The James and Margaret Tseng Loe China Studies Center Annual Conference

The next James and Margaret Tseng Loe China Studies Center annual conference will be held at Saint Vincent College in Spring 2008.

Past conferences have included, “China’s Diversity and Shaoshu Minzu: China’s Minorities Nationalities;” “Chinese Arts Day,” “Chinese Traditional Medicine,” “China Philosophy: Past, Present & Future;” and “Bridging the East and West.”

Courses in Chinese Studies at Saint Vincent College

The Department of Modern and Classical Languages began offering Chinese at the elementary and intermediate levels during the Fall 2003 semester (current course descriptions included below).

As of Spring 2007, students may also earn an International Studies minor in Chinese. The interdisciplinary minor includes Chinese language, culture, and history courses, plus electives in Business, Philosophy, Theology, English, and Fine Arts.

During the Fall 2007 semester, Saint Vincent College welcomed Dr. Zhang Yuan, a visiting Chinese professor from Wuhan University. Through a three-year cooperative program with the University of Pittsburgh’s new Confucius Institute, Dr. Yuan will serve as a professor of Chinese at Saint Vincent and a resource for K-12 social studies and language curriculum in the Greater Latrobe School District. The Confucius Institute is funded by Hanban, China’s National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language.

CHI 101, 102 Elementary Chinese I and II
For beginners in the language. The two courses form a sequence, and are normally completed as a unit. No prerequisite for CHI 101. Satisfactory completion of CHI 101 is a prerequisite for CHI 102. The entire 2-semester course aims at acquisition of the usual basic language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Presentation of basic grammar and an introduction to Chinese culture. Pinyin (the most-widely used Chinese phonetic system) will be taught as a tool to learn the spoken language. Students will also learn Chinese characters in order to be able to communicate effectively in real Chinese situations. Approximately 200 words and expressions in both Pinyin and character forms will be taught. CHI 101, 102 do not fulfill the graduation requirement. Each semester comprises three hours classroom work and one hour practice in the language lab under instructor’s supervision, along with individual lab practice. CHI 101 offered Fall semester; CHI 102 offered Spring semester. Four credits each semester.

CHI 203, 204 Intermediate Chinese I and II
A 2-semester sequence designed to fulfill the graduation requirement for students with adequate high school preparation (2 or 3 years). Students normally complete these two courses in sequence; an exception may be made by the Modern Language Department.

(203) This course is designed for students with prior experience in listening, speaking, reading, and writing Chinese at the elementary level. While students will be trained in all four skills, more emphasis will be given to reading and writing Chinese characters, expanding vocabulary, understanding Chinese culture. To facilitate the study of the language, different aspects of Chinese culture and society will be introduced through group activities, multi-media programs, and research projects throughout the course. Offered Fall semester. Three credits.

(204) This course offers Chinese for daily communication through intensive study and practice in written and spoken Chinese. Students will carry on conversations and participate in classroom discussions in Mandarin Chinese on various topics associated with daily life and learn to write short passages in Chinese characters. This course also explores definitions of culture and analyzes the dynamic role of language in culture and culture in language, with an aim to foster cross-cultural awareness and self-realization while developing proficiency in Chinese. Offered Spring semester. Three credits.

CHI 305 Advanced Chinese Conversation I
This course aims to improve the ability to speak and understand Chinese, emphasizing correct pronunciation and intonation. Active participation from the students is required. Students will have the opportunity to converse on a variety of topics. Three credits.

CHI 306 Reading Chinese
This course provides an introduction to and fosters skills in reading Chinese. Reading materials include newspaper articles and short stories. Students are required to complete written assignments and discuss the readings. Cultural awareness, reading, writing, and speaking skills will be enhanced. Three credits.

China Study Tours

Saint Vincent College’s next China studies tour is tentatively scheduled for Summer 2009. During Summer 2007, Dr. Tina Phillips Johnson, Director of the China Studies Program and Assistant Professor of History at Saint Vincent College, directed a three-week China study tour for students and faculty of Saint Vincent College and the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg. Highlights of the trip included visits to the ancient capital of Xi’an, home of the 2,000 year-old Terracotta Warriors; the idyllic West Lake in Hangzhou; several water towns in the Yangzi River Valley; the bustling city of Shanghai; and the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, which included a presentation by Daniel Piccuta C’77, U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission.

Study Abroad Opportunities

Saint Vincent College students are encouraged to discover China through the following study and research abroad opportunities.

The A.J. Palumbo Student Research Endowment was established in 1996 to promote exemplary scholarship and academic achievement. Grant funding supports student-initiated learning and discovery in the arts, sciences, humanities, social sciences, and professional programs.

The Elizabeth and Tom Andreoli Traveling Scholar Endowment was established to make awards to support special educational opportunities that will broaden students' horizons and deepen their experience beyond the formal classroom setting.