Chinese

Chinese Language Courses in 2025-2026

(Last updated  May 26, 2025) 

 

On This Page:

1. About The Program

2. About Our Courses

3. FAQ

4. Enrolment Instructions

 

About The Program

Our Chinese Language Program offers rigorous language training at all levels, from beginner to advanced and beyond. We are committed to excellence in both classroom instruction and experiential learning, fostering a dynamic and supportive community through a range of curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities. To support our students better, we also actively connect them with external academic and professional opportunities, empowering them to reach their full potential in Chinese language proficiency and cultural competency.

In our program, you can choose the learning track that best fits your background and goals. If you’re starting from scratch, the Regular Stream offers structured, year-long courses to help you build a solid foundation. If you’re a heritage learner with listening and speaking experience, the Accelerated Stream allows you to progress more efficiently. For those of you who are ready to go beyond general proficiency, you can explore Specialized Courses like Media Chinese and Business Chinese, a portfolio we are dedicated to growing to help our learners gain the skills to excel in academic and professional settings. No matter where you begin, you’ll develop the confidence to engage with the Chinese-speaking world.

About Our Courses

We offer 10 courses across two streams and four levels (Figure 1). The series is a structured progression from foundational skills to advanced cultural and intellectual engagement. Students begin by developing basic grammar, conversation, and character-writing skills, then build fluency through real-world scenarios and authentic materials. At higher levels, learners critically explore complex themes and refine their ability to analyze, debate, and express nuanced ideas in both spoken and written Chinese.

The 100-level courses lay a solid foundation in both language and culture. Students are introduced to core elements of phonetics, characters, grammar, and syntax while building basic conversational skills for everyday situations. Instruction in conversational skills is paired with cultural insights into social practices such as greeting, apologizing, and expressing gratitude—equipping learners with tools for meaningful interaction from the start.

The 200-level courses build fluency and confidence through real-world application. Learners expand their speaking and writing abilities by forming connected sentences and responding to practical scenarios like dining, shopping, travel, and many more. Selected culturally grounded authentic materials are adopted to help students apply language skills to everyday contexts while deepening their understanding of contemporary Chinese life.

The 300-level courses encourage critical engagement with complex themes. Students refine their linguistic skills through discussion of abstract topics such as poetry, tradition, gender, language change, and religion. The teaching emphasizes interpretation, reflection, and comparative thinking, fostering the ability to analyze and articulate complex ideas in both oral and written forms.

The 400-level courses refine students’ skills through advanced analysis and persuasive expression. Learners engage deeply with authentic texts to explore how language intersects with cultural and societal changes. With a focus on argumentation, debate, presentation, and analytical writing, learners develop the ability to express sophisticated ideas with precision and clarity—demonstrating advanced proficiency and intellectual depth.

FAQ

Courses

You can search for individual courses using the Timetable Builder, or browse all available offerings in the Academic Calendar.

Textbook selection is primarily determined by individual instructors, who often supplement or update materials with their own teaching resources. If you are enrolled in a course, feel free to contact the instructor directly for detailed information.

Possibly! To determine the most suitable course for your proficiency level, please complete our Placement Process. One of our interviewers will help match you with the appropriate course.

If you’re planning to study in a Chinese-taught program, most universities require a proficiency level equivalent to HSK Level 5 or higher. HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi 汉语水平考试) is a standardized test of Chinese language proficiency used widely for academic and professional purposes. Graduates of our 400-level courses are typically able to meet this standard.

While it depends on the specific genre or type of media, students who complete our 300-level courses are generally able to enjoy and understand a wider range of popular Chinese-language films and TV shows.

While we do not directly organize summer immersive programs, we can connect interested students with opportunities offered by partner institutions.

You should earn 2.0 FCEs by completing the Language Citation Eligible courses, and your final grade for each course should be a B- or above. For more details, please see the Language Citation Policies.

Enrolment

All students must first complete our Placement Process. Once placed, you may request enrolment in the assigned course through ACORN, and our office will approve your request.

This helps us better estimate your language proficiency. Many students don’t realize that informal conversations with family members contribute significantly to listening and speaking skills.

Students with AP or IB experience may be eligible for more advanced courses. Please complete the Placement Process so our interviewer can recommend the appropriate level for you.

If you’ve been placed in a course, the next step is to submit a course request on ACORN. Our office will then review and approve your enrolment.

“Interim” means your request is pending approval. Our staff need time to verify your Placement results and finalize your enrolment. Please consult the Placement Process for enrolment timelines.

Language Requirement

If you completed elementary/secondary school in China, where Chinese was the language of instruction, you may fulfill the EAS Language Requirement in one of two ways: 

  1. Pass a Waiver Test 
  2. Complete specialized courses such as Media Chinese or Business Chinese

You may take our courses to improve your proficiency. However, you should consult your program chair or administrator for details about your program’s specific requirements, such as required proficiency levels and credit eligibility.

We can evaluate your proficiency according to the standards of our curriculum. You’ll need to check with your program’s chair or administrator to determine if our results are acceptable for fulfilling your program’s language requirement

Enrolment Instructions 

2025 – 2026 Placement Schedule

July

Forms close: July 8

Interview dates: July 14-18

Enrollment approved by: August 8

August

Forms close: August 12

Interview dates: August 18-22

Enrollment approved by: August 29

Your enrollment may start on different dates depending on your program, college, and faculty. Please consult your program registrar for more details.

Please read the instructions below carefully and follow the section that best describes your language background.

 

All prospective learners must go through the placement process to select an appropriate course matching their proficiency level. Missing the placement process will result in immediate removal from the class list before the term starts. Misrepresentation of information at any stage of the placement process may constitute an academic misconduct and will be reported. 

The placement process is designed to collect information on your language background and language learning goals. Your instructors will use this information to decide which course is most beneficial for your learning. During the placement process, you can expect to fill out screening forms, have interviews with course instructors, and take proficiency tests. The placement results will be valid for an academic year (April - March). Returning applicants with expired placement results and having not entered any of our Chinese language courses yet need to reapply for the placement.  

The placement process is usually scheduled in early April, mid-July, and late August. Specific dates are announced on this page in March each year.  

We place about 300 students annually in our courses, which is a majority of our placement applicants, but please understand that completing the placement process does not guarantee a spot in a class.  

Please read the section that best describes your language background and follow the steps, respectively.  

 

Undergraduate students

I have not completed any EAS Chinese language courses before and 

You are an absolute beginner in Chinese if you meet all the descriptions below:

  • Mandarin or any Chinese dialect is not spoken in my household
  • I have not stayed in a Mandarin or Chinese dialect-speaking region for more than one month, cumulatively
  • I have not studied Mandarin or any Chinese dialect before, including learning from a family member or friend, using learning apps and tutoring services, going to Saturday schools, summer camps, evening classes, or any other programs alike.

Please

(1) Fill out the screening form 

(2) Request EAS100 in your timetable builder. Your request will be processed by our office, cross-checked with the screening form you submit.

(3) Selected applicants will be invited to an online interview for quality control purposes. The interview schedule and meeting link will be shared with you via your U of T email. Please attend the interview and request the course recommended by your interviewer in your timetable builder. Your request will be processed by our office and cross-checked with your interview result.

You have some Chinese language background if you meet one of the descriptions below:

  • Mandarin, or a Chinese dialect, is regularly spoken in my household
  • I have stayed in a Mandarin or Chinese dialect-speaking region for more than one month, cumulatively
  • I have studied Mandarin or a Chinese dialect before, including learning from a family member or friend, using learning apps and tutoring services, going to Saturday schools, summer camps, evening classes, and other programs alike.

Please

(1) Fill out the screening form 

(2) Book an interview (If you don't complete the screening form, you will not be admitted to the interview)

(3) After your interview, request the course recommended by your interviewer in your timetable builder. Your request will be processed by our office and cross-checked with your interview result.

Please follow the waiver test instructions to register for the test. Waiver tests are scheduled in early September annually.

OR

  • I want to further improve my Chinese language and culture knowledge

Please check EAS403H Media Chinese, EAS Classical Chinese courses (for EAS Majors and Specialists) and a variety of China-related cultural courses.

I have completed an EAS Chinese language course before and 

The prerequisites are: 

  • EAS200Y1 - Modern Standard Chinese I (minimum grade 67% for EAS100Y1Y)
  • EAS201H1 -  Modern Chinese II for Students with Prior Background (minimum 67% for EAS101Y1Y)
  • EAS300Y1 - Modern Standard Chinese III (minimum 70% for EAS200Y1Y)
  • EAS301H1 - Modern Standard Chinese III for Students with Prior Background (minimum 70% for EAS201H1)
  • EAS401H1 - Modern Standard Chinese IVa (minimum 73% for EAS300Y1Y or EAS301H1)
  • EAS402H1 - Modern Standard Chinese IVb (minimum 73% for EAS300Y1Y or EAS301H1)
  • EAS404H1 - Professional Chinese (minimum 73% for EAS300Y1Y or EAS301H1)

Please request the continuing courses on ACORN. Your request will be processed by our office and cross-checked with your course grades.

The prerequisites are: 

  • EAS200Y1 - Modern Standard Chinese I (minimum grade 67% for EAS100Y1Y)
  • EAS201H1 -  Modern Chinese II for Students with Prior Background (minimum 67% for EAS101Y1Y)
  • EAS300Y1 - Modern Standard Chinese III (minimum 70% for EAS200Y1Y)
  • EAS301H1 - Modern Standard Chinese III for Students with Prior Background (minimum 70% for EAS201H1)
  • EAS401H1 - Modern Standard Chinese IVa (minimum 73% for EAS300Y1Y or EAS301H1)
  • EAS402H1 - Modern Standard Chinese IVb (minimum 73% for EAS300Y1Y or EAS301H1)
  • EAS404H1 - Professional Chinese (minimum 73% for EAS300Y1Y or EAS301H1)

Please contact our office before the last Monday in August for alternative ways of proficiency check. If your proficiency check result is equivalent to the course prerequisites, you can request a continuing course on ACORN. Your request will be processed by our office, cross-checked with your proficiency check results.

 

Graduate Students

Graduate students from within and outside the department who need knowledge of Chinese for their research may take a Chinese course with the approval of EAS. To request enrollment, please submit the Language Course Enrolment Request Form for graduate students and register for the placement interview (please refer to the Undergraduate placement procedures above). If placed in a course, you will be enrolled in a graduate course code, though the credit does not normally count towards graduate programs. The course is graded as credit/non-credit (CR/NCR); 70% or above is required for a CR. Auditing is not an option.

Questions? Please email eas.grad@utoronto.ca.

 

Non-degree Students 

Please check if you are eligible to apply for our courses here. If eligible, please follow the instructions for Undergraduate Students. 

Chinese Language Program Coordinator 

Name: Professor Hsiao-wei Wang Rupprecht
Office: RL 14-213
Email Address: hsiaowei.rupprecht@utoronto.ca