Advanced Level

The Advanced level is designed to be a two-year program including two Chinese language courses and two social studies courses. The courses at this level are conducted almost entirely in Chinese.

Chinese Language III

Students must pass an intermediate level proficiency test in order to enroll in Chinese Language III. This course will continue to build the students’ speaking, reading, and writing skills and take them to a higher level of sophistication in the language. The course at this level is conducted almost entirely in Chinese. Upon completion of this course, students should have mastered a vocabulary of about 1,500 words and can be considered fluent in the language.

Chinese History II

This course requires satisfactory completion of Chinese History I. It covers the formation of China’s intel-lectual, social, and political culture in antiquity and traces its development through various dynastic peri-ods over the same general timeframe as Chinese History I but studies the major figures and developments in Chinese history in greater depth. The course looks in particular at the resilience and weaknesses of China’s imperial system during its final centuries before examining the challenge that China’s traditions posed to those seeking institutional reform and modernization. Because this course seeks to use the study of China as a means for developing more general skills in the discipline of historical analysis and writing, students are required to complete research projects for this course. The course is taught primarily in Chi-nese and requires at least intermediate level Chinese proficiency.

Chinese Language IV

This course focuses on the ancient style of language used in traditional Chinese texts and poetry. Students are considered highly advanced at this stage. They study various examples of classic Chinese literature, such as Journey to the West and Romance of the Three Kingdoms as well as the works of the traditional Chinese sages. Emphasis is placed on further refining writing skills so that students may express them-selves with clarity and precision in the Chinese language.

Chinese Civilization

Students who are highly advanced in their Chinese language may take the Chinese Civilization course af-ter Chinese History I and II. The course is a thematic survey that examines defining cultural developments such as those intellectual, religious, literary, political, and artistic that have shaped China over many mil-lennia. The course emphasizes the enduring values, sensibilities, and beliefs within the development of Chinese civilization as opposed to variation over time. Chinese Civilization is primarily taught in Chi-nese.

Students must pass an advanced level Chinese language proficiency exam in order to receive the Fei Tian Chinese Language Advanced Level Certificate.