Specialisations

Chinese Studies (CH)

The curriculum consists of three major areas: Chinese literature, Chinese history, and Chinese philosophy. It provides students with comprehensive training in both classical and modern Chinese Studies. Topics covered include Chinese religions and thoughts in ancient China, business management and dealings in Chinese context, classical and modern literature, film and cultural studies. Through these areas, the Department trains students to develop independent and critical thinking. Although Mandarin is the medium of instruction, some modules are taught in English. Graduates of the Department are always well sought after as they are effectively bilingual. Both the public and private sectors provide ample employment opportunities, especially in areas such as education, mass media, commerce, and the arts.

Chinese Language (CL)

The curriculum covers the main fields in Chinese linguistics, including linguistic structure analysis, sound and grammar system, the origin of Chinese characters, and sociolinguistics. Students will learn the nature of the Chinese language, formation of Chinese ‘words', Chinese rhetoric, Chinese phonetics, Chinese dialects, how Chinese has evolved over the centuries, pragmatic use of Chinese in conversations, etc. Through these areas, the Department trains students to develop independent and critical thinking and provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the Chinese language. Although Mandarin is the medium of instruction, some modules are taught in English. Graduates of the Department are always well sought after as they are effectively bilingual. Both the public and private sectors provide ample employment opportunities, especially in areas such as education, mass media, commerce, and the arts.

Translation (TRA)

The programme aims to provide students with a good foundation in the theoretical knowledge and practical skills of Chinese translation. Students will be introduced to the history of translation and the theoretical issues in translation. They will learn the techniques of translating different genres ranging from news articles, business correspondents, advertisements, to legal contracts and literary works. They will be able to choose their own fields of specialisation in project work and independent studies. Students who graduate from the programme should have a good overall understanding of the theoretical issues and know-how of translating different genres. They should also be competent in their own areas of specialization.

The Translation programme is currently only available as a minor. To enhance their Chinese language ability and knowledge on the subject, students taking Chinese Translation as a minor are encouraged to consider taking Chinese Studies (CH) as a major.

Interpreting (INT)

The Interpreting minor will give students greater opportunity to strengthen and apply their knowledge of Chinese language and literature via an oral practice component, complementing the existing text-based training. We envision that students in the programme will feel empowered to take on roles with greater requirements for public speaking or inter-cultural communication, not only as interpreters, but also as company representatives who interact with Chinese enterprises, as civil servants who engage the Chinese-speaking community, as scientific and technological experts who can be effective public speakers, as media personalities, among others.

Through the programme, students will gain a basic understanding of, and sensitivity to language structure in both written and spoken language in theory and through practice. They will become familiar with terminology and background knowledge relevant to the legal, legislative, political, and historical situation of Singapore. Skills developed include interpreting technique through training students in practical skills and strategies, such as textual analysis, attention management, speech comprehension, active listening, note-taking, etc.; content-management skills such as preparing topic-relevant background knowledge and terminology; professional-level public speaking skills; and at a more abstract level, awareness and understanding of linguistic and cultural differences, as well as ethical issues, in cross-cultural communication.

The Interpreting programme is currently only available as a minor. Students are especially encouraged to pair the minor in Interpreting with another major or minor offered by the Department of Chinese Studies.

Chinese Media (CM)

Supported by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI, previously Ministry of Communication and Information, MCI) and the Chinese Media Group at Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) Media, the programme aims to develop and train students who will be proficient in Chinese language, possess in-depth knowledge of Chinese culture, while being equipped with skills and knowledge in social sciences so as to approach issues related to Chinese media from a multi-disciplinary perspective.

We envision that students who complete the minor will be able to understand the Chinese media systems in the region (particularly China and Singapore), critically reflect on the influence of global and regional factors on the region through various forms of Chinese media, and possess strong Chinese reading and writing skills based on information collected for media reporting to produce in-depth and thought-provoking news pieces and commentaries. These students will also have an excellent understanding of the various political, economic, social, cultural, and technological contexts within which Chinese media develops in Singapore and around Asia (China in particular) over time, and appreciate how China uses Chinese-language media to promote its soft power in the region and how Singapore and its Chinese media respond to it.

The programme will consist of the following features that will enhance students' learning experience:

  1. A new essential course on Chinese Media in Singapore (CH2277) that covers the history of Chinese newspapers and other forms of mass media since the 19th century and also the present landscape of the Chinese media industry
  2. Internship opportunities at MDDI, SPH and Mediacorp
  3. A new selective topical course mainly taught by visiting professors from the School of Journalism and Communication of Tsinghua University in Beijing that covers the media environment in China (CH3281)
  4. Student exchange opportunities at the School of Journalism and Communication of Tsinghua University
  5. Opportunities to read courses offered by Chinese Studies, Communications and New Media, Economics, Political Science, Sociology and Anthropology to develop the ability to approach issues related to Chinese media from a multi-disciplinary perspective