UPS Overview
Putonghua for
Local Students
Cantonese for
Non-local Chinese Students
Chinese for
International Students
General Education Course
Non-credit-bearing Courses
Taster Courses
Jointly with the Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, CLA offers the following minor programmes to CUHK students whose native language is not Putonghua or Cantonese.
1. Chinese Language (Cantonese) as a Second Language
This minor programme is designed for non-native speakers of Putonghua/Cantonese. It aims to provide systematic Cantonese language training to students from the perspective of contemporary theories of language study. In addition to nurturing students’ language proficiency with substantive knowledge regarding the lexicon and grammar of Cantonese, the curriculum design of the Programme also features applications of current theories of linguistics in language acquisition, cognitive science as well as culture and society, thus enhancing students’ understanding of language as a window into the human mind, their bilingual and multilingual awareness and sharpening their sensitivity towards the complexity of languages used in the Greater Bay Area of China with Hong Kong being a pivotal area.
The programme is also responding to the call from society to preserve Cantonese as one of the major modern languages spoken in the Greater Bay Area of China. The exposure of students to Cantonese as a Second language strengthens their concepts of language diversity and socio-linguistic variation, enabling them to better understand their status as bilinguals/multilinguals and increasing their awareness of the rich and cultural heritages of the pertinent communities.
This programme caters to students from all disciplines in preparation for their future careers, especially students from the disciplines of medicine, social work, education, law, business, informational technology, cultural management, tourism and hospitality, etc. As the third most widely spoken Chinese language with an estimated 60 million speakers worldwide, the number of people learning Cantonese as a Second language has been mounting in recent years. Proficiency in Cantonese with sharpened awareness and appreciation of the language and culture will certainly benefit students’ career development.
For enquiries related to the selection of CLCC courses and placement test, please contact the University Programme Section of Yale-China Chinese Language Academy for details (Tel: 3943-8224; Email: cla_upd@cuhk.edu.hk).
For enquiries related to the application for the declaration of the minor programme, please contact the Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages for details.
2. Chinese Language (Putonghua) as a Second Language
This minor programme is designed for non-native speakers of Putonghua/Cantonese. It aims to provide systematic Putonghua training to students from the perspective of contemporary theories of language study. In addition to nurturing students’ language proficiency with substantive knowledge regarding the lexicon and grammar of Putonghua, the curriculum design of the Programme also features applications of current theories of linguistics in language acquisition, cognitive science as well as culture and society, thus enhancing students’ understanding of language as a window into the human mind, their bilingual and multilingual awareness and sharpening their sensitivity towards the complexity of language use in Greater China and around the world.
The programme exposes students to Putonghua as a second language, strengthening their concepts of language diversity and socio-linguistic variation, enabling them to better understand their status as bilinguals/multilinguals and increasing their awareness of the rich and cultural heritages of the pertinent communities.
This programme caters to students of any discipline in the preparation for their job capacity and career development, especially those students from the disciplines of China studies, education, business, informational technology, tourism and hospitality, etc. As one of the most spoken languages in the world, the number of people learning Chinese as a Second language has been mounting in recent years. Knowledge of Putonghua with sharpened awareness and appreciation of the language and culture will certainly benefit students’ career development in China and other overseas Chinese communities.
For enquiries related to the selection of CLCP courses and placement test, please contact the University Programme Section of Yale-China Chinese Language Academy for details (Tel: 3943-8224; Email: cla_upd@cuhk.edu.hk).
For enquiries related to the application for the declaration of the minor programme, please contact the Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages for details.