Chinese

The Chinese curriculum at Fei Tian is a combination of both Chinese language and culture. The language courses range from basic reading and speaking of Chinese for those who are completely new to the language to reading ancient Chinese texts and writing essays in Chinese. The curriculum also provides courses in Chinese history and civilization. High school students are placed along with middle school students and older students in the Language Program according to their prior exposure and proficiency in the Chinese language regardless of which academic grade they are in.

Chinese as a Second Language (CSL)

Those who have no background in Chinese at all must first take CSL, or Chinese as a Second Language. This course gives a basic overview of how to say the different tones and how Chinese characters are pictographs rather than alphabet-based. The course covers the fundamentals – listening, speaking, and read-ing basic words that students can use in daily life. When they have passed the CSL proficiency exam, students may enter the next basic level course, Chinese Language I.

Chinese Language I

Many students who enter the Chinese program are overseas Chinese and not entirely new to the language as they may understand the Chinese that is spoken at home or even speak the language, but have little or no literacy. Students of this kind take Chinese Language I, an introduction to Chinese language and culture that assumes some basic skills. The emphasis is on training students to listen, speak, read, and begin writing Chinese. Students begin to build some vocabulary and a working knowledge of Chinese. By the end of the course, students are expected to be able to recognize about 500 Chinese words and be able to write at least a few hundred words. Students must take a Basic level Chinese language proficiency exam at the end of the course in order to proceed to the next level.

Chinese Language II

Chinese Language II further develops students’ speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. The goal is to have students reach an intermediate level of proficiency in the language. The language experience is enriched by supplementary materials including videos, newspapers and magazines, and songs as well as ESL software and the Internet. Upon completion of this course, students should have mastered a vocabulary of about 800 words. Students must pass the Fei Tian Intermediate Level Chinese language proficiency exam and/or the SAT II Subject Test in Chinese With Listening at the end of the course in order to proceed to the next level.

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 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 History I

This is an introductory course in which students explore what it means to be “Chinese” by studying historical legends and moral concepts that form the foundations of Chinese culture. Students are given an overall chronological framework of the different dynasties that make up China’s history from the Qin dynasty through to modern China and presents a basic introduction to the major traditions and legacies of the history and culture of China. The course is open only to those with an intermediate level of Chinese and above as it is primarily taught in Chinese, but key concepts are also introduced in English.

Chinese History II

This course requires satisfactory completion of Chinese History I. It covers the formation of China’s intellectual, social, and political culture in antiquity and traces its development through various dynastic periods 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 Chinese and requires at least intermediate level Chinese proficiency.

Chinese Civilization

This course is a thematic survey of China, one of the richest and oldest continuous cultures in the world. The course examines the defining intellectual, religious, literary, political, and artistic developments that have shaped China over many millennia. The topics in the course range as far back as the time of the Three Reigns & five virtuous saint Emperors about 7,000 to 12,000 years ago and proceed through the dynasties over the last 5,000 years. The course emphasizes enduring values, sensibilities, and beliefs within the development of Chinese civilization as opposed to variation over time; the latter is examined in the Chinese History survey courses. Here the goal is to arrive at a basic “cultural literacy” that encompasses China’s festival calendar, dynastic cycle, key religious practices, literary and artistic achievements, architecture, family structure, means of governance, and early science and technology. The course includes readings and interpretation of primary source texts. This course is mostly taught in Chinese and requires an advanced level of Chinese proficiency.