Undergraduate Program – East Asian Languages & Cultural Studies

two east asian men sitting in front of a low table practicing calligraphy

Chinese Popular Culture course offered in summer session B

Posted on April 22, 2024 | by Thomas Mazanec

This summer, in session B, EALCS is proud to offer the course, “CHIN 40: Chinese Popular Culture,” taught by Prof. Hangping Xu, meeting on Mondays and Wednesdays, 3:30–5:35pm.

As described on the poster:

YOU WON’T BE BORED IN THIS COURSE, as you watch Chinese films, TikTok videos, reality TV shows, and Boys’ Love dramas; listen to Taiwanese diva Teresa Teng’s sugary voice and rock star singer Cui Jian’s on-the-top-his-lungs singing; look at online streamers and social influencers. DO NOT BE FOOLED, however, by its entertaining content.

Students will learn to analyze popular culture intelligently and arrive at a theoretical account of global popular culture, including its political economy, changing infrastructure, aesthetic features, and cultural politics. We will undertake Popular Cultural Studies as a serious inquiry. As it is also a China-specific course, students will better understand Chinese history, society, and culture.

UCSB students place high in statewide Mandarin Speech Contest

Posted on April 15, 2024 | by Thomas Mazanec

On April 13, the UCSB Chinese language students attending the 48^th CLTAC Mandarin Speech Contest—Ethan Sayang, Hannah Ho and Athena Cruz Albrecht—won Third Place in his/her category in the 48th annual Chinese Language Teachers’ Association in California (CLTAC) Mandarin Speech Contest in the college level division. It was the first time that all the contestants delivered their speech in person after the pandemic. 293 students from K-16 participated in the speech contest and among them there were 142 contestants in the college level participated this year.

We are very proud of them since they were competing with the students from UC Berkeley, Stanford University, UC Davis, Defense Language Institute foreign language center at Monterey, and other prestigious universities.

Their achievements would not have been possible without the care and nourishment of all the Chinese language instructors along their learning journey.

Please join us in congratulating them!

Scholarships for Internships Abroad in East Asia

Posted on April 12, 2024 | by Thomas Mazanec

UCSB students are eligible to receive scholarship support to add an internship to their coursework abroad. The UCSB EAP Freeman Foundation Internship Scholarship provides $3,000-$6,000 for students pursuing an academic internship through their UCEAP program. This is available only in select UCEAP programs in East Asia. Interested students must apply to both their UCEAP program and to the Freeman Internship program and be accepted by both. The Freeman application deadline for Spring 2025 programs is May 13, 2024. Check here for UCEAP program-specific application deadlines.

47th CLTAC Speach Contest Daniel Badilla Second Place Award

CHIN 3 student Daniel Badilla wins Second Place in Chinese Language Teachers’ Association in California Chinese Speech Contest

Posted on April 24, 2023 | by Thomas Mazanec

Congratulations to CHIN 3 student, Daniel Badilla, who won Second Place in the 47th annual Chinese Language Teachers’ Association in California (CLTAC) Chinese Speech Contest in the college level beginning Chinese division on April 25, 2023. More than 361 students participated in the speech contest virtually this year, and Daniel really stood out as a result of his dedication in practice. Congratulations!

Mid-Autumn Welcome Party

Posted on October 10, 2022 | by Thomas Mazanec

Thursday, October 13

4:30–6:00pm in the HSSB Courtyard

Come mingle with your classmates, professors, and new friends!! We will provide delicious snacks, live music performances, and fun games!!

Sponsored by the UCSB Center for Taiwan Studies, Chinese Language Program, and the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies, with support from our CLP Volunteers, CSSA ICE (International Cultural Exchange), and Jasmine Echo.

A photo of a back building covered in red lanterns

New Database of Study Abroad Classes

Posted on August 30, 2022 | by Thomas Mazanec

We are pleased to announce the creation of a new database of classes taken abroad for credit in the East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies major and minor. We hope that this tool will encourage students to take classes in Japan, Korea, mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan through UC’s extensive Education Abroad Program, and experience the fascinating complexities of life in East Asia firsthand. Programs are held at world-renowned institutions such as Tohoku University, Keio University, Waseda University, Seoul National University, Yonsei University, Peking University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, National Taiwan University, University of Hong Kong, and Chinese University of Hong Kong.

For more information, see the Study Abroad for East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies Majors website.