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School of Culture History and Language · ANU College of Asia and the Pacific
Literary Chinese is a written language that matured long before the Qin dynasty (221-206 B.C.), when China first became an empire. It continued to be used by China's governing and elite cultures for nearly three millennia. A command of Literary Chinese is therefore indispensable for the study of any aspect of Chinese literature, thought, history, politics, or society before the twentieth century. The idioms, syntax, style, and allusions of Literary Chinese continue to pervade the modern language. Its enduring influence results from the fact that the great legacies of Chinese culture, right down to the present day, have been largely preserved in this medium. Contemporary Chinese political and social discourse, and education, places increasing emphasis on knowledge of pre-modern Chinese culture and on familiarity with texts written in Literary Chinese. So without a grounding in Literary Chinese, it is impossible to gain a full understanding of the language or content of political speeches, newspaper articles, literary works, and scholarly prose written in contemporary Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the People's Republic of China. It has also shaped the linguistic and cultural traditions of Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. This course focuses on the analysis and translation of a selection of texts for beginners from the pre-Qin (before 221 BC) and Han (206 BC to 220 AD) periods. Students develop an understanding of the main grammatical forms, function words, and sentence patterns of this formative period of Literary Chinese. Students also study the cultural backgrounds essential to understanding and interpreting the texts at hand.
Preparatory textual analysis
Learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4
Analytical quizzes (20 exercises, each 1%)
Learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 5
Mid-semester test
Learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Final examination
Learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
This course requires a total of 130 hours of work, including: - 3 hours of contact time; - 7-8 hours of preparatory work and review exercises. Other Information On successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to engage at a Beginner level of Literary Chinese. Students with native speaker proficiency (may include cognate languages and dialects) must review the language proficiency assessment site and contact the CAP Student Centre for appropriate enrolment advice. Students with previous “language experience or exposure” are required to undertake a language proficiency assessment to ensure enrolment at the most appropriate level. Relevant past experience includes: - Previous study of the language (both formal and informal, for example but not limited to, at school, or, home, or through online activities, etc.) - Being exposed to the language in childhood via a family member or friend - Travel or living in a country where the language is spoken - The language being spoken in your home (even if you do not speak it yourself) Students who are not sure if they need to undertake a language proficiency assessment should seek advice from the course or language convenor. Students who intentionally misrepresent their language proficiency level may be investigated under the Academic Integrity Rule 2021 as having failed to comply with assessment directions and having sought unfair advantage. This may result in a penalty such as reduced grades or failure of the course. Students are not permitted to enrol in a language course below one that they have already successfully completed, except with permission of the language and/or course convenor.
Fuller, Michael, An Introduction to Literary Chinese, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Asia Center, 1999, rpt. 2004. Preliminary Reading Course materials other than the prescribed textbook will appear on the course website. Where necessary, materials will also be distributed in hard copy in class. Lists of relevant contextual readings will also be available through the course website. Students will benefit from access to a good Classical or Literary Chinese dictionary. The course convenor will be happy to offer recommendations.