BA Chinese and Japanese

This course, intended for students with an intermediate level of Modern Chinese, introduces the basic grammar and vocabulary of Classical Chinese. Prior to the twentieth century, Classical Chinese was the lingua franca of East Asia, was widely read and written by educated people, and continues to influence present-day language through idiomatic phrases (chengyu) and professional and academic writing. The focus in the course will be on reading classical texts, and although reciting the material aloud can be helpful, class discussions and presentations will be in English with a focus on translating and interpreting the meaning of the texts. Readings will include excerpts from some of the foundational texts of East Asian history, including the Analects, the Mencius, Stratagems of the Warring States, and the Records of the Historian.

Prerequisite - Chinese 2 or equivalent background

This is available as free chice, but sufficient background in Mandarin Chinese is required

Medium of language - English; Classical Chinese texts are read using Mandarin pronunciation 

Available to students on an Erasmus programme, but sufficient background in Mandarin Chinese is required

• Introduce students to the essential vocabulary, grammar, and stylistic conventions of literary Chinese
• Familiarise students with the foundational texts and authors of classical China
• Provide a general introduction to the intellectual and cultural world of classical China through primary and secondary readings
• Improve students’ ability to systematically analyse and parse classical and literary Chinese

• Show familiarity with essential vocabulary terms and grammatical structures of classical Chinese
• Read simple passages of classical Chinese text and, with the aid of dictionaries and other tools, work through more complex material
• Identify and understand the function of classical structures within modern Chinese, thereby enhancing their understanding of the language

• Work through difficult material by using dictionaries, concordances, available translations, and other research tools
• Analyse the structure of classical Chinese sentences and make decisions about their meaning that inform translations
• Discuss a range of possible interpretations and their reasons for selecting these interpretations with their peers

• Think independently and analytically about textual interpretation
• Express ideas about meaning and context clearly in speech and writing
• Read difficult texts effectively
• Collaborate well in groups

By the end of this course unit students will be able to:

• Read and translated pieces of Classical Chinese text with the help of a dictionary;
• Demonstrate understanding of phrases and grammatical patterns used in modern Mandarin that were adapted from Classical Chinese;
• Express the meaning and significance of ancient Chinese text using their own words and for a non-specialist audience

Resit Assessment

• Fuller, Michael A. An Introduction to Literary Chinese. Revised Edition Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Asia Center, 2004.
• Kroll, Paul W., et al., comp. A Student’s Dictionary of Classical and Medieval Chinese. Leiden: Brill, 2015.
• Pulleyblank, Edwin. Outline of Classical Chinese Grammar. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 1996.
• Rouzer, Paul. A New Practical Primer of Literary Chinese. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2007.
• Yuan, Naiying, Hai-tao Tang, and James Geiss. Classical Chinese: A Basic Reader in Three Volumes. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2004.