East Asian Languages and Cultures serves students outside the majors who aspire to learn the three languages that are considered by the Foreign Service Institute the most difficult languages to learn.
The program offers language instructions based on the latest research findings as well as years of combined teaching experience, and fosters integrated contextual learning among students. Authentic materials are used whenever possible in elementary and intermediate courses and exclusively in advanced courses. Instructors are not only well-versed in pedagogy and thoroughly experienced in actual teaching, but also passionate about helping students.
Intensive courses are offered for the first two years of the curriculum to boost students’ language ability. Those who have previously taken a few classes in the language can ease their way into the curriculum by taking the non-intensive course for the first semester. Those with more extensive prior experience in the target language will take a placement test to be placed into an appropriate level. Upper-level courses are non-intensive and more varied in the focus. At the end of the four years of language courses, most students who had no previous language experience are able to communicate comfortably in a socially appropriate manner.
In addition to offering language courses, the East Asian Languages and Cultures program provides support to bolster students’ learning outside of the classroom. Students of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean can go to tutoring sessions every day when they have questions or want to practice the language. For practice, there are also language tables in all of the three languages.
For more information about the language curriculum, contact the following professors:
Professor Zhijun Wang, Chinese Language Program Director
Professor Yuki Yoshimura, Japanese Language Program Director
Professor Chan Young Park, Korean Studies Director