Chinese
Dive in to Chinese language and culture. 
China is one of the world’s oldest and richest continuous cultures. It developed independently for over 5,000 years. Through learning Chinese, students develop an Eastern mindset to complement their Western one. With increasing globalization, many people from Western cultures have realized the charm of this Chinese culture and the advantages of having a well-rounded worldview.
Why Study Chinese?
China has become the second biggest economy in the world and is one of the United States’ largest trading partners. Because of China’s economic, political, social, and cultural development, Chinese is a strategic language in the United States. People who speak Chinese have a huge advantage in understanding Chinese culture and navigating this foreign market.
Program Overview
Learn how to communicate in Chinese and be aware of Sino-American communication through various Chinese language and culture courses. Gain the language ability and corresponding social and cultural knowledge to be a better global citizen and to tap into the Chinese marketplace. In addition to a range of courses, you’ll have the opportunity to further your language skills through additional activities, such as the Mid-Autumn festival, the Chinese New Year celebration, Chinese Speech Contests, and many other student-led linguistic and cultural activities.
The Chinese program now offers a major and a minor with three levels of instruction in Mandarin Chinese as well as Chinese culture courses. Chinese courses contribute to the fulfillment of the Asian studies minor at TCU.
Program Goal and Course Overview
The main goal of the Chinese curriculum is to cultivate students’ competence in using Chinese to conduct appropriate Sino-American intercultural communication. To this end, students need to develop a capacity to express themselves in a culturally coherent manner, and to understand the intentions of people who live in Chinese-speaking communities.
The objectives of each course are addressed in their course descriptions, and include both cultural and linguistic proficiencies.
Featured Course
Chinese Culture in Film
The course develops students' critical thinking about Chinese cultural phenomena by watching and discussing Chinese movies. It provides students with an opportunity to rethink the similarities and differences between Chinese and American cultures reflected in Chinese movies. The course will be conducted in Chinese through lectures and guided discussions of designated topics.