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Ohlone Chinese (中文) Program
Why Study Chinese?
“Chinese—not English—is the most widely spoken language of the world.”
“The Chinese-speaking world is also one of the fastest-growing economies in the world today - a strategic location for many businesses in the 21st century.”
“Chinese is one of the most important languages to know for the 21st century.”
”There are more than 1 billion people who speak Chinese. Take Chinese!”
“One of the most important skills to have in the 21st century is a functional knowledge of the Chinese language and culture.”
— The Chinese Program, The Pennsylvania State University
The Chinese program at Ohlone College
In recognition of China’s major role in the global community, Ohlone College has come to the forefront in learning about China’s rising educational, economic, social, cultural, and political systems. Ohlone College has established exchange program with three sister colleges: Shanghai Theatre Academy in Shanghai, Zhejiang Chang Zheng Technical College in Hangzhou, and Taizhou TV and Radio University in Hangzhou. The President of Ohlone College, Dr. Douglas Treadway, visited educational institutions in Hong Kong, Hangzhou, Shanghai, and Taizhou in October 2005. The team led by Dr. Treadway has made considerable inroads in creating sister college relationships between Ohlone and Taizhou University in China.
The first student delegation, whose members were selected based on their leadership roles and responsibilities on campus or in the community, has left for China to establish the first phase of a student exchange program with Ohlone’s three sister colleges. These students will have the opportunity to communicate and exchange ideas with Chinese scholars, students, and business professionals; they will also visit historical and cultural sites in Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Taizhou.
The Chinese Language Department, a branch of the Division of Language Arts, Social Sciences, and Library at Ohlone College offers a four-year sequence of courses on modern Chinese language and two Mandarin Chinese Conversation courses.
Guided by the “5Cs” principles of the National Standards for Foreign Language Education – Communication, Cultures, Comparisons, Connections, and Communities, the modern Chinese language curriculum aims for a quality program that emphasizes the achievement of language competence in listening, speaking, reading, and writing while gaining cultural knowledge through a holistic approach that begins from basic, concrete, and functional communication and progresses through abstract, topic-oriented academic exchanges that are closely integrated with real societies. For detailed objectives of each course, please visit our website. [back to top]
Advantages of taking Ohlone’s Chinese language classes
You can receive credit for foreign language at your high school by making a request to Ohlone’s Admissions and Records Office to send a transcript directly to the School Registrar at your particular school. The Registrar will enter the college units as high school credits. Each college unit is equal to 3.3 high school credits. You may only receive 10 high school credits per year for foreign language taken outside the regular school day. However, some high schools may have different policies regarding the translation of college credit into high school credit.
The courses offered at Ohlone College will enable you to receive “honors points” if you are applying to one of the University of California campuses. These courses are transferable to UC, CSU, and private colleges upon submission of your Ohlone transcript with your college admissions packet. These courses meet college admission and college general education requirements. In general, UCs recommend at least three years of study of the same language. Some private colleges suggest four years.
CHIN 102A (Intermediate Mandarin Chinese I) and CHIN 102B (Intermediate Mandarin Chinese II) fulfill the requirements of Humanities in General Education Area 3. The more classes you take while you are in high school, less time and money you will need to spend in college.
How do I receive college or university credit for my Ohlone Chinese class?
An official Ohlone transcript is direct evidence that you took and successfully passed a college-level course. This qualifies you for admissions credit and/or placement in a college course at a higher level. College courses fulfill college graduation requirements while high school courses do not. [back to top]
Advanced Placement courses
Advanced Placement courses are college level courses offered at a high school level; the Advanced Placement tests give students college level credit. All Chinese courses offered at Ohlone are college-level classes, which are accepted for credit by CSU, UC, and private colleges like Stanford. Ohlone College recognizes the Advanced Placement program of the College Entrance Examination Board. We will determine the equivalency of AP Credit to the appropriate Chinese course offered in our division. [back to top]
Which style of Chinese writing to adopt
It has always been the policy of our Department that both styles of Chinese writing, i.e. Traditional and Simplified, be introduced to the students, who are allowed to choose one style over the other, but who should be consistent in their usage. The textbook presents both traditional and simplified versions of Chinese characters. [back to top]
Placement Test
It has become a policy of the Chinese Language Program that students be placed in courses appropriate to their existing level of ability and, in particular, that the elementary courses are intended for true beginners who have minimal or no background in the subject. Effective the fall of 2006, the Chinese Department is going to use a standard placement test instead of individual teacher recommendation for all incoming students who wish to waive the CHIN101A prerequisite as well as for returning students who wish to skip to a higher level. Once the Chinese placement test is administered, the student will be placed at the appropriate level. The Department will help students reregister after the placement test. Students will be notified of the test dates and places.
Before enrolling in one of Ohlone’s Chinese Language classes, high school students must receive approval prior to your enrollment at Ohlone. Ohlone has an approval form you can obtain at the College’s Admissions and Records Office or off their website at www.ohlone.edu/org/admissions/highschool.html. During the school year, your high school counselor must sign approval forms. During the summer, staff in the District Superintendent’s Office must sign approval forms. [back to top]
Before enrolling in one of Ohlone’s Chinese Language classes
High school students must receive approval prior to your enrollment at Ohlone. Ohlone has an approval form you can obtain at the College’s Admissions and Records Office or off their website here. During the school year, your high school counselor must sign approval forms. During the summer, staff in the District Superintendent’s Office must sign approval forms. [back to top]
Accreditation
Ohlone College is accredited by the National Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education. Ohlone has been accredited since 1970. Accreditation visits are made every six years by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, a division of ACCJC. [back to top]
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