Chinese

Language Placement

"Heritage Speakers" of Chinese (students who speak proficiently but cannot read or write) are required to take the accelerated CHI 604/612 track. The Chinese language instructors recommend that heritage speakers begin with 604, even if they have tested into 612.

Students who have completely tested out of Chinese and would like to study the language further may contact Dr. Wen-Hua Teng at whteng@mail.utexas.edu to set up an evaluation. If the student lived in China or Taiwan until age 12, and went through their education system, they most likely are too advanced in their knowledge of Chinese to take any of the language classes we offer. However, these students are welcome to schedule an appointment with Dr. Teng to discuss their options.

If a student speaks Cantonese instead of Mandarin, sometimes the 604 class is appropriate for them, and sometimes 506 is the best choice. If a Cantonese speaker has strong reading and writing skills, we might not offer an appropriate class for them. These students should contact Dr. Teng before even taking the placement exam.