UP offers Mandarin Chinese class option for students next fall
By Lisa McMahan
When registering for courses later this semester, students might be surprised to find a new subject in UP's curriculum.
Next fall, Mandarin Chinese will be added at the University as part of a school-wide initiative to give its students a competitive edge and a better understanding of an increasingly international world.
It is an addition that has been in the works for several years.
"We've had a lot of inquiries from parents and students," Chair of the Department of International Languages and Cultures Kate Regan said. "We're one of the few colleges in the area that don't offer it."
Program reviews in 2000 and 2007 strongly recommended that the University look at the possibility of adding Chinese to its curriculum. This conclusion coincided with an interest from other departments at UP.
Lisa Reed, assistant dean in the Pamplin School of Business, believes that learning about Chinese language and culture is increasingly valuable for students.
"It's important for students to have exposure to non-Western European countries," she said.
Reed sees China as Oregon's number two trading partner right now, second only to Canada.
"Chinese seems like it will be useful from a business aspect, especially because they're becoming such a powerhouse," junior finance major Sandra Jefferies said.
As China becomes more dominant in global economics, knowledge of Asian culture is not only helpful in negotiating, but is also seen as a mark of courtesy.
"The better we understand China and its people, the better we can compete, collaborate and communicate with the Chinese," Pamplin School of Business Dean Robin Anderson said. "When doing business in any country, it is a matter of respect, and it is always noticed if the visitor has at least a minimal language competency."
Students enrolled in CHN 101 next fall will learn more than communication, however. Faculty members stress that political science, philosophy and history will be incorporated into the curriculum.
"Interdisciplinary exposure is very key here," Regan said.
ROTC was also a significant proponent of adding Chinese to UP's curriculum because of its status as a critical language - that is, any language that requires more trained speakers than are available. Other critical language options include Arabic and some Asian and Eastern European languages, according to Reed.
"We finally settled on Chinese being an appropriate language to add at UP because of its connection to the University," Associate Professor of German Laura McLary said.
These connections include a trip to China with E-Scholars, IES programs in China and a visit to China as part of the MBA graduate program.
It might seem that Chinese is targeted toward business students, but the course is open to any student wishing to learn more about Mandarin Chinese while fulfilling foreign language requirements.
"I would suggest that any students taking a foreign language right now also take Chinese," McLary said. "I think it would provide an interesting perspective on the language they already know."
Senior political science major Stefanie Doolittle studied abroad in China on two separate occasions and opted to take Mandarin classes at a Portland community center to improve her proficiency.
"I was really happy to hear that they were adding it," Doolittle said of UP's recent decision to add the language. "I would definitely recommend it."
CHN 101 will be a six-credit course offered five days a week at 8:10 a.m.
"For anybody contemplating this, they need to know that it's going to be a challenge - a challenge worth taking," Regan said. "It will be very rewarding."
Chinese is regarded as a very difficult language to learn. Gaining a working proficiency in Chinese takes roughly twice as long as it would take to learn Spanish, according to Regan.
She plans to limit the course's capacity to promote an interactive classroom.
"We want students to know that when they come on board, they'll be using the language," Regan said.
Interested students can register for the course online later this spring. The International Languages and Cultures Department hopes to hire an adjunct professor in the coming weeks.
The department also plans to host a screening of two Chinese movies in the coming months to pique students' interest in the subject.
"I am very much hoping that we can build on this program - to be honest, we have to," Regan said. "China is a global leader. The question is: will our students be prepared for this global environment?"
