Language Placement Tests Overview and FAQ’s

Introduction to the Chinese Language Courses

Welcome to the Chinese Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison!

We are proud to tell you that our program is considered one of the most comprehensive Chinese language programs in the US. That is because our introductory courses meet more frequently than comparable courses offered at other institutions and require more time for self-study. Although these courses may seem very challenging, if you keep up with the daily preview and review required for the courses, by the end of the semester, you will have attained considerable improvement in your Chinese language proficiency.

If you have never taken Chinese before, but have always been interested in learning the language, you can start with EA 101 First Semester Chinese in the fall. If you have some schedule conflicts for this class, you can take EA 121 Elementary Chinese I in the spring or EA 101 in the following fall. But if you are considering majoring in Chinese, we advise that you start taking the introductory course as soon as possible because our requirements include 8 semesters of Chinese language courses.

* The department offers a major in Chinese as well as a certificate in Chinese Professional Communication.  The certificate requirements consist of 12 credits beyond EA 202 Fourth Semester Chinese, which are not as extensive as those for Chinese major.

If you have studied Chinese before, you need to determine which course would be most appropriate for your current level of proficiency. Please carefully review the following information, and contact the department to make an appointment (if necessary) after reading this document.

Chinese Language Placement FAQs