Learning Objectives

1. Develop competency in one of the three East Asia languages (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) and gain familiarity with the country’s cultural traditions from the ancient to contemporary periods.

2. Acquire critical tools to interpret and analyze literature, film, and other forms of culture and media and engage critically with West-centered theoretical paradigms by examining their applicability to the East Asian context.

3. Develop an understanding of transnational issues and trends across the East Asian region, thus deepening one’s insight into both the intraregional dynamics and the region’s linguistic, historical and current relationship to other parts of the world.

4. Cultivate the habit of thinking across disciplines—literary studies, film studies, art history, religious studies, linguistic studies, history, gender and ethnic studies and more—in order to achieve a holistic understanding of East Asian cultures and societies.

5. Express one’s opinions and perspectives on foreign or East Asian cultural texts in logical, articulate, and culturally aware language, both verbally and in writing.

6. Apply the above skills and knowledge in formulating an independent research project.