Mandarin Chinese, the national language of China, is spoken by approximately one-fourth of the world’s population. It is a language rich in cultural tradition. It is a member of the Sino-Tibetan language family and is quite different from the Indo-European languages. Mandarin Chinese is a tonal language, and its script is as ancient as it is revealing. These differences challenge the language learner in a unique way. At Washington Academy of Languages, our goal is to enable the student both to meet this challenge and to be able to communicate effectively in Chinese.
Schedule
Registration for Winter Quarter 2024 ends December 31, 2023. Confirmation of class (or cancellation depending on enrollment) will be sent out on January 2, 2024.
If you would like a notification when a new schedule becomes available, please enter your email here.
If you see “In person” in Scheduling Notes, the class meets in person; otherwise it’s an online class via Zoom.
Class |
Instructor |
Days |
Time |
Start date |
End date |
Scheduling Notes |
| Cantonese 1 | Alice Wing Shuen Lau | Mon | 6:30 – 8:35PM | 1/8/24 | 3/18/24 | 9 125-min classes; No class 1/15, 2/19 |
| Chinese 1 | Tony Ding | Wed | 7:00 – 8:50PM | 1/10/24 | 3/13/24 | |
| Chinese 2 | Chien Tsai | Mon | 6:30 – 8:35PM | 1/8/24 | 3/18/24 | 9 125-min classes; No class 1/15, 2/19 |
| Chinese 8 | Chien Tsai | T/TH | 6:30 – 7:40PM | 1/9/24 | 2/29/24 |
To sign up for classes other than LVL 1, please first complete our online placement test and let the office know upon completion. Placement tests are reviewed during registration period. If you don’t see a test for the language you are interested in studying, please reach out to wal at cityu.edu We will try to arrange a phone placement with our faculty.
All classes are 18.5 hours. Tuition is $400. Without payment of tuition, your registration is received but remains incomplete. Level 1 classes must have 4 complete registrations to run; level 2+ will run on a minimum of 3 complete registrations.
Click here for textbook information.
If you have any questions, please contact wal at cityu.edu
Levels
Cantonese 1
Cantonese 1 is a 10-week introductory course on Cantonese, a toplect spoken predominantly by Hong Kong and Guangdong residents.
Required Material:
- Dana Scott Bourgerie, Keith S.T. Tong, and Gregory James. Colloquial Cantonese. New York: Routledge, 2010.
Cantonese 2
Cantonese 2 is a 10-week introductory course on Cantonese, a toplect spoken predominantly by Hong Kong and Guangdong residents. The class covers chapter 5 to 8 in Colloquial Cantonese.
Required Material:
- Dana Scott Bourgerie, Keith S.T. Tong, and Gregory James. Colloquial Cantonese. New York: Routledge, 2010.
Chinese 1
The Chinese – Novice Low 1 course (a.k.a. Chinese 1) is a 10-week introductory course on the language and culture of Chinese-speaking countries. It covers chapter 1 to 5 in HSK 1.
Required Materials (Chinese 1-3):
- Liping Jiang. HSK Standard Course 1 Textbook. ISBN: 9787561937099
Chinese 1-3
Chinese 1-3 is a course that covers materials from Chinese 1, Chinese 2, and Chinese 3 in 10 weeks. It is a fast-track, refresher course ideal for someone who has had previous trainings, either formal or informal, in contemporary Mandarin. Emphasis will be placed on listening and speaking with reviews of grammar points whenever necessary.
Required Materials (Chinese 1-3):
- Liping Jiang. HSK Standard Course 1 Textbook. ISBN: 9787561937099
Chinese 4
The Chinese – Novice Mid 2 course (a.k.a. Chinese 4) is a 10-week course on the language and culture of Chinese-speaking countries. It covers chapter 1 to 5 in HSK 2.
Required Materials (Chinese 4-6):
- Liping Jiang. HSK Standard Course 2 Textbook. ISBN: 9787561937266
Chinese 5
Prerequisite: Completion of Chinese 4 or instructor’s permission.
The Chinese – Novice Mid 3 course (a.k.a. Chinese 5) is a 10-week course on the language and culture of Chinese-speaking countries. It covers chapter 6 to 10 in HSK 2.
Required Materials (Chinese 4-6):
- Liping Jiang. HSK Standard Course 2 Textbook. ISBN: 9787561937266
Chinese 6
Prerequisite: Completion of Chinese 5 or instructor’s permission.
The Chinese – Novice Mid 4 course (a.k.a. Chinese 6) is a 10-week course on the language and culture of Chinese-speaking countries. It covers chapter 11 to 15 in HSK 2.
Required Materials (Chinese 4-6):
- Liping Jiang. HSK Standard Course 2 Textbook. ISBN: 9787561937266
Chinese Intermediate Conversation
Required Materials:
Spring, Madeline K. Making Connections: Enhance Your Listening Comprehension in Chinese. 2nd Edition. Boston: Cheng & Tsui, 2012. ISBN 9780887276651 (traditional character edition), 9780887277672 (simplified character edition)
Custom Program
Custom Programs may be contracted in 10-hour blocks. Meetings must be a minimum of an hour and a half and meet once a week or more. Request a Custom Program here.
Corporate Programs
Communication is always key, especially in the world of business. Our experienced instructors are ready to come to your office with a tailored, industry-specific approach to language instruction. Program content is customized to meet the needs of individual companies.
Instruction requires a minimum of 10 hours total and a minimum of 1.5 hours per lesson. Programs are generally scheduled on weekdays. Meeting dates and times are flexible. Instruction can be delivered at corporate sites or at our downtown office.
Please contact us at 206-239-4789 or wal@cityu.edu for more information or to receive quote.
Tuition
| Class Type | Cost |
| Evening & Day Classes | $400 (effective 7/1/2019) |
| Custom Programs | $700/10 hours (effective 7/1/2017) |
| Shared Custom Programs | $450/10 hours per person (2-3 students) |
| Specialized Programs | $750/10 hours |