Chinese Language
About Chinese
Our Program and Courses
The ability to speak Chinese and understand its varieties and cultural impact has never been more valuable given China’s growing global influence. In small classes that emphasize close collaboration between students and professors, you will develop the tools to reflect critically on the cultural practices, products and perspectives of the Chinese-speaking world and your own.
Minor in Area Studies: Asian Studies (China)
You can minor in Asian Studies (China) through F&M’s International Studies program. Our Area Studies minor allows you to tailor your academic experience by focusing your minor on a specific region of the world.
By the time you graduate, you will:
- Have attained proficiency in Chinese and be able to communicate effectively and cohesively orally and in writing
- Be able to demonstrate a solid knowledge of relevant and current social debates through the news, art, history, film, music and literature.
- Be able to present, connect, and analyze Chinese literature and discuss the perspectives they represent.
- Have learned modes of critical analysis that enhance and inform your own questions and interests.
- Be able to build linguistic, cultural, and cross-cultural competence.
Chinese Language Placement Exam
If you’re admitted to F&M and plan to study Chinese, you may be asked to complete a language placement exam. You will complete this test the summer before you arrive on campus.
Wondering what a Chinese course is like? Take a look at our course catalog to explore what’s available to you.
Our Faculty and Staff
Jin Gong
Visiting Assistant Professor, Chinese Language Program
Jennifer Redmann
Professor of German, Department Chair of German, Russian & East Asian Languages (Chinese,
Japanese)
Learning Outside the Classroom
Off-Campus Study
When learning a foreign language, it’s important to experience its use in communities
that speak it natively. Each summer, students will have the option to study abroad
in China, with longer visits possible when demand and availability allow. Some of
the most popular programs include studying at the Institute for Study Abroad (IFSA)
in Shanghai, The Alliance for Global Education in Shanghai, CET in Kunming, China,
and the School for International Training (SIT) China.
Learn more about off-campus study at F&M
Success Beyond F&M
The tremendous success of F&M graduates demonstrates the tangible value of an F&M degree when compared to national outcomes. Within six months after graduation, 93% of the Class of 2023 were either employed or furthering their education. This is higher than the national average, which is typically in the mid-80% range. And by studying Chinese at F&M, the interpretive skills and creative thinking abilities you gain are valuable for any post-college plan.
Alumni Spotlight
“These experiences sparked my interest in global affairs and diplomacy, nurturing my dream of becoming a diplomat myself one day.”
Lam Tran ’21, a joint major in Chinese studies and government, was named a recipient of the prestigious Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Graduate Fellowship Program. The fellowship is a competitive award that prepares outstanding young people for foreign service careers in the U.S. Department of State. “My inspiration to apply for the Pickering Fellowship stems from my upbringing in Vietnam, where my father worked for the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi as a local hire. He often took me to embassy events, allowing me to interact with U.S. diplomats from various backgrounds,” Tran said. “These experiences sparked my interest in global affairs and diplomacy, nurturing my dream of becoming a diplomat myself one day. This interest was further solidified through my education at F&M, where I built a strong academic foundation in international relations.”Read More »
Alumni Spotlight
Young Alumna Bridges the Miles to Wuhan
Teresa Chappell ’18 is no stranger to China. As a student at F&M, Chappell was a double major in creative writing and French with a minor in Chinese and studied abroad in Hangzhou, China her junior year. After graduating from F&M in 2018, she traveled to Wuhan, China as a Princeton in Asia Teaching (PiA) Fellow.Read More »
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the world around you. July 25, 2024 Coming from a long line of service members, joining the armed forces was always a goal of William Lewerenz ’23. “F&M did an extraordinary job of helping me to follow my passions as well as aiding me to discover new ones,” Lewerenz said. July 22, 2024 Ann B. Barshinger W’43, Franklin & Marshall College’s most generous benefactor, who set a shining example of service throughout central Pennsylvania, died July 21 at Willow Valley Communities in Willow Street, Pa. She was 100. July 18, 2024 At F&M, Maggie Corson ’23 studied public health on the sociology track. Today, Corson is pursuing a master’s of science in health and the public interest at Georgetown University. “My master's program has been an incredibly rewarding experience, and I owe a lot of that to the foundation I built at F&M,” she said.Related Fields of Study
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