Flagship Cerification

Sample Undergraduate Curriculum

The curriculum created for the OSU Chinese Flagship Undergraduate Program guides students to the following levels of proficiency and function in Chinese:

ILR level 3 (ACTFL Superior) or better proficiency in spoken and written language
The ability to conduct oneself in a professional domain in the target language
The experience of creating an extensive professional presentation of research.

Courses are designed to train students to interact with Chinese in Chinese culture. Subjects include Chinese language, negotiation, and how to establish and maintain long-term professional relationships. Classes are focused on student performance and are conducted entirely in Chinese.

Beyond the classroom, students are introduced to the local Chinese community and have the opportunity to contribute to community events and projects.

In addition to the current FSI/ILR and ACTFL scales, Advanced Chinese is considered to be demonstrated by the ability to participate in the major media of China. This includes interpreting oral and written media, discussing them in culturally appropriate ways, and creating presentations in these media for target-culture audiences. Retention decisions are made on a quarterly basis pending students academic and language circumstances. A suggested curriculum for a theoretical high school student with no prior Chinese learning who seeks a combined bachelor’s/master’s degree is described below. Actual selection and timing of courses will depend on each learner’s Chinese experience, progress and non-Chinese coursework.

Course Progression

The information on this page represents one of many pathways that a student can take to earn a Flagship Certificate at Ohio State. Alternative pathways can be constructed by selecting accelerated courses or "regular" courses, going to China during the summer or remaining in the US, and even taking classroom instruction or individualized instruction. The specific pathway chosen will depend on a student's previous Chinese learning experience, non-language major, quarterly course load and course scheduling. After admission to the program, an advisor will work with you to plan what pathway is best for you.

Year One

Those students with no prior language experience will be expected to first enroll in The Ohio State University Summer Program of East Asian Concentration (SPEAC) program in Columbus. This program provides an intensive nine week course equivalent to the entire first year of Chinese study at Ohio State. For more information, visit the SPEAC website at http://deall.osu.edu/programs/summerPrgm/summer.cfm#intensive_chin

Directly following the summer quarter, students enroll in Intermediate Chinese. In their first year, students will have a choice between the “intensive” and “regular” track. The first year curriculum will focus primarily on prerequisite Chinese courses and raising the student’s language level. Each quarter students will enroll in two Chinese language courses (speaking/listening reading/writing) and one or two courses from the students other major.

Year Two

Year two begins with a summer in Qingdao China. These courses are designed and implemented by regular OSU faculty. Courses will meet for up to five hours each day for ten weeks. Hours are divided between FACT hours, in which the instructor provides explanations about the language and culture, and ACT hours, in which students get a chance to perform in the language. Participants receive fifteen credits at the program's completion. The three primary focuses are reading, writing, and listening. Students say the Qingdao cultural experience is unmatched and the learning continues outside of the classroom. The deadline for 2009 application is March 1^st ; application materials can be found through our Overseas tab.

Following the summer quarter, students return to Columbus and enroll in Advanced Chinese courses.

Fourth Level (C610-12: Intensive, Regular). Students move away from language textbooks into original Chinese texts and films. Emphasis is placed on developing a high level of reading, writing, speaking, and listening comprehension.
Fifth Level (C751-753 Regular). This series of courses allows the exceptional undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the cultural discourses of contemporary China through discussion of texts and broadcast media that reflect current intellectual concerns of Greater China. Prerequisite: C612.
Classical Chinese (C601-603; 804-806: Regular). DEALL offers two years of classical Chinese. Students learn to read passages from Confucian texts, prose essays, and classical poetry.

Year Three

Year three begins with another summer in Qingdao, China. The advanced courses offered during the summer focus exclusively on raising students’ reading/writing ability and interacting appropriately in Chinese society. The summer program offers students numerous opportunities to give back to the Qingdao community through service. Past projects have involved working with The Qingdao School for the Blind, helping the elderly at a local retirement community, and beautification projects throughout the city.

By the fall of year three, students will have taken all the prerequisite Chinese language courses for Flagship classes offered at The Ohio State University. During the third year students should spend the majority of their time focused on their Bachelor’s degree(s) while taking Flagship courses each quarter. Students pursuing Flagship certification or a Flagship-designation Chinese majors must complete three of the following classes and the three domain tutorials to be eligible for the capstone year abroad; combined-degree students must complete all of the following classes before their year abroad.

Flagship Courses

Quarter 2 (Autumn)

Chinese 717 Media Presentations in Contemporary China:Listening comprehension and structuring authoritative discourse. Text: Tell it like it is, text, video, and audio. Students listen to spontaneous discussions of social issues, analyze the language and rhetoric, and structure their reactions for Chinese audiences. The purpose of this course is to become familiar with how Chinese establish authority in discussions and how different perspectives are constructed in various Chinese media.
Chinese 771 Domain tutorial I (5 credits): Introduction to each student's academic/professional discipline. Text: Chinese publications in specific domains, internet reporting on domain news, television reporting on domain topics. Activities include reading, discussion, and research reports.

Quarter 3 (Winter)

Chinese 755 Language in China: History, structure, scripts, dialects, and Chinese language computing. Text: Zhou Youguang, Evolutionary History of Chinese Languages and Scripts. Activities include reading, discussion, and presentation. The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with the Chinese overview of their language to prepare them to become apt self-managed learners of Chinese and capable of adapting to the variations of Mandarin encountered throughout China.
Chinese 772 Domain tutorial II (5 credits): Research and presentation in a specific academic discipline. Text: Chinese publications in specific domains, internet reporting on domain news, television reporting on domain topics. Activities include reading, discussion, research, and presentation. Purpose of course is to focus domain knowledge on areas emphasized in the Chinese context.

Quarter 4 (Spring)

Chinese 750 Negotiating in China: Analyze and practice reaching agreements in professional cross-cultural contexts. Text: Negotiations in international commerce, videos of Chinese lectures and simulations. The purpose is to learn and experience Chinese perspectives on deal making.
Chinese 773 Domain tutorial III (5 credits): Develop a proposal for a research project in a selected domain. Text: Chinese publications in a specific domain, internet reporting on domain news, television reporting on domain topics. Activities include reading, discussion, research, and written and oral presentation. The purpose of this course is to develop a focus on domain knowledge that reflects the way that domain is approached in China.

Year Four

Year four begins with another summer in Qingdao for the Pre-Capstone program. This two-month program focuses on:

Speaking and Listening: film & TV programs, discussion, presentations
Reading: newspaper primer, internet news, journal articles
Writing: research report, biographical article, descriptions and narratives based on film and TV programs

Following the pre-capstone summer, The Chinese Flagship Program will arrange internship opportunities for each of their students where their Chinese skills can be utilized in the organization’s daily activities. Following the students internship experience, they will direct enroll at Nanjing University. Students who plan to terminate their studies at the bachelor’s level will return to Columbus for graduation.