Chinese

Why choose Chinese at North Central College?

When you add our comprehensive Chinese minor to your studies, you add one of today’s hottest credentials to your résumé or graduate school application. The demand for talented Chinese speakers in schools, government, business and entertainment has grown worldwide. At North Central, you’ll learn to speak, read, write and understand Chinese. You’ll master the grammar as well as the distinctive tones and characters of the language. And if you wish to teach Chinese, you need only to obtain an endorsement.

You can also:

Study abroad during one of North Central’s several trips to China or Taiwan.
Take advantage of on-campus tutoring options and the Roberta I. Myers Language Resource Center.
Enjoy the Chinese Club’s speakers and cultural events, including its Chinese New Year’s celebration.
Participate in cultural immersion experiences with nearby Chinese communities.
Earn an English language learning (ELL) minor if you plan to teach abroad after college.

Veronica Blue earns 2012 Outstanding Major in Elementary Education Award

Veronica Blue of Utica received two academic awards during Honors Day May 15 at North Central College.

Mulberry Child

Click here to watch when Author Jian Ping presented the film "Mulberry Child" to a packed room at North Central College.

Brian Hoffert, associate professor of religious studies and history

Hoffert presents, moderates at conference and meeting

Brian Hoffert, North Central College associate professor of religious studies and history, participated at Chinese thought conference, Asian studies meeting.

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Internships

Marketing intern, Ai Media Group, Beijing, China
Logistics intern, C.H. Robinson International, Tuttlingen, Germany
Finance intern to second vice president of Wealth Management Smith Barney, Citigroup, Naperville

Graduate schools

Recent graduates in Chinese have been accepted at:

University of Illinois, East Asian Languages and Cultures
Valparaiso University, IN, Chinese studies
National Taiwan Normal University

Careers

Recent graduates in chinese include:

777 Operations business & planning analyst, The Boeing Company, leadership development program
Chinese contract analyst, Infor Global Solutions

Feature

Michael Gross

International Business major, Chinese minor

“Knowing Chinese opens a lot of doors and carries that ‘wow factor,’” says Michael. In fact, he believes his proficiency in Chinese helped him land an internship with The Boeing Company—and later a spot in the company’s prestigious leadership development program. “When 10 candidates apply for a job and you’re the only one who knows Chinese, you really stand out from the crowd,” he notes.

Michael took Chinese courses during his first three years at North Central, then joined one of the College’s study abroad programs in China. He also worked in Beijing as a marketing intern with Ai Media Group.

North Central’s Chinese minor makes a potentially intimidating subject accessible, according to Michael. “Our faculty know how to teach the language,” he says. “You never tackle more than you can handle at one time, but there are no limits to how far you can go.”

Feature

Mark Zajac

Chinese

Mark has truly become a student of international cultures. He came to North Central College to continue his high school studies in Spanish and German. “I decided then to take Chinese on a whim and have really enjoyed the program,” he says. “I am gearing my studies toward Taiwan,” he says.

He’s planning to visit Taiwan as soon as he can schedule it around his other travels. His study abroad experiences have included terms in Heidelberg, Germany and Sevilla, Spain. On campus, he’s been involved with the multicultural student clubs Fusion Espana, Chinese Club and International Club and has presented research at North Central’s Rall Symposium for Undergraduate Research.

In addition to his minor in Chinese and majors in German and Spanish, Mark added a major in global studies with a focus on international business. He has big plans for the future. “My goal is to work for the U.S. State Department, an international NGO (nongovernmental organization) or international business.”

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