OSPBEIJ60: Chinese Language, Culture, and Society (Way: SI)

Instructor: Chaofen Sun

This course introduces to students the cognitive organization of the linguistic structure of Chinese languages and its developmental history in greater China. We will investigate how Chinese is used in everyday lives in Chinese communities, emphasizing how at all levels of linguistic structure they diverge from, or agree with, different varieties, as well as other world languages. In so doing, we will learn the fundamentals in linguistic analysis, discover linguistic diversity from a socio-cultural perspective, and understand language issues in the contexts of Chinese history and society, including legends about its origin, evolution of its scripts, sound systems, interactions between cultural beliefs and structural constraints, systemic changes resulting from contacts with Japanese and English, the political implications of the language policies adopted by the governments over the past century for the sake of “progressive,” “patriotic,” or “scientific” transformations.

Units: 4-5 | Grading Basis: Letter grade or Credit/No Credit | Way: SI | Component: Seminar

*All courses are subject to change.