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Department of the Languages and Cultures of China and Inner Asia

BA Chinese (Modern and Classical)

Programme Code: T100 BA/CHMC Duration: 4 years

Overview

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Andrew Lo

Andrew H-B Lo

Convenor

2013 Entry Requirements

  • A Levels: AAB
  • A Level language preferred
  • IB: 36 (6/6/6)
  • BTEC: DDM
  • Access to HE: Minimum of 30 Level 3 Credits at Distinction
  • Scottish Highers: AAABB
  • Scottish Advanced Highers: AAB
  • Irish LC: 340 points from 5 Higher level subjects at grade C1 or above
  • Advanced Placement: 4 4 5 (Two semesters - UCAS Group A) plus US HSGD with GPA 3.0
  • Euro Bacc: 80%
  • French Bacc: 14/20
  • German Abitur: 2.0
  • Italy DES: 80/100
  • Austria Mat: 2.0
  • Polish Mat: 75%

Minimum Entry Requirements: No preliminary knowledge of the language is required but a foreign language at A-level or equivalent is preferred.

Interview Policy: Candidates with ‘non-standard’ qualifications usually invited

Who is this programme for?: Students with prior knowledge of Chinese exceeding GCSE-levels will normally be considered overqualified for this programme. The department also offers elective courses in Chinese on various levels for students wishing to obtain or improve Chinese language skills in the context of other degree programmes. More flexible entry requirements for students with higher entry levels are currently being considered and are expected to be introduced within the next two years.

The single subject BA Chinese degree aims to give a broad understanding of Chinese culture through study of its language, history and literature from earliest times up to the present.

In Years 3 and 4 students are offered a choice of units which enables them to weight their studies towards either the modern or the classical aspect, but it is our philosophy to produce rounded graduates who will have a competence in both.

The range of expertise in SOAS, not only in East Asian studies, but also with regard to languages and literatures of other regions is unique in UK institutions. Along with proven excellence in other disciplines, such as religious studies, anthropology, art and archaeology, and history, this offers students an unparalleled range of options in choosing their second subject of study.

Email: languagesandcultures@soas.ac.uk

Structure

Learn a language as part of this programme

Degree programmes at SOAS - including this one - can include language courses in more than forty African and Asian languages. It is SOAS students’ command of an African or Asian language which sets SOAS apart from other universities.

Year 1:

Core Units

Must be passed in order to proceed to the following year.

Compulsory unit
Advanced Entry Students

Students under advanced entry do not take Elementary Modern Chinese Language I (101) and Elementary Modern Chinese Language II (102), but take instead one unit of Modern Chinese (Special Course in Chinese III or higher) (CORE) and an open option unit.

Year 2: Year Abroad

Please see Year Abroad, Under the Teaching & Learning Tab for more information.

Year 3:

Students in this year take 4 units, three of which are within the department. Students must pass at least three units, including the core unit, in order to be allowed to proceed to year 4.

Core Unit

Choose one of the following as your core unit. The other may be taken as an option.

Compulsory Unit
Optional Units

Choose both of these, OR, choose one of these and one unit may be an approved open option course in another department.

Advanced entry Students

Students under advanced entry take Chinese language courses at the appropriate level instead of Intermediate Modern Chinese Language I (301) and Intermediate Modern Chinese Language II (302). There is no core course for those students.

Year 4:

Students take a minimum of three units in the department, including one compulsory course. The fourth unit may be an approved open option in another department. Chinese 401 cannot be taken concurrently with Chinese 301 or 302.

Compulsory Unit
Optional Units

Alternatively, fourth-year students may take any third-year course not taken in Year 3 as part of their Year 4 curriculum.

Programme Specification

Teaching & Learning

Year abroad

Compulsory year in China in the second year. The following courses are offered by Beijing Normal University (BNU):

  • Newspaper Reading (baokan 报刊)
  • Reading and Writing (duxie 读写)
  • Conversation (huihua 会话)
  • Listening (tingli 听力)
  • Classical Chinese (guwen 古文)

Single-subject students must take four courses from the above, and the examinations are compulsory. Newspaper Reading, Reading and Writing, and Classical Chinese are compulsory. In order to proceed to Year 3, students must pass all four of the language courses taken at BNU. They must also pass the Sinological Research Project in order to progress to Year 3. Students who fail more than one language course will fail the year. Students who fail one language course will be offered a re-entry test in September of the same academic year, to determine whether or not they can continue to Year 3. Students who fail the Sinological Research Project must re-sit by doing a new project on a new topic, without supervision. If the new project is handed in before September of the same academic year and is considered to be of sufficient quality, the student may be allowed to progress to Year 3 (if the performance on language courses has been satisfactory).

Successful completion of the year abroad will result in students being credited with the equivalent of four units on their degree transcript. The year abroad will no longer count towards the final degree classification.

Teaching & Learning

Most units are taught in small classes. Modern language teaching involves classroom work and independent study. A few non-language units are taught by formal lecture. The single and combined degree courses are examined through oral and written examinations and coursework or reports.

SOAS Library

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

Pre Entry Reading

  • Gernet, Jacques (transl. by J.R. Foster): A History of Chinese Civilization. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1982
  • Idema, Wilt and Lloyd Haft: A Guide to Chinese Literature. Ann Arbor: Center for Chinese Studies, University of Michigan, 1997
  • Norman, Jerry: Chinese. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1988
Further suggestions include:
  • Spence, Jonathan: The Search for Modern China. 2nd ed.; New York: W.W. Norton, 1999
  • Owen, Stephen: An Anthology of Chinese Literature: Beginnings to 1911. New York, London: W. W. Norton & Company, 1996
  • Zhao, Henry (ed.): The Lost Boat. Avant-Garde Fiction from China. London: Wellsweep, 1993

Destinations

As a graduate who specialised in China and Inner Asia, you will have gained competency in language skills and intercultural awareness and understanding. Familiarity with the region will have been developed through a study of language in combination with literature, development studies, economics, geography, history, history of art and archaeology, Indonesian, Korean, law, linguistics, music, politics, social anthropology or religion.

Graduates leave SOAS not only with linguistic and cultural expertise, but also with a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek in many professional and management careers, both in business and in the public sector. These include written and oral communication skills, attention to detail, analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to research, amass and order information from a variety of sources. A large number of graduates find work in which they are able to use their language skills, either in Britain or in East Asia. Recent graduates are currently located in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan, as well as in various countries of Europe. They work in a variety of sectors and some have gone on to do higher degrees and have found or are aiming for careers in academia.

Graduates have gone on to work for a range of organisations including:

Allen & Overy
BBC
Chimerica Media
China Consulting
China International Publishing Group
Consulate General of Switzerland, Shanghai
Enabling Environments Ltd
Fortuna International Ltd		Institute for Philanthropy
Modern Sky Records
Sino International Capital Group (SICG)
The Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs
JP Morgan
British Embassy Beijing
Marks & Spencer
Swiss Consulate
Types of roles that graduates have gone on to do include:
Consultant
Copy Editor
Research Executive
Export Sales Manager
Translator
Programmes Assistant		Electronic Music Manager
Managing Director
Actor
Analyst
Investment Banker
Researcher and Translator
For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website.

How to apply

How to apply
Scholarships

For further information visit the Scholarships section

Undergraduate Research Awards

Application Deadline: 2013-04-26 00:00

A Student's Perspective

There’s a vibe around the campus that relays a closeness, and acceptance. As diverse as her student body is, SOAS provides a common ground for all of us.

Courtney Wilcox