Future Students

Chinese

UWA's Chinese language program caters for:

• Complete beginners
• TEE level or those who have a Chinese dialect (non-Mandarin) background
• Near native speakers

Up-to-date everyday materials from China (written, spoken and audio-visual) are delivered through the University's state-of-the-art multimedia facility for language learning, and you will also have the opportunity to do part of your language study in China, for credit to your degree.

This provides you with the opportunity not just to raise your language skills but to learn about Chinese culture and society ‘from the inside’. You will have the opportunity to do your third year of language study at the Ocean University of China in Shandong province. An intensive six week course over summer at the Yunnan University of Economics and Finance, Kunming, is also available. 

You can study Chinese within the Bachelor of Arts, the Bachelor of Arts (Asian Studies) or the Bachelor of Arts (Communication Studies). This includes combined courses which include these degrees.

It is also possible to study a Diploma of Modern Languages concurrently with UWA undergraduate courses that do not otherwise allow language study. If you would like to study a Diploma of Modern Languages you must meet the University''s entry requirements for the degree you plan to study.

After being admitted to the Faculty concerned you may then apply to the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences for entry to the Diploma with the approval of your home Faculty.

The Chinese program offers a Chinese major as well as a fourth-year honours program. Beginner's level units cover basic language and communication skills with reference to everyday situations in China such as greetings, self-introduction, hobbies and eating out.

Intermediate level units cover more advanced language skills including letter writing, comprehending basic texts and expressing ideas about familiar social topics. Advanced and Specialist level units allow you to develop a wide range of language skills including translation in the context of contemporary social and cultural issues.

To complement your study of the Chinese language we encourage you to consider enrolling in units on:

• Chinese culture and society including media, sexuality, film and minority cultures (through Asian Studies)
• Chinese business culture (through the Business School)
• Chinese politics (through Politics and Industrial Relations)

Career opportunities

Chinese is a most important language for Australia's expanding cultural and trading relations with the Asian region. China has one of the fastest growing economies in Asia.

• There is a growing demand for graduates with knowledge of Chinese and China. Some government departments (for example Foreign Affairs and Trade) give priority to graduates with a background in an Asian language.
• Businesses expanding into Asia value graduates with Asian language skills.
• Chinese is one of the major Asian languages being introduced over the next few years in primary and secondary schools, and is forecast to be the language of greatest demand for the foreseeable future.

The combination of Chinese with a major in a discipline (such as anthropology, economics, geography, history, industrial relations, politics) is becoming particularly attractive to employers.