Chinese

The Duke Chinese Program offers a five-year, two-track curriculum designed for both traditional foreign language learners and bilingual or heritage learners of Mandarin Chinese. Lower-level courses focus on building students’ linguistic and cultural knowledge while developing practical daily communication skills. Upper-level courses emphasize content-based instruction, critical thinking, academic skills, and interdisciplinary learning. Across all levels, students benefit from interactive teaching, experiential learning, one-on-one tutorials, and a technology-enhanced learning environment. The program encourages meaningful engagement with both local and global communities through community-based and service-learning opportunities, allowing students to apply their language skills in real-world contexts and foster civic responsibility.  

In addition to regular language courses, the program offers interdisciplinary courses that integrate Chinese language learning with fields such as Chinese Philosophy, Environmental Science, Global Health, International Relations, Marketing, and Public Policy. Students may also take courses for specific purposes, including Business Chinese, Media Chinese, and Chinese for Technology. Beyond the classroom, students can participate in the Chinese Circle, which builds community through weekly Chinese language tables and a variety of cultural events—such as calligraphy and painting workshops, seal carving, festival celebrations, and wellness nights. Please follow the Chinse program on Facebook or Instagram for past and current curricular and extracurricular events.  

To further enrich their language and cultural learning, students are encouraged to study abroad—either in Taiwan through National Tsing Hua University-Huayu BEST program or in China through Duke Kunshan University’s Chinese Intensive Summer Language program or NYU in Shanghai.  

Students who are interested in pursuing Asian and Middle Eastern Studies majors and minors with a Chinese concentration should check the AMES major & minor requirements webpage or contact the Chinese program director, Dr. Yan Liu. 

Video editing by Claire Budzik.

Placement in a Chinese language class follows the AMES department placement policy. 

To ensure an optimal learning experience and foster a supportive classroom environment, students interested in taking a Chinese language course at Duke must follow the placement procedures outlined below and obtain the instructor’s approval before enrolling. 

  1. Please refer to the self-placement guidelines (see the section below) and the course descriptions here to identify a course that you may be eligible to take.
  2. Contact the instructor of the course that you have identified to schedule a placement interview before or during the pre-registration period. Please note that the final placement decision rests with the instructor.
  3. Students cannot enroll in a Chinese course below the level determined through the placement interview conducted by a faculty member in the Chinese Language Program.

If you have further questions regarding the courses at the 100-level, please consult with Professor Tianshu He, the Coordinator of First Year Chinese, at htianshu@duke.edu. For inquiries about courses at the 300-level and above or study abroad programs in Chinese-speaking regions, please contact Professor Carolyn Lee at kslee@duke.edu. If you have any questions concerning the overall Chinese language curriculum and 200-level Chinese courses, please consult with the Director of the Chinese Program, Professor Yan Liu, at yl286@duke.edu. 

Self-Placement Guidelines

  1. For students who were raised in homes where non-Chinese languages are spoken, please check the “Placement Guidelines for Regular-Track Curriculum” below.
  2. For students raised in households where Chinese is spoken, but living in a non-Chinese-speaking country, please check the “Placement Guidelines for Bilingual-Track Curriculum” below. 

  3. Please note that students who lived in a Chinese-speaking country through their teenage years and received education there beyond the elementary level are considered native speakers. These students are only eligible to take CHINESE 450S, CHINESE 451S, CHINESE 455 and CHINESE 456 to fulfill language requirements.

     

Placement Guidelines for Regular-Track Curriculum (for students raised in homes where non-Chinese languages were spoken)

Enroll in CHINESE 98 (Learning Chinese through Calligraphy) or CHINESE99 (Survival Chinese: Navigating Daily Conversations)

  • Students who have no exposure to Chinese or no experience of learning Chinese at school, but would like to learn basic Chinese conversation skills or learn Chinese characters through Calligraphy

Enroll in CHINESE 101 (First-Year Chinese I):

  • Students with no or minimal proficiency in Chinese
  • Students who did not grow up in a Chinese-speaking household but were exposed to Beginning Chinese in a high school program in a non-Chinese speaking country and feel the program was not strong

Enroll in CHINESE 102 (First-Year Chinese II):

  • Students who have successfully completed CHINESE 101 or its equivalent
  • Students who did not grow up in a Chinese-speaking household but studied Chinese for 2 years in a high school program in a non-Chinese speaking country and feel the program was not strong
  • Students may read and write at least 250-300 Chinese characters

Enroll in CHINESE 105 (First-Year Chinese in Review):

  • Students who did not grow up in a Chinese-speaking household but studied over 2 years of Chinese in middle school and /or high school in a non-Chinese speaking country and didn’t think the program was strong
  • Chinese AP score of 2, or SAT-II score in the 240-410 range, or IB Chinese score below 4
  • Students may read and write at least 100 characters

Enroll in CHINESE 203 (Intermediate Chinese I):

  • Students who have successfully completed CHINESE 102 or its equivalent
  • Students who did not grow up in a Chinese-speaking household but  had over 2-3 years of high school Chinese in a non-Chinese speaking country and did well in the courses
  • AP score of 3 or 4, or SAT-II score of 550-600, or IB Language B (HL) score of 4
  • Students may read and write at least 500-600 characters without a dictionary

Enroll in CHINESE 204 (Intermediate Chinese II):

  • Students who have successfully completed Chinese 203 or its equivalent
  • Students who did not grow up in a Chinese-speaking household but have over 3 years of high school Chinese in a non-Chinese speaking country and did well in the courses
  • AP score of 4 or 5, SAT-II score of 600 to 700, or IB Language B (HL) score of 5 or 6
  • Students may read and write at least 700-800 characters without a dictionary

Enroll in CHINESE 305 (Pre-Advanced Chinese):

  • Students who have finished CHINESE 204 or its equivalent
  • Students who did not grow up in a Chinese-speaking household but have studied Chinese for more than 3-4 years in a very strong high school program or an immersion Chinese language program in a non-Chinese speaking country, and did very well in the program
  • Students may read and write at least 950-1000 characters

Enroll in CHINESE 306 (Advanced Chinese) or CHINESE 307 (Technology and Society in Chinese):

  • Students who have successfully completed CHINESE 305 or its equivalent
  • Students who did not grow up in a Chinese-speaking household but have studied Chinese over 4 years of Chinese in a very strong high school program or an immersion Chinese language program in a non-Chinese speaking country and did very well in the program
  • Students may read and write at least 1100-1200 characters

Enroll in CHINESE 407S (Issues in Chinese Language and Society):

  • Students who have successfully completed CHINESE 306, CHINESE 331, CHINESE 333, or their equivalent
  • Students who have studied over 5-6 years of Chinese as a heritage language or a foreign language in a very strong high school program or in an immersion Chinese language program in a non-Chinese-speaking country and did very well in the program
  • Students may read and write at least 1500-1800 characters

Enroll in CHINESE 408S (Chinese Language and Culture through Film):

  • Students who have successfully completed CHINESE 407 (Issues in Chinese Language and Society) or its equivalent
  • Students who have studied over 5-6 years of Chinese as a heritage language or a foreign language in a very strong high school program or in an immersion Chinese language program in a non-Chinese-speaking country and did very well in the program
  • Students may read and write at least 1800-2000 characters

Enroll in CHINESE 381S (Business Chinese and Interculturality in China):

  • Students who have successfully completed CHINESE 232, CHINESE 306/307, CHINESE 331/333, CHINESE 407, or their equivalent
  • Students who have studied over 5 years of Chinese as a heritage language or a foreign language in a very strong high school program or in an immersion Chinese language program in a non-Chinese-speaking country and did very well in the program

Enroll in CHINESE 411S (Debate in Chinese: Survey of Great Chinese Thinkers) or CHINESE 434 (Traditional Culture in Modern Life)

  • Students who finished CHINESE 331/333, CHINESE 407, or their equivalent
  • Students who have studied over 6 years of Chinese as a heritage language or a foreign language in a very strong high school program or in an immersion Chinese language program in the U.S. and did very well in these programs
  • Students who attended an international school in a Chinese-speaking country for their elementary or middle school education before continuing their studies abroad in a non-Chinese-speaking country for middle or high school

Enroll in CHINESE 450S/451S (Understanding China and the U.S. / China and the U.S. in the Age of Climate Change)

  • Students who have finished CHINESE 331/333, CHINESE 382, CHINESE 407S/408S, or CHINESE 411S/CHINESE 434S, or their equivalents
  • Students who have studied over 6 years of Chinese as a heritage language or a foreign language in a very strong high school program or in an immersion Chinese language program in the U.S. and did very well in the programs
  • Students who lived in a Chinese-speaking country through their teenage years and received education there beyond the elementary level 

Placement Guidelines for Alternative/Bilingual-Track Curriculum (for students raised in households where Chinese is spoken, but living in a non-Chinese-speaking country)

Enroll in CHINESE 131 (First Year Chinese for Bilingual Learners):

  • Students who have been exposed to Chinese at home and can communicate very basic things in Chinese, but reading and writing skills are very minimal or almost zero
  • Students may read and write 100 Chinese characters or less

Enroll in CHINESE 232 (Intermediate Chinese for Bilingual Learners):

  • Students who have successfully completed CHINESE 131 or its equivalent
  • Students raised in Chinese-speaking homes in a non-Chinese-speaking country, got an AP score of 4/5 or may read and write at least 500-600 characters

Enroll in CHINESE 331 (Modern Chinese Media) or CHN333 (Advanced Chinese for Bilingual Learners) or CHN334 (Eyes on Taiwan: Language, Culture, and Society)

  • Students who have finished CHINESE 232 or its equivalent
  • Students raised in Chinese-speaking homes in a non-Chinese-speaking country, can read simple news, blogs or other authentic articles of several paragraphs in length and write descriptive or narrative texts
  • Students may read and write at least 800-1000 characters

Enroll in CHINESE 407S (Issues in Chinese Language and Society):

  • Students who have successfully completed CHINESE 306, CHINESE 331, CHINESE 333, or their equivalent
  • Students who have studied over 5-6 years of Chinese as a heritage language or a foreign language in a very strong high school program or in an immersion Chinese language program in a non-Chinese-speaking country and did very well in the program
  • Students may read and write at least 1500-1800 characters

Enroll in CHINESE 408S (Chinese Language and Culture through Film):

  • Students who have successfully completed CHINESE 407 (Issues in Chinese Language and Society) or its equivalent
  • Students who have studied over 5-6 years of Chinese as a heritage language or a foreign language in a very strong high school program or in an immersion Chinese language program in a non-Chinese-speaking country and did very well in the program
  • Students may read and write at least 1800-2000 characters

Enroll in CHINESE 381S (Business Chinese and Interculturality in China):

  • Students who have successfully completed CHINESE 232, CHINESE 306/307, CHINESE 331/333, CHINESE 407, or their equivalent
  • Students who have studied over 5 years of Chinese as a heritage language or a foreign language in a very strong high school program or in an immersion Chinese language program in a non-Chinese-speaking country and did very well in the program

Enroll in CHINESE 411S (Debate in Chinese: Survey of Great Chinese Thinkers) or CHINESE 434 (Traditional Culture in Modern Life)

  • Students who finished CHINESE 331/333, CHINESE 407, or their equivalent
  • Students who have studied over 6 years of Chinese as a heritage language or a foreign language in a very strong high school program or in an immersion Chinese language program in the U.S. and did very well in these programs
  • Students who attended an international school in a Chinese-speaking country for their elementary or middle school education before continuing their studies abroad in a non-Chinese-speaking country for middle or high school

Enroll in CHINESE 450S/451S (Understanding China and the U.S. / China and the U.S. in the Age of Climate Change)

  • Students who have finished CHINESE 331/333, CHINESE 382, CHINESE 407S/408S, or CHINESE 411S/CHINESE 434S, or their equivalents
  • Students who have studied over 6 years of Chinese as a heritage language or a foreign language in a very strong high school program or in an immersion Chinese language program in the U.S. and did very well in the programs
  • Students who lived in a Chinese-speaking country through their teenage years and received education there beyond the elementary level 

Enroll in CHINESE 455/456 (Modern Chinese Culture: Narratives of Home and Abroad/Aspects of Chinese Culture and Society):

  • Students who lived in a Chinese-speaking country through their teenage years and received education there beyond the elementary level 

Studying abroad is essential to language and culture learning. Students can choose a variety of Duke-approved study abroad programs (listed below) or petition programs that are not approved by Duke. Please check the Duke Global Education Office for more information about petitioning for a program. When studying abroad, students must submit course syllabi to the Asian and Middle Eastern Studies Department and follow the guidelines to receive Chinese and/or Foreign Language credit. Please note that if students wish for study abroad credit to fulfill Trinity Foreign Language requirements, they must complete a language placement test with the language program after returning from study abroad.  

 

Duke-approved SUMMER study abroad programs: 

1. National Tsing Hua University-Huayu BEST program: offered by a top-ranked comprehensive university based in Hsinchu, Taiwan. It provides full scholarships to students from select universities to study Chinese language in Taiwan. For more information, please check NTHU - Huayu BEST Website: https://oga.site.nthu.edu.tw/p/412-1524-18683.php?Lang=en 

 

Duke-approved SEMESTER study abroad programs: 

1. NYU in Shanghai: Located on the campus of East China Normal University (ECNU)—a leading institution in China—NYU Shanghai provides a wide range of courses taught by NYU professors, ECNU faculty members, and prominent experts from across the country. Students can choose from NYU content courses conducted in English, as well as Chinese language classes offered at all proficiency levels, from beginner to advanced. For more program information, visit the NYU Shanghai Website: https://www.nyu.edu/shanghai.html 

2. Duke Kunshan University (DKU): not administered by Duke, but Duke students can receive transfer credit while studying at DKU. Located in Kunshan—at the intersection of Shanghai and Suzhou—DKU offers a unique opportunity to experience both modern urban life and traditional Chinese culture. For more information, please visit the DKU Website: https://globaled.dukekunshan.edu.cn/visiting/ 

The Chinese Program hosts a variety of cultural events throughout the academic year, providing students with opportunities to explore Chinese culture in a relaxed and fun setting. Past events have included the Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration, Lunar New Year Celebration, Chinese Program Information Night, Chinese Game Night, Destress Night, Mahjong Night, Chinese Calligraphy and Painting workshops, and Chinese Seal Making workshops. These extracurricular activities are an integral part of the Chinese language learning experience. Participants include students from all proficiency levels, and most events are open to the entire Duke community—welcoming anyone interested in Chinese language and culture to join. 

Chinese Language Tables 

The Chinese Program hosts weekly Chinese Language Tables during the fall and spring semesters, offering students a chance to enjoy lunch or dinner while practicing their Chinese conversation skills with Chinese faculty and fellow students in a relaxed and friendly setting that encourages meaningful language use. The tables are usually on Wednesdays evenings from 6-7 PM or Fridays from 12-1 PM at the Brodhead Center. For more information, please email cjhsieh@duke.edu. 

Chinese Language Program Director

Yan Liu

Chinese Language Program First-year Coordinator

Tianshu He

Chinese Program Faculty

Mandarin for All:

The Duke Chinese Program offers courses with community-engaged learning projects. Since the fall semester of 2019, the website "Mandarin for All" has documented these projects, which aim to assist students of various age groups in self-learning the Chinese language and culture in the United States. We invite you to explore these projects and reach out to the program faculty if you have any questions.

 

Videos Created by AMES Students: