Chinese
Join the 1.4 billion people who speak Chinese worldwide. Gain fluency in language use, both oral and written.
Spring 2025 Courses
Course | Title | Instructor | Day/Time | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|
CHIN 100 B100 | Mandarin Chinese I |
Billie Ng
|
TBA
|
Burnaby
|
CHIN 110 B100 | Mandarin Chinese II |
Billie Ng
|
TBA
|
Burnaby
|
CHIN 191 B100 | Heritage Mandarin Chinese II |
Cynthia Xie
|
TBA
|
Burnaby
|
CHIN 291 B100 | Heritage Mandarin Chinese IV |
Cynthia Xie
|
TBA
|
Burnaby
|
CHIN 330 B100 | Intermediate Chinese for Business I |
Jia Fei
|
TBA
|
Burnaby
|
CHIN 460 B100 | Text and Screen: Chinese Fiction and Film |
Jia Fei
|
TBA
|
Burnaby
|
Which Chinese language course should I take?
Students with no background in the language may enroll themselves into the relevant introductory course.
Students who have some background in Chinese should contact the course instructor for a placement interview if they are enrolling in a Chinese course for the first time.
Students who have transferred from a college or a university and took Chinese in their prior institution should take the next level course.
* We reserve the right to move students to more proficiency-appropriate courses or to unenroll students when there is no appropriate course for them.
Chinese language stream options
There are two streams for studying Chinese at SFU: Non-heritage and heritage streams.
Non-heritage stream
The non-heritage stream is for students who do not have any prior experience in the language.
![Non-heritage stream Non-heritage stream](/content/sfu/wll/courses/languages/chinese/jcr:content/main_content/image.img.2000.high.jpg/1587585679852.jpg)
Heritage stream
The heritage stream is designed for students who have some knowledge in the language from living in a Chinese-speaking environment. Students who can read and write Chinese but have little knowledge in Mandarin speaking can consider the CHIN151-152-153 track. Students who can understand and speak Chinese (Mandarin and/or a dialect of Chinese) but have little or no knowledge in written Chinese should consider the CHIN190-191-290-291 track. Before enrolling in any courses in the heritage stream for the first time, students will need to attend a placement interview with the course instructor.
![Heritage stream Heritage stream](/content/sfu/wll/courses/languages/chinese/jcr:content/main_content/image_1972928223.img.2000.high.jpg/1587585775565.jpg)
Chinese language placement guide
If this is your first time taking a Chinese language course (CHIN) at SFU or if you do not have the prerequisites for a language course, you must complete a placement. We require this because we want to ensure that you are enrolled in the course that is appropriate to your levels and needs. Please arrange your placement before registration.
Students are expected to provide true information about their language background and language learning experiences to the best of their knowledge. Concealing your knowledge of the language and/or providing false information are considered academic dishonesty and can be recorded on the your academic record. For more information, read SFU's academic integrity page.
Placement process
Based on their prior knowledge in Mandarin Chinese, students can consult the course sequence map to select a course that is close to their level and their interests. After that, they can contact the course instructor for a placement (see instructors' contact information below) during late February, late June, or late October before each registration period. Students will be asked to provide their SFU ID, SFU advising transcript and a copy of their high school transcript for the placement. After the placement, the instructor will notify the student whether they are qualified to take a particular course or will make an alternative course recommendation.
Instructors' Contact Information
CHIN 151,152, 153, 300, 330, 460
Instructor: Jia Fei | Email: jia_fei@sfu.ca
CHIN 100, 110, 200, 201
Instructor: Billie Ng | Email: billie@sfu.ca
CHIN 180, 181, 190, 191, 280, 281, 290, 291, 390
Instructor: Cynthia Xie | Email: cxie@sfu.ca
How to progress in your Chinese course studies
Non-Heritage Stream Q & A
Heritage stream Q & A
Put your course work towards a certificate.
Even more Chinese courses
Interested in knowing what other Chinese courses you can take in future semesters? See our full course offering on SFU's Student Services website.