Chinese (Minor)
Program Description
Language is the principal means through which humans communicate and a major vehicle in the development of thought, culture, and aesthetic expression. Studying language makes one aware of other conceptual and cultural worlds and able to reach more effectively into those worlds and bridge cultures. NYUAD language courses are structured to increase competency at every level in speaking, writing, reading, and listening skills. Every language course introduces cultural material that highlights the connectedness of language, culture, and thought. Students who choose to acquire a new language or to pursue advanced study of a language with which they are already familiar are better poised to realize their potential as 21st-century global citizens. For these many reasons, students are strongly encouraged to study a language other than English while at NYU Abu Dhabi.
Languages offered at NYU Abu Dhabi through regular coursework are Arabic, Chinese, French, and Spanish. By studying Chinese, students encounter and begin to grasp the language of China and the surrounding region. Students of Chinese are able to spend at least one semester at NYU’s other portal campus in Shanghai, and are able to begin or continue learning Chinese at NYU New York or NYU Shanghai.
The goal of the minor in Chinese is to provide NYUAD students with the opportunity to receive more systematic training, understand better the Chinese language, and enhance their proficiency level. The minor is useful for many careers and academic specializations that require practical fluency in Modern Standard Chinese.
Students who wish to pursue a minor in Chinese are required to take 16 credits of Chinese language courses through the Advanced 2 level. Elementary Chinese 1 and Elementary Chinese 2 do not count toward fulfilling the requirements.
If Advanced II is reached prior to fulfilling the 16 credits, a higher level language course (i.e. past Advanced II) must be taken to fulfill the remaining credits. Substitute courses needed to satisfy the 16 points can be courses or directed studies that are conducted in a Chinese language, either Mandarin or another recognized language such as Cantonese. Such courses are offered in both New York and Shanghai and include Cantonese language classes and subject matter classes such as literature taught in Mandarin. No more than two transfer courses (8 credits) may be accepted toward the minor, subject to review by and approval of the Head of the Chinese Program.