texts and representative material selected from international news syndicates, regional newspaper, televisions, advertisements and websites.

TRA3203 Film and Television Subtitling Translation 影视字幕翻译 (Formerly CL3283 Film and Television Subtitling Translation)

Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): TRA2101 or CL2280 or CL2281
Preclusion(s): CL3283
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course allows students to learn the rules of Chinese and English subtitling and the way to operate subtitling software like Aegisub and VisualSubSync. Audiovisual materials like documentaries, TV programs and movies, will be translated with or without scripts. Through practices, students are expected to familiarise themselves with subtitling and the above‐mentioned software. Students will be exposed to different genres of film and television programmes, as well as the varieties of English and Chinese used in the field.

TRA3204 Literary Translation 文学翻译 (Formerly CL3284 Literary Translation)

Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): TRA2101 or CL2280 or CL2281
Preclusion(s): CL3284
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course aims to introduce knowledge in translation strategies and literary translation. Students will have the opportcoursey to translate texts (both Chinese to English and English to Chinese) from fiction, drama and poetry. Being different from translation for technology and business, the concept of beauty, poetics and equivalence will be discussed in this course.

TRA3205 Computer-Assisted Translation Tools 电脑辅助翻译 (Formerly CL3285 Computer-Assisted Translation Tools)

Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): TRA2101 or CL2280 or CL2281
Preclusion(s): CL3285
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course aims to introduce knowledge in the relationship between technology and the translation industry. Within the curriculum, students will learn a variety of computer‐assisted translation tools and software that is useful for translation, including SDL Trados, SDL Multiterm, memoQ, Wordfast, Déjà Vu, Adobe Fireworks (only for functions that are applicable to translation practice) and Aegisub.

TRA3206 Translation and Interpreting Theories (Formerly CL3286 Translation Theories)

Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): TRA2101 or INT2101 or CL2280 or CL2281
Preclusion(s): CL3286
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course presents a comprehensive overview of the major theoretical paradigms (e.g., equivalence, Skopos theory, descriptive translation studies, effort models for interpreting) in translation and interpreting studies (TIS). In the analysis of landmark examples of empirical research on translation and interpreting, we illustrate how theories are integrated into translation and interpreting practices. Through lectures, class discussions and readings, students will gain insight into the central conceptual and empirical issues in the TIS field.

CH4281 Translation Studies 翻译研究

Units: 5
Workload: 0-3-0-2-7.5
Prerequisite(s): Cohort 2019 and before: At least 2 translation courses (CL2280, CL2281, CL3281, CL3282, CL3283, CL3284, CL3285, CL3286) and completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL or 28units in GL/GL recognised non-language courses, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track. Cohort 2020 onwards: At least 2 translation courses (CL2280, CL2281, CL3281, CL3282, CL3283, CL3284, CL3285, CL3286) and completed 80 units, including 28 units in CH or CL, with a minimum GPA of 3.20 or be on the Honours track.
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

Students are exposed to more issues in translation studies by means of comprehensive translation practice on the basis of a comparative study of model translations of primary genres in Chinese and English. This is to cultivate their stylistic sensitivity and discourse awareness, preparing them for further studies in relevant fields or a possible career as a translator. The course is offered to students in the Department. (This course is taught in Chinese and English.)

Business 工商

CL3550 Chinese Language Internship 中文系实习课程

Units: 4
Workload: Nil
Prerequisite(s): Major in CH/CL with 24 units of CH/CL courses.
Preclusion(s): Any other XX3550 internship modules (Note: Students who change major may not do a second internship in their new major)
Cross-listing(s): Nil

Internships vary in length but all take place within organisations or companies, which are vetted and approved by the Department of Chinese Studies, have relevance to the major, involve the application of subject knowledge and theory in reflection upon the work, and are assessed. Available credited internships will be advertised at the beginning of each semester. Internships proposed by students will require the approval of the Department.

General Education

General Education Modules (in English)

GEH1004 Chinese Heritage: His and Lit 华人文化遗产：历史记忆与文学

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): GEK1007, GEH1004
Cross-listing(s): Nil

The course aims to provide a general understanding of traditional China by focusing on two important aspects of its civilization: history and literature. In the first half of the course, students will be introduced to some significant Chinese customs and wisdom while the second half will focus on Chinese literature. In so doing, we offer students an overview of what formed the cornerstone of the civilization of traditional China. This course is taught in English.

GEH1005/GEC1041 Crime Fiction and Film across Space & Time 穿越时空的犯罪小说和电影

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
GEH1005 Preclusion(s): GEK1021, GEC1041
GEC1041 Preclusion(s): GEK1021, GEH1005
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course introduces the dazzling diversity of crime fiction and film, with a dedicated focus on the linkages among different geographical regions and cultural traditions. By examining common or similar plot elements and artistic techniques, the course conveys how authors and film-makers employ them in tales about crime to arouse audience interest. Students will get to sample Western detective fiction and Chinese court-case fiction, as well as be exposed to their adaptations in Japan and Latin America. The emphasis on grasping the tenets of adaptation will also be imparted through analysing the relations between print media and moving images.

GEH1006/GEC1001 Chinese Music, Language and Literature (in English) 中国音乐，语言与文学

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): GEK1053, GEH1006
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course explores the complex relationships underlying Chinese music, language and literature. It focuses on Chinese music from the perspective of popular music produced in the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. These four economies have developed different strands of popular music in Mandarin and various Chinese dialects, due to different linguistic and ideological environments. Students will learn how Chinese popular music draws upon the aesthetics of Chinese literature and traditional Chinese music, and how the music has hybridised influences from foreign musical genres, thus expressing different versions of “Chineseness”.

GEH1007/GEC1038 Asian Cinema: The Silent Era 亚洲无声电影

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): GEM1049, GEH1007
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course explores Asian cinema from its beginning to the introduction of talkies in the 1930s. The advent of cinema in Asia transformed entertainment across the continent and provided a novel means of popular expression. As a medium, cinema is closely tied to modernity and helps us understand how different societies and cultures in Asia responded to the modern transformation and how they appropriated it for their own ends. The course focuses on China, Japan, and India, three regions that developed a vibrant film culture and whose films have survived to the present day.

GEH1023/GEC1008 Exploring Chinese Cinema: Shanghai-Hong Kong-Singapore 探索华语电影:上海-香港-新加坡

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): GEK2047, CH2297, GEH1023
Cross-listing(s): Nil

Studies on cinema offer an important perspective for understanding human cultures. This course explores Chinese-language film history from the 1930s to the present through examining some key genres of films made by major filmmakers from China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan, including opera, musical, action and youth films. Special attention will be paid to the socio-cultural condition of their production, distribution, exhibition and consumption, as well as larger regional cultural connections of these four places. The course will be taught in English.

GEH1069/GEC1026 Art in Asia: Through Media, Style, Space and Time 亚洲艺术：媒介，风格，空间与历史的分析

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-4-3
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course provides a thematic introduction to the major religious, traditional and decorative arts of Asia. Through a study of important architectural monuments, key works of art, materials and processes, students will explore the shared cultures, aesthetics and artistic achievements of India, China and Southeast Asia and how the visual arts of Asia were shaped by religious, imperial, political, economic, and social climates from its early civilizations to the modern era.

GEC1042 Fashion: East and West 东西方时尚文化研究

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-3-4
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course introduces a revisionist fashion history that decenters the West (Europe and North America) and places the East as its equal counterpart. Sartorial cultures in Asia are studied in their own right and on their own terms. Students will explore the history of global cultural exchange through the lens of fashion, understand the differences and similarities between Eastern and Western sartorial cultures, and gain critical insights into contemporary fashion consumption and industry. The course follows a chronological and thematic approach that examines fashion’s intersection with other domains of social life such as class, identity, and politics.

GEH1070/GEC1044 Chinese Medicine: Theory and Practice 中医：理论与实践

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): GEC1044, GEH1070
Cross-listing(s): Nil

The course offers the opportunity to explore traditional Chinese medicine through a survey of Chinese medical culture in its dynamic formation and transformation. The first half of the course gives students a historical overview of Chinese medicine— shaped by philosophy, natural science, religion, while influenced by political and social forces for 2,000 years. The second half allows students to study the theoretical foundation and practical aspects of Chinese medicine, which is opened to influence from western medicine and impact from modernity. Students will examine the globalisation of Chinese medicine, focusing on transregional connections and cultural negotiations with the world.

GEC1045 Forbidden Romance in Modern Times: East and West 东西之间的浪漫主义文学思潮 (with effect from Sem 2, AY2023/24)

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-1-3-3
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course explores how “forbidden romance”—amorous engagement in fiction and reality—became the most volatile form of cultural expression in the modern world of revolution and enlightenment. Drawing on literary masterpieces across China and the West, it examines how the modern lure of free will and emancipated subjectivity drove Chinese intellectuals, Sinophone writers, and their Western contemporaries to redefine terms of affect, such as love, desire, passion, loyalty and sacrifice. It also looks into how the moral and political consequences of affect were evoked in such a way as to traverse or fortify consensual boundaries and their literary manifestations.

GEC1049 Powerful Court Women from Qing China and Other Cultures 清代宮廷女性：全球史的視野(with effect from Sem 2, AY2024/25)

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-0-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course explores the lives of empresses and concubines in Qing China, some of whom wielded tremendous power during their lifetime and have inspired numerous literary and media renditions of their words and deeds in the present. By critically assessing and deploying the concepts of gender, power, and media representation, the course highlights the curious connections between the Qing harem and other cultures, polities, and societies. More importantly, it establishes connections between Qing empresses and concubines and those elsewhere in the world, contextualizing their lives and activities in global history.

GEH1073 The Art of Chinese Poetry: Past and Present 中国诗歌艺术之古与今

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course introduces the aesthetics, forms and genres, major themes, representative poets and evolution of Chinese poetry over a span of 3,000 years. It examines the historical background, rationales and linguistic concerns behind the poetic forms, rules and regulations. It reviews how Chinese poets applied metaphors, allusions and imagery to convey their sophisticated feelings, how they considered the relationship between state, society, nature, arts and themselves. It also studies how modern poets, including those from Singapore and North America, used traditional (as well as vernacular) forms to voice their opinions about contemporary socio-political issues.

GES1005/GESS1003 Everyday Life of Chinese Singaporeans: Past & Present (taught in English) 新加坡华人的日常生活:过去与现在

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): SSA1208, GES1005
Cross-listing(s): Nil

Studies on the everyday life of ordinary people offer an important perspective for understanding human history. This course examines the daily life of Chinese Singaporeans during the late 19th to 20th centuries, focusing on their cultural expressions and social actions, revolving around eight geo‐cultural sites, namely, Singapore River, Chinatown, Chinese temples, clan associations, opera stages, amusement parks, hawker centres, and streets/roads. Students are asked to compare the past and present of these sites through oral history and fieldwork observation.

GES1038/GESS1027 La Kopi: Forging of the Chinese Singaporean Community 新加坡华人社群的建构和演变

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course introduces students to the forging of the Chinese Singaporean community by observing the changes in linguistic data over time. Drawing linguistic data from different aspects of society and entertainment (eg. food, movies, theatre and so on), the course aims to reveal to students how the Chinese community has evolved from being a community with multiple languages to a single, unified language. Influential professionals in their field of expertise will also share from their personal experience the evolution of the Chinese community, and how the Chinese Singaporean community fits into Singapore’s multiracial society.

GES1040/GESS1032 Prominent Chinese in Colonial Singapore 殖民地时代新加坡的杰出华人

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): CH2298
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course offers students an opportunity to understand prominent Chinese pioneers and leaders in Singapore during the colonial period. Selected personalities who are either community leaders, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, patriots, war heroes, and/or social activists will be discussed and examined in historical, social, economic, cultural and political contexts of Singapore in the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries.

GET1002/GEX1004 Bridging East and West: Exploring Chinese Communication 会通中西：探索华语沟通艺术

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): GEK1062, GET1002
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course offers NUS students an opportunity to explore different aspects and contexts of Chinese communication. The target audience is English-speaking undergraduates with minimal Chinese language proficiency. The various contexts of Chinese communication include advertising, business, the press, social communication, regional usages, pop culture, translations, meaning of Chinese names, code-switching and the use of Chinese dialects. It is intended to serve as a primer for students interested in these areas of study. A minimum Chinese language proficiency of CLB is required.

GET1046/GEX1026 I Do Not Think Therefore I Am 我不思，故我在

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course aims to call attention to the fundamental importance of thinking not only in learning per se but also in shaping who we are. It examines the nature of thinking, as well as its mechanisms. It aims to help students experience the excitement of thinking as they try to understand what thinking is; students are thus compelled to critique and re-examine their own assumptions about what they think they know and about themselves as psychosomatic learners and persons.

GEN2005 “Chineseness“：Engaging Singapore Chinese Communities 新加坡華人社群與華族性 (with effect from Sem 1, AY2024/25)

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-0-5
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

What does it mean to be a Chinese Singaporean in the context of the rise of China and intense global competition? This course invites students to explore the construction of Chineseness in Singapore through a close collaboration with the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan (SHHK) and its affiliated clan associations to understand the dynamics underpinning the diverse Chinese communities in Singapore, which is crucial to the formation of a distinctive Chinese culture and identity in Singapore.

Minor in Translation 翻译副修

Translation Module Descriptions (Cohort 2021 and After)

TRA2101 Basic Translation 基础翻译

TRA3201 Advanced Translation 高级翻译

Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): TRA2101 or CL2280 or CL2281
Preclusion(s): CL3281
Cross-listing(s): Nil

TRA3202 Mass Media Translation 传播媒介翻译

Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): TRA2101 or CL2280 or CL2281
Preclusion(s): CL3282
Cross-listing(s): Nil

TRA3203 Film and Television Subtitling Translation 影视字幕翻译

Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): TRA2101 or CL2280 or CL2281
Preclusion(s): CL3283
Cross-listing(s): Nil

TRA3204 Literary Translation 文学翻译

Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): TRA2101 or CL2280 or CL2281
Preclusion(s): CL3284
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course aims to introduce knowledge in translation strategies and literary translation. Students will have the opportunity to translate texts (both Chinese to English and English to Chinese) from fiction, drama and poetry. Being different from translation for technology and business, the concept of beauty, poetics and equivalence will be discussed in this course.

TRA3205 Computer-Assisted Translation Tools 电脑辅助翻译

Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): TRA2101 or CL2280 or CL2281
Preclusion(s): CL3285
Cross-listing(s): Nil

TRA3206 Translation and Interpreting Theories 翻译及口译理论

Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s): TRA2101 or INT2101 or CL2280 or CL2281
Preclusion(s): CL3286
Cross-listing(s): Nil

List of Chinese Translation Minor Modules (Cohort 2021 and After)

List of Chinese Translation Minor Modules (Cohort 2020 and Before)

Code	Course	Core/ Non-Core
CL2280/TRA2101	Basic Translation	Core (Compulsory)
CL2281/INT2101	Translation and Interpretation	Core (Compulsory)
CL3281/TRA3201	Advanced Translation	Translation Electives
CL3282/TRA3202	Mass Media Translation	Translation Electives
CL3283/TRA3203	Film and Television Subtitling Translation	Translation Electives
CL3284/TRA3204	Literary Translation	Translation Electives
CL3285/TRA3205	Computer-Assisted Translation Tools	Translation Electives
CL3286/TRA3206	Translation Theories/Translation and Interpreting Theories	Translation Electives
CL2103	Chinese Grammar	Non-core (Other Electives)
CL3201	Communicating Through Chinese Rhetoric & Metaphors	Non-core (Other Electives)
CL3202	Chinese Lexicology	Non-core (Other Electives)
CL3203	Chinese Pragmatics	Non-core (Other Electives)
CL3213	Chinese Semantics	Non-core (Other Electives)
CL3215	Chinese Language and Culture	Non-core (Other Electives)
CL3216	Chinese Stylistics (Defunct with effect from Sem 1, AY2023/2024.)	Non-core (Other Electives)
CL2121	History of Chinese Literature	Non-core (Other Electives)
CH2141	General History of China	Non-core (Other Electives)
CH2245	Modern China: Literature, Culture, History	Non-core (Other Electives)
CH3221	Selected Readings in Chinese Verse	Non-core (Other Electives)
CH3243	Chinese Cultural History	Non-core (Other Electives)
CH4281	Translation Studies	Non-core (Other Electives)

Minor in Interpreting 口译副修

Interpreting Module Descriptions (Cohort 2021 and After)

INT2101 Basic Interpreting 基础口译

Units: 4
Workload: 2-1-0-2-5
Prerequisite(s):
1) Exempted from NUS Qualifying English Test, or passed NUS Qualifying English Test, or passed ES1103; AND
2) At least a B4 for GCE ‘O’ level Chinese or Higher Chinese; OR a pass in GCE ‘A’ level H1 Chinese or H2 Chinese; OR equivalent qualifications may be accepted.
Preclusion(s): CL2281
Cross-listing(s): Nil

INT3201 Sight Interpreting 视译

Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-3-4
Prerequisite(s):
1) Exempted from NUS Qualifying English Test, or passed NUS Qualifying English Test, or passed ES1103; AND
2) At least a B4 for GCE ‘O’ level Chinese or Higher Chinese; OR a pass in GCE ‘A’ level H1 Chinese or H2 Chinese; OR equivalent qualifications may be accepted.
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course provides componential-progressive guidance for sight interpreting training. By going through various delineated sight interpreting tasks – including speech comprehension, shadowing, fast reading, respeaking, paraphrasing, anticipation, ear-voice span lagging (EVS) exercises and basic simultaneous interpreting with text – students will gain a solid foundation for their study of interpreting. Based on the practice of thematic real-life sight interpreting tasks, students will acquire text analysis, comprehension and production skills, as well as learn how to coordinate their cognitive efforts efficiently. This course also will help enhance students’ English and Chinese proficiency, as well as their public speaking skills.

INT3202 Consecutive Interpreting 交替传译

This course introduces fundamental concepts of consecutive interpreting and helps students develop key consecutive interpreting techniques, such as listening, text analysis, speech comprehension, short-term memory storage, note-taking and public speaking skills. By using authentic speech across different contexts, students are expected to address various communicative risks effectively and develop an awareness of the variations in interpreting speech genre, density and style found in real-life discourse. This course also guides and facilitates the development of students’ interpreting competence and progressive integration into all-round operational expertise.

INT3203 Community Interpreting 社区口译

This course will provide a foundation in the practice of community interpreting. By reviewing various types of community interpreting in situated interactions (e.g. police and courts, hospitals and social services), students will gain an in-depth understanding of the controversy over the concepts of faithfulness, accuracy and equivalence. Key strategies employed in different community settings will be introduced. By practising real-life interpreting examples, students will discuss and analyse the consequences of the suggested roles of the community interpreter, particularly in medical and legal settings. This course will also help enhance students’ English/Chinese language competence as well as their public speaking skills.

INT3204 Advanced Interpreting 进阶口译

Units: 4
Workload: 0-3-0-3-4
Prerequisite(s): INT3201 or INT3202 or INT3203
Preclusion(s): Nil
Cross-listing(s): Nil

This course provides an advanced exploration of the professional practice of interpreting through close examination of different modes (consecutive vs simultaneous and community vs conference), with a focus on providing advanced interpreting skill set. Students will gain in-depth understanding of interpreting as a social, interactive, intercultural activity performed in specific conditions and environments. Through using the real-world interpreting examples as learning materials, students will learn how to make appropriate judgments in various communicative situations, based on an understanding of the norms and conventions of professional practice, and of the ethical principles that must govern the role of a professional interpreter.

List of Interpreting Minor Modules (Cohort 2021 and After)