Chinese

Over one billion people speak some form of Chinese. Mandarin, the official language of China, is spoken by more than 800 million people, making it the most widely spoken language in the world. Chinese boasts one of humanity's longest unbroken literary traditions, with the oldest texts dating to more than 3,000 years ago. Among the most famous works of Chinese literature are some of the great treasures of world heritage, such as the treatises of early philosophers such as Confucius, the works of Tang dynasty poets such as Li Bo, and early modern vernacular novels such as Dream of the Red Chamber. Today, China continues to produce exciting works of literature and film. Chinese characters, the writing system invented by the early Chinese and still in use today, have been central to the development of writing in other Asian countries such as Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.

In recent decades, China's global influence has increased dramatically. The country plays an increasingly important political, economic, and cultural role on the world stage in the new century. Chinese immigrants and their descendants form vibrant communities in the United States and many other countries around the world.

The department of Asian Languages and Literature at the University of Washington is committed to providing students with cultural and linguistic proficiency in Chinese. The department's world-class program offers a wide range of courses in modern Chinese, from beginning to advanced levels, as well as a two-year sequence in the literary language, Classical Chinese. The department also offers courses in Chinese literature (both in the original and in English translation), film, and linguistics. Departmental courses serve the entire UW community of students, as well as departmental majors and minors.