Educational/Research Objectives and Policies - Division of Foreign Languages

Chinese Major

Educational and Research Objectives

In light of the educational and research objectives of Kyoto Sangyo University, the Chinese Major has established the following educational and research objectives:

The Chinese Major aims to nurture individuals who can examine in depth the language and culture of East Asia in the Sinosphere.

Since ancient times, Chinese has played a decisive role in the formation of the Sinosphere as a common language in East Asia. Even today, a deep understanding of the history of relations among East Asia’s linguistic cultures is an essential cognitive foundation for peace and prosperity of this region.

In the Chinese Major, students, as citizens of East Asia, conduct diachronic and synchronic research on Chinese linguistics with a primary focus on Chinese cultural research, as well as contrastive research on Chinese and Japanese language and comparative research on Chinese and Japanese culture.

Our Master’s Program aims to nurture individuals who can work in various fields of society, from education and culture to economics and industry, as highly skilled professionals (e.g., Chinese teachers and legal interpreters) by fostering advanced proficiency and expertise in Chinese, a deep academic and wide-ranging education, problem-solving skills, and planning ability.

Policies

Diploma Policy

Based on our educational and research objectives, the Chinese Major has established the following Diploma Policy:

We have adopted the following “learning goals” for the three categories of “academic knowledge and education,” “proficiency in the target language,” and “skills and planning ability,” which are necessary for conducting research on East Asian linguistic cultures on the basis of systematic knowledge of Chinese linguistics. We confer a “Master’s Degree in Chinese” to students who are deemed to have achieved these goals:

Ability to accurately collect, study, and analyze linguistic materials and various other kinds of data and materials on a research theme related to Chinese linguistics or Chinese culture. (skills and planning ability)
Ability to handle information from linguistic materials or literature using a computer, or statistically process data. (skills and planning ability)
Ability to accurately read Chinese literature and materials, and engage in discussions with a clear awareness of problems, in all classes. (proficiency in the target language)
For international students: advanced Japanese proficiency. (proficiency in the target language)
Broad, diverse interest and education in Chinese language research inside and outside Japan and in the linguistic cultures of East Asia in the Sinosphere. (academic knowledge and education)

Mastery of theories and methodologies concerning modern and Ancient Chinese language and culture and the history of linguistic relations in East Asia. (academic knowledge and education)

Ability to select topics in one’s major field of study and resolve the problems identified through a thesis that fulfills the requirements for originality, validity, logicality, and clarity.(skills and planning ability)

Necessary communication skills for giving logical and persuasive research presentations.(skills and planning ability)

Strong sense of ethics as a researcher for actively contributing to global society. (skills and planning ability)

Curriculum Policy (curriculum verification and implementation)

To ensure that students achieve the learning goals outlined in the Diploma Policy, the Chinese Major has established the following Curriculum Policy (curriculum verification and implementation):

Courses for each research field are arranged systematically, and research guidance courses are provided to help students prepare a thesis as the culmination of their research. In addition, courses from related fields are flexibly incorporated in the curriculum to nurture highly skilled professionals, such as legal interpreters.

Course credits are approved on the basis of a written examination, an oral examination, or a research report. We have established evaluation criteria for thesis review and final examination.

Our curriculum system and course model are laid out explicitly using a step-by-step guide for each course area and a curriculum map. The curriculum is inspected and reformed according to students’ opinions and requests concerning the curriculum, captured through one-to-one guidance on individual classes and questionnaires. The curriculum provided by the Chinese Major is optimized through self-inspection and evaluation of the educational outcomes.

Details of the educational content, educational methods, and evaluation of learning outcomes are outlined below:

1. Educational Content

The Chinese Major provides education and research course areas in five research fields, as indicated in the curriculum map:

Chinese linguistics (synchronic research)

Chinese linguistics (diachronic research)

Chinese linguistics (comprehensive research)

Chinese literature

Chinese culture

Each course is arranged into four stages of “research,” “seminars,” “advanced seminars,” and “special lectures,” enabling students to learn gradually and systematically from basic to applied learning.
We offer “research guidance” courses to help students prepare their thesis.
In addition, we provide three courses in the following related fields to help students develop a broader perspective:

Asian area studies

Oriental history studies

Chinese interpreting/translation studies

2. Educational Methods

The Chinese Major provides education and research course areas in five research fields and four stages of “research,” “seminars,” “advanced seminars,” and “special lectures,” as indicated in the curriculum map, enabling students to systematically progress from basic to applied learning.

Students receive guidance for preparing their thesis from one research supervisor for one student in research guidance courses; however, in addition to the research supervisor, students may request guidance from any of the faculty members in the Division of Foreign Languages.

We have established multiple courses in related fields to cater to students’ diverse goals and academic interests, which can be adjusted flexibly to students’ learning levels.
The course model is clearly laid out in the Chinese Major curriculum map.

3. Evaluation of Learning Outcomes

The learning outcomes of each course are evaluated according to the methods and criteria for assessing grades stipulated in the syllabus of each course.

The Chinese Major has established the following evaluation criteria for the conferral of degrees:
(1) Evaluation criteria for thesis review
In the Chinese Major, the master’s thesis is reviewed based on a comprehensive evaluation of the following criteria:

Academic significance of the research theme

Originality of the research content and results

Ethics

Investigation of previous research and accuracy of understanding

Suitability of the research method selected

Quality and quantity of data and materials presented and suitability its analysis and interpretation

Logicality and validity of the arguments leading up to the conclusion

Suitability of the form and structure and presentation of the thesis

(2) Criteria for reviewing the task-oriented research report on a specific topic
In the Chinese Major, the task-oriented research report is reviewed on the basis of a comprehensive evaluation of the following criteria:

Clarity and significance of the problem presentation

Suitability of the topic selected

Ethics

Suitability of the study method selected

Suitability of the analysis and interpretation of the study results

Logicality and validity of the arguments leading up to the conclusion

Suitability of the form, structure, and presentation of the report

(3) Evaluation criteria for the final examination
The final examination of the Chinese Major takes the form of an oral examination of the master’s thesis (or task-oriented research report), which is comprehensively evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:

Systematic knowledge of research in the major field of study

Broad knowledge of related fields

Ability to select a topic, conduct a logical analysis, and resolve issues

Advanced Chinese reading ability in Chinese

Strong sense of ethics as a researcher for actively contributing in the global society

Admission Policy

To ensure that all students can reach the level specified in the Diploma Policy through the two-year educational program, the Division of Foreign Languages seeks students with the following qualities:

Completion of courses related to Chinese linguistics and Chinese culture before enrollment

Ability to collect and analyze literature and materials on a specific research theme

Fundamental knowledge of computer-based processing of linguistic information

For international students: N1-level Japanese

Proficiency in Chinese and Japanese for communication

Interest, education, and grounding in Chinese language, Chinese culture, and the linguistic cultures of East Asia

Fundamental knowledge of theory on subjects such as Chinese linguistics, Chinese culture, and Chinese literature

Spirit of inquiry for conducting in-depth research to actively contribute to global society

Students are selected using a variety of methods that can evaluate the above requirements.