Chinese

东北大学欢迎你! Welcome to Northeastern!

Whether or not you have learned Chinese, you probably already use many words from Mandarin or other Chinese dialects in your daily life. You might buy bok choy in a local supermarket, order dim sum or lo mien at a restaurant, or discuss feng shui and the concept of yin yang with your friends. Join us and learn more. Let us bring you to China, one of the most visited countries in the world.

Mandarin Chinese is the world’s most widely spoken language with speakers in China, Taiwan, Singapore, and in overseas communities across the globe. Over 1 billion people speak Mandarin Chinese as their first language. With nearly 3.5 million speakers in the U.S., Chinese is the third most spoken language in this country after English and Spanish. China is one of the world’s oldest continuous cultures with an immensely rich heritage of literature, art, food, film, and technology. China is also home to more UNESCO World Heritage sites than any other country in the world.

Why Study Chinese?

With the rapid growth of China’s economy and influence on the world stage, knowing Chinese will give you an advantage in business, government, law, health sciences, engineering, education, and more. Many of the world’s movers and shakers, including Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, have learned Chinese to a high proficiency level. 

The rigorous Chinese program at Northeastern provides courses at all levels that count towards exciting minors including Chinese and East Asian Studies, as well as the Asian Studies major.  In order to take your studies of Chinese language and culture beyond the classroom, we provide rich experiential learning resources, such as the Dialogue of Civilizations, Study-Abroad programs, Service-Learning and International Co-op opportunities. You will also find active student clubs such as the Chinese Language Table, free peer tutors, diverse cultural activities, and a large number of native Chinese speakers on campus. 

Many awards and scholarships are available to support your study of Chinese: Boren Award, Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship, Freeman-Asia Award, Fulbright Scholarship, Schwarzman Scholarship, Critical Language Scholarship, Hanyu Enrichment Scholarship, Taiwan Scholarship. More information can be found at the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. 

Join us in the Chinese program at Northeastern where you will develop your language proficiency, intercultural awareness, and critical thinking skills to enable you to communicate with the vast Chinese-speaking population, understand the complexity and diversity of contemporary China, and prepare you as a global citizen in today’s interconnected world.

Course Offerings

If you have had prior training in Chinese before entering Northeastern University, please contact the Program Coordinator, Prof. Hua Dong at h.dong@northeastern.edu  for a placement test.

Elementary courses:

  • CHNS 1101 – Elementary Chinese 1
  • CHNS 1102 – Elementary Chinese 2
  • CHNS 1501 – Elementary Chinese 1 for Heritage Speakers
  • CHNS 1502 – Elementary Chinese 2 for Heritage Speakers

Intermediate courses:

  • CHNS 2101 – Intermediate Chinese 1
  • CHNS 2102 – Intermediate Chinese 2

Advanced courses:

  • CHNS 3101 – Advanced Chinese 1
  • CHNS 3102 – Advanced Chinese 2
  • CHNS 3800 – Special Topics: Economics in Chinese (usually offered in the fall)
  • CHNS 3800 – Special Topics: Chinese Pop Culture
  • CHNS 4101 – Advanced Proficiency Chinese 1
  • CHNS 4102 – Advanced Proficiency Chinese 2
  • CHNS 4800 – Special Topics: Health and Food in Chinese (usually offered in the spring)
  • CHNS 4800 – Special Topics: Contemporary Taiwan Society
  • CHNS 4800 – Special Topics: The Natural Reality: A Dialogue among Science, Psychology & Buddhism

Culture courses:

  • CLTR 1506 Introduction to Chinese Pop Culture
  • ASNS 3422 Topics in Chinese Studies: Cinema, Arts, and Society

Dialogues of Civilizations:

Course Schedule

Please visit the Office of the Registrar’s website for a comprehensive list of current course offerings.

Learn More