Modern Languages and Cultures Spotlight: East Asian Languages
As I mentioned before in my posts on Romance languages and Central European languages, this month I’m writing about Rochester’s language and cultural offerings. Today it’s all about East Asian languages and cultures, especially Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, all of which are programs found within our Department of Modern Languages and Cultures (MLC) and play a big part in the thriving student life on campus.
The Chinese Program within the MLC department offers courses in Chinese language and culture. Like the sequence for most languages, it begins with Elementary Chinese I (fall semester) and Elementary Chinese II (spring semester). Keep in mind that if you want to start studying a language in-sequence, you must do it during a fall semester!
However, if you already have some experience in the language, you may be able to test into a higher level. And students of any level may be interested in Conversational Chinese to work on their speaking skills.
You can also take courses in modern and traditional culture (including pop culture in CHI 218!), modern and traditional literature, film, photography, history, and more.
As of now, the Chinese program only offers clusters and a minor in Chinese. If you have questions, consider reaching out to Professor Ting Huang (thuang16@ur.rochester.edu).
The Chinese Students’ Association
The Chinese Students’ Association (CSA) seeks to connect international students from China, students of Chinese heritage, and anyone interested in Chinese culture into one, large vibrant community. The group also connects with and works with local East Asian community groups and centers.
Every fall, the campus turns out for CSA’s Mid-Autumn Festival, and in the spring for China Nite. These enormous events fill Strong Auditorium to the brim. They are incredibly beautiful, with elegantly dressed hosts, stunning music, exciting dance performances, hilarious skits and more! Check them out on Facebook.
Hong Kong Students’ Association
The Hong Kong Students’ Assocation (URHK) is a group of students who celebrate the unique culture that is known to Hong Kong natives but is fairly unknown to the rest of the world. Therefore, the members of URHK seek to share this culture with the campus community and help increase awareness of Hong Kong culture and heritage. Check them out on Facebook.
The Japanese program within the MLC department offers courses in language and culture. Like the sequence for most languages, it begins with Elementary Japanese I (fall semester) and Elementary Japanese II (spring semester). Keep in mind that if you want to start studying a language in-sequence, you must do it during a fall semester!
On the culture side of things, you take literature courses, reading works ranging from the Tale of Genji modern manga. You can take film courses from Kurosawa to Miyazaki. In culture courses you can learn about Zen Buddhism (JPN 233), modern Japanese cuisine (JPN 228), Noh theater (JPN 222), haiku poetry, and so much more! Rochester is truly an amazing place to study all things Japanese.
The Japanese program offers a major, a minor, and clusters. The major can be taken on a language track (eight language and two culture courses) or a culture track (six language and four culture courses). Plus, both majors require CLT 200 and MLC 2 Major Seminar (also known as CLT 389). If you have questions, consider reaching out to Professor Joanne Bernardi (joanne.bernardi@rochester.edu) or Professor David Holloway (david.holloway@rochester.edu).
The Japanese Students’ Association
The Japanese Students’ Association (JSA) is a student group comprised of Japanese students, Japanese-American students, and many other students who are passionate about Japanese culture. Every fall, they are known for their sprawling festival with food, crafts, and games, called Omatsuri. In the spring, they hold an annual series of events called Golden Week, including a movie night, special dinner, and concert showcase, among other events. Check them out on Facebook.
The Korean program within the MLC department is fairly new, and as of now it only offers clusters—no minors or majors yet. But the courses are popular, so let’s hope it continues to grow in the future! There are currently four courses in the language sequence: Elementary Korean I, Elementary Korea II, Intermediate Korean I, and Intermediate Korean II. Now, college language courses are very different than high school courses, and so although two years of a language in high school doesn’t sound like a lot, it is plenty in college. By the end, you should be able to speak and read Korean fairly proficiently. And you will have the tools to continue learning new vocabulary on your own.
For more information on Korean at Rochester, feel free to reach out to Professor Myounghee Cho (myounghee.cho@rochester.edu).
The Korean American Students’ Association
The Korean American Students’ Association (KASA) strives to share Korean culture with their fellow students on campus and the wider community at large. This is a big group of students who all treat each other like one giant family. This is a very diverse group, containing students from Korea, Korean-Americans, and non-Koreans who just love the culture.
KASA has two sub-groups as well: the popular hip-hop group RICE Crew and the political activism group LiNK (shown below). Every spring semester, KASA puts on two very big and long-awaited events: Korea Night and Running Man. Korea Night is a large showcase of music, dance, martial arts, and more! The Running Man competition is a campus-wide series of challenges, based on the popular Korean TV show. Students from all walks of life form teams to compete. Check them out on Facebook.
As mentioned above, LiNK is a sub-group of KASA. It’s a branch of the international, non-profit, non-partisan organization by the same name. It is an activism and advocacy group that fights to spread awareness of the human rights crises facing North Korean refugees around the world. It is truly a good cause and a passionate group of students. Check them out on Facebook.
The East Asian studies program, within the Multidisciplinary Studies Center, offers majors, minors, and clusters in either the humanities or social sciences, depending on how you weight your course load. Taking more MLC or religion courses will put you on the humanities track, and taking more anthropology or history courses will put you on the social sciences track.
The East Asian studies major is language-based, which you means you need have two years of experience in either Chinese, Japanese, or Korean language. And please note that you must have one full year under your belt before you can actually declare your major. You must also take courses in at least three different departments. Note: Different language programs within the MLC department are all considered the same department.
There are tons of fascinating courses to take! If you’re curious and would like to learn more about East Asian Studies at the University of Rochester, reach out to Professor John Osburg (john.osburg@rochester.edu) from the anthropology department who is taking over direction of the East Asian studies program.
The Asian American Alliance (AAA) is dedicated to empowerment, political activism, and community engagement concerning the lives students of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage. However, the group also collaborates with and works toward social awareness with other POC groups.
The Filipino American Students’ Association
The Filipino American Students’ Association (FASA) is a strong community of Filipinos, Filipino-Americans, and those interested in the Philippines. Together they work to promote knowledge about and appreciation for Filipino culture and cultural diversity. Check them out on Facebook.