Summer Courses in Chinese Literature, Literary Translation, and Language
July 2 to August 10, 2018
Courses
Sinophone Women Writers 華人女性文學
Theatre in/and Modern Chinese Society 戲劇在／與現當代華人社會
Understanding Translation Studies: Theory, Literature, and Their Implications 理解翻譯研究：理論、文獻與衍生現象
Classical Chinese Narrative 中國古典敘事
Selections from the Poetry of Du Fu 杜甫詩選讀
Dream of the Red Chamber 紅樓夢
Introduction to Classical Chinese 基礎文言文
Academic Chinese 學術中文
Spoken Chinese (Mandarin) for Professionals 高階華語口語表達精修
Individual Study 專書閱讀指導
This course will lead students on a reading of the works of modern and contemporary Chinese-language female authors, with a focus on fiction and poetry. Our discussion of the works will touch on romance, family, class, nation, time travel, homosexuality, self-determination, among other topics.
The course suggests 12 reading themes of modern Chinese theatre. We will read passages selected from modern and contemporary plays, including the original texts as well as their adaptations or rewritings presented in different genres such as novel, film or xiqu (戲曲，traditional Chinese opera). The works attest to their authors’ observation of modern Chinese society and provide an unique perspective into its recent transformations.
How do we theorize the practice of translation? This course is designed to engage translation studies in the context of English and Chinese literature. By conceptualizing translation as a practice of re-reading and re-writing and by reading and comparing literature in the original text and in translation, we will explore many nuances and idioms in both of our focal languages. Further, we will engage with and problematize the objectives, processes, and outcomes associated with translation.
This course will introduce students to narrative forms and techniques used in the Zuo Tradition, Records of the Grand Historian, and the classical essayistic writing (Guwen). It will provide students with a historical understanding of the development of Chinese narrative and train them in the formal strategies of reading.
This course will guide students through a close reading of the masterpieces of the greatest Chinese poet, Du Fu (712-770). The poems will be introduced according to the poet’s biography and the major political events of the Tang Dynasty.
Dream of the Red Chamber is the culmination of the traditional Chinese novels in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. This course will guide students to appreciate the meaning and aesthetic features of the work by reading some important chapters closely and discussing the connotation of the text in depth in class.
Using selections from classical Chinese thought and literature, the course will give students a foundation in working with the syntax, grammar, and vocabulary of classical Chinese.
Focusing on reading and writing skills, this course is aimed at high-level students of Mandarin who would like to read and write research papers in Chinese.
This course consists of four parts: situation design, knowledge enhancement, practice exercise, and analysis and discussion. It is aimed at high-level students of Mandarin who would like to make the language their specialty (for academic, educational, business, and other purposes).
Reading original texts you have selected from the Chinese classics or modern works with the help of a tutor. Students will also have a chance to consult the experts on our faculty during the discussion sessions.
Eligibility
Three years of college-level Chinese, or the equivalent. For heritage students, two years of college-level Chinese, or knowledge of Chinese corresponding to the following certificates: TOCFL Level 4, HSK Level 6, CEFR Level B2.
Course Fees
USD 1200 per course（registration discounts）
Location
National Tsing Hua University campus in Hsinchu, Taiwan.
Students will stay in university dormitories or the university guest house, have access to campus dining, libraries, and athletic facilities.
Hsinchu is a city in Northern Taiwan, with a population of around half a million, and the base of Taiwan’s computer and high-tech industry. It is about 90 km south of the capital, Taipei, and easily accessible to Taipei in one hour by bus, train, or high-speed rail.
Visa
For short-term study, a visitor visa to Taiwan, ROC, is sufficient. See here.
Holders of PRC passports will need to apply for a group entrance permit to Taiwan, and not overstay the time limit of their permit (from June 30 to August 12).