Classical Chinese Reading

Catalog description

This course is designed to give students an introduction to Classical Chinese, the written language of China from the sixth century B.C. through the second century A.D. Students will be introduced to basic syntax and vocabulary through the reading of authentic texts ranging from a variety of genres including short proverbs, philosophical writings, and historical literature. The linguistic analytical method used in this course will equip students with independent reading skills, tools for gaining a systematic understanding of the language, and access to the logical structure of pre-modern Chinese. Prerequisite: Students must be able to read at least 500-800 Chinese characters (or Japanese kanji). Knowledge of Modern Chinese is not required.