Asian Languages and Cultures

Full Time Faculty: Satoko Suzuki (Chair), Ritsuko Narita, Xin Yang, Arthur Mitchell, Rivi Handler-Spitz

Part Time Faculty: Patricia Anderson, Jin Stone, Sachiko Dorsey, Miaki Habuka

Asian Languages and Cultures Steering Committee: Erik W. Davis (Religious Studies), Liang Ding (Economics), Arjun Guneratne (Anthropology), James Laine (Religious Studies), Joy Laine (Philosophy), Satoko Suzuki (Chair; Asian Languages and Cultures), Chuen-Fung Wong (Music), Xin Yang (Asian Languages and Cultures), Yue-Him Tam (History), Holly Barcus (Geography), Kari Shepherdson-Scott (Art and Art History), Arthur Mitchell (Asian Languages and Cultures), Rivi Handler-Spitz (Asian Languages and Cultures).

The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures (ALC) serves as a home for the study of Asia, both for broad comparative and cultural studies of the history, literature, film, art, music, and society in Asia, and for the more focused study of Japanese and Chinese language and culture. The department offers an interdisciplinary major and minor in Asian Studies (with a focus on China, Japan, or South Asia), as well as a major and minor in Chinese Language and Culture, and a major and minor in Japanese Language and Culture. Students may study in Asia on a variety of approved study abroad programs, and live in Chinese or Japanese language houses. Language proficiency along with a sophisticated grasp of specific Asian cultures is a primary goal for ALC majors. Non-majors may take a variety of courses in English which treat the many cultures in South, Southeast, Central and East Asia.

The department’s objectives are (1) to promote the study of Asian languages and cultures as an integral part of a liberal arts education, 2) to offer a wide range of language courses in Chinese and Japanese for majors, minors, and other students, 3) to provide students with a firm foundation in fields such as literature, film, linguistics, and translation studies, 4) to prepare students for graduate work and professional careers related to Asia, and 5) to support the College’s mission of internationalism, multiculturalism, and civic engagement.

Career Orientation for Asian Languages and Cultures Specialists

Recent graduates who have focused their studies on Asia have entered fields such as education, international banking and commerce, law, foreign service, studio and design art, and journalism. Others have gone on to professional schools or to graduate programs in an Asian language and literature, film, linguistics, music, teaching Japanese as a foreign language, history, economics and international business.

General Distribution Requirement

ASIA 124 , ASIA 127 , ASIA 140 , ASIA 254 , ASIA 260 ASIA 274 , ASIA 275 , ASIA 276 , ASIA 277 , and ASIA 378 count toward the general distribution requirement in humanities. ASIA 170 , ASIA 171 , and ASIA 257 , and count toward the fine arts distribution requirement, and

ASIA 150

and ASIA 256 counts toward the general distribution requirement in social science.

All courses in the Chinese language program (CHIN) and the Japanese language program (JAPA) count toward the general distribution requirement in humanities except for elementary and intermediate language courses,

JAPA 150

JAPA 235

and JAPA 335. JAPA 150, JAPA 235 and JAPA 335 count toward the general distribution requirement in social science.

General Education Requirements

Courses that meet the general education requirements in writing, quantitative thinking, internationalism and multiculturalism will be posted on the Registrar’s web page in advance of registration for each semester.

Additional information regarding the general distribution requirement and the general education requirements can be found in the graduation requirements section of this catalog.

Policy on Chinese and Japanese Language Grades

In order to be accepted into the next higher Chinese or Japanese language course in a sequence, a student must have received a grade of C– or higher in the previous course.

Language Houses

Each semester, students may apply to live in either the Japanese House or the Chinese House. Students have the opportunity to improve their language skills in everyday situations, in a relaxed atmosphere. The residents also help Asian Languages and Cultures staff create programming such as festivals, movie nights, game nights, and host events at times significant in a traditional calendar such as moon festival, Setsubun, and Children’s Day.

Honors Program

The Asian Languages and Cultures department participates in the Honors Program. See the website for details.

Independent Study

The department offers independent study options in the form of tutorials (JAPA), independent projects (ASIA, CHIN, JAPA), internships (ASIA, CHIN, JAPA) and preceptorships (ASIA, CHIN, JAPA). For more information contact the department and review the Curriculum section of the catalog.