Yale-China Chinese Language Centre

Embassy and consulate staff learn Cantonese and Putonghua with CLC.

The Yale-China Chinese Language Centre (CLC) provides language training in Cantonese and Putonghua. It offers two types of credit-bearing programmes: one is Cantonese courses for non-local students and Putonghua courses for local students; the other is designed primarily for international students who either come to CUHK as exchange students, international undergraduates and postgraduates, or apply to CLC directly as language course students. The main purposes for all courses, including intensive summer courses, are to improve the language proficiency of students and their communicative ability in using Cantonese and Putonghua. Courses for CUHK students are divided into: 1) Cantonese for non-local students; 2) Cantonese for international students; 3) Putonghua for local students; and 4) Putonghua for international students.

All courses for University students follow CUHK regulations and are accredited by the University. For direct applicants studying language courses at CLC, credits for the courses are given based on the American system, with grades and transcripts issued by the Centre. Credits for these courses have been recognized by major universities as degree credits. For students from institutions not using the credit system, transcripts are prepared with sufficient details to present a clear picture of the work accomplished by each student. The Centre operates on a three-term system. Students may register for admission to any term. Beginners’ courses are offered every term. The full-time programme of 12 to 15 sessions of classroom instruction per week constitutes the maximum course load.

Founded in 1963 under the joint auspices of New Asia College and the Yale-China Association, the Centre became a part of the University in 1974. Every year close to 1,000 international students from different parts of the world are admitted to the Centre, ranging from absolute beginners to trained sinologists who wish to polish their spoken Chinese or learn a new Chinese dialect. Among the local and non-local CU students, over 3,000 of them take language courses offered by CLC.