What is your current level of Chinese and in which paper should you enrol?
If you are a beginner or have done only very little Chinese, you can enrol for CHIN131. This paper is designed for complete beginners. Anyone can enrol in this paper.
If your level of Chinese is above the beginner level, your entry point may be different and you may want to start your studies with intermediate or even advanced language papers. In this case, you will need a special permission.
What to do if you need a Special Permission to enrol in Chinese language courses
When you complete your enrolment in eVision and select any intermediate or advanced language paper without having completed the prerequisite papers, the system will require that you seek "special permission" to enrol in that paper.
Give as much context as you can regarding your recent language learning (ie NCEA level, and year) at this "special permission" stage during the eVision enrolment process in the fields provided, as well as emailing us at languages@otago.ac.nz with this context, to let us know your level of proficiency and your intended level of entry. Usually a quick exchange of email or a brief meeting with the Programme Coordinator is all that is needed and your enrolment process will not be unduly delayed.
The following are our guidelines:
- If you have studied Chinese for two or three years at high school in the relatively recent past, you can usually enrol in CHIN132.
- If you have completed four to five years at high school, or have NCEA Level 2 or 3 in Chinese, or an equivalent qualification, CHIN231 is the appropriate paper.
- If you have acquired intermediate proficiency in Chinese via other means (e.g., living in China, being exposed to Chinese in a family setting, or studied at another university), you may also be able to enrol in more advanced papers (such as CHIN232 or CHIN334). If you have not gained a NCEA qualification, you can also evaluate your level by taking the online self-assessment tests provided by the HKS(Chinese Proficiency Test): http://www.chinesetest.cn/gosign.do?id=1&lid=0 (Please note: this link is new, and relatively untested - we would be happy if you sat an HKS assessment test at other websites, and if you find a site you can recommend, please let us know.)
If you can pass HKS level A proficiency, you can usually enrol in our intermediate courses CHIN231 or CHIN232; if you have passed HKS level B proficiency, you can usually enrol in CHIN334 or CHIN335.
If you have any questions, email us: languages@otago.ac.nz