curriculum

Business Chinese: Shanghai
Chinese in International Business

June 28 - July 29, 2008

CIBER-Shanghai Curriculum

Curriculum I: Beginning Chinese Language and Culture for Business

Required Courses:
8 quarter units
Management 180 (2 sections): undergraduates
or
Management 298D: graduate and professional students

This beginning-level business oriented Mandarin Chinese language and culture course is designed for undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in pursuing China-related career, or are interested in applying their Chinese language and culture knowledge to their majors such as international business, business economy, area studies, etc. The course which includes Chinese language class, professional talks, and field trips, aims at introducing students to beginning level Business Chinese language, the current Chinese economic and political developments, as well as the distinctive Chinese business culture and current business climate.

No prerequisites or Chinese language background is required.

Curriculum II: Advanced Chinese Language and Culture for Business

Required Courses:
8 quarter units
Management 180 (2 sections): undergraduates
or
Management 455A: graduate and professional students

This intensive business and economics oriented Mandarin Chinese language and culture course is designed for upper-level undergraduates, graduates and MBA students who are preparing themselves for business-related research in China or are interested in applying their Chinese language and culture skills to the business world and other professional settings. The course helps students to get a deeper understanding of China’s business environments and to raise their cross-linguistic and cross-cultural communicative competence. Classroom sessions are combined with professional talks to introduce students to the distinctive Chinese business culture and current business climate.

The prerequisites for Curriculum II are:

-Three years of college level Chinese courses or equivalent
-Advanced level of listening and speaking skills, intermediate to advanced level of reading and writing skills
- Knowledge of 700-800 Chinese characters

Each student in Curriculum II must write a research paper on a topic of his/her choice. Students are expected to interview individuals, visit enterprises, or collect data from Chinese Web sites. Each student will deliver an oral presentation (with power point slides) and submit a written copy (typed with Chinese word processor) of his/her project at the end of the program. Samples of student final projects and instructional materials from previous years can be viewed at the UCLA Travel Study Office at 1332 Murphy Hall.

Classes

Four hours/day (8:30-12:30, Mon-Friday) A content-based approach is employed in classroom. All instruction is in Chinese. Texts are selected from 2008 Chinese Web sites, newspapers, TV, and new business Chinese textbooks. Discussion topics include current political and economic developments, human and natural resources, environmental issues, China as one of the world leading economy, etc.

Professional Lectures

A weekly two-hour talk by SJTU professors and specialists outside campus is scheduled in the afternoon. Talks will be given in English or translated for beginning students and in Chinese for more advanced students. Topics may include latest developments of China's economic developments, marketing, foreign investments, regulations and tips for doing business in China.

Grading

Curriculum I:
Class attendance and participation 30%
Homework 20%
Midterm exam 25%
Final exam 25%

Curriculum II:
Class attendance and group activity participation 30%
Homework and quizzes 40%
Final project 30%

Schedule

Class sessions: 8:30-12:30, Monday – Friday
Professional talks are scheduled once a week in the afternoon.
A 4-day trip to China’s ancient capital city Xi’an is scheduled at the end of the program to enhance students’ knowledge of China’s history. There is also a day-trip to an old town close to Shanghai for students to see Chinese rural life.

Textbooks

Course materials will be distributed on the first day of class. This is included in the program fee. Please bring a Chinese-English/English-Chinese dictionary.