Director of undergraduate studies: Luke Bender, Humanities Quadrangle (HQ, 320 York St.), Room 111, (203) 432-5823

The major in East Asian Languages and Literatures provides rigorous training in the study of East Asian languages, literatures, cultures, and thought from ancient times through the present, with a strong focus on the reading and analysis of texts, theater, film, and other forms of media. Students select either the Chinese, Japanese, or Korean concentration but are encouraged to take courses across geographical regions to become familiar with East Asian literary culture more broadly. The major is excellent preparation for careers including business, law, academia, foreign service, translation, and journalism that demand advanced linguistic proficiency and analytical sophistication. East Asian Languages and Literatures graduates have gone on to careers in law, business, medicine, academia, film, translation, teaching, and diplomacy.

Courses for Nonmajors

All courses offered by the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures are open to nonmajors.

Course Numbering

Language courses use the subject codes CHNS, JAPN, or KREN. Multiple-titled courses that include CHNS, JAPN, or KREN subject codes and are numbered 200–299 are taught in English with some sections taught in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. Courses with the subject code EALL are content courses whose focus is critical and humanistic; those numbered 200–299 are introductory, and those numbered 300–399 are advanced. Courses numbered EALL 001–099 are First-Year Seminars with topics on East Asian literature, film, and humanities. 

Prerequisite

Candidates for the major must complete CHNS 140, JAPN 140, KREN 140, or the equivalent.

Placement Procedures

Students who enroll in the department's language courses for the first time but who have studied Chinese, Japanese, or Korean elsewhere, and students who have skills in one of these languages because of family background, must take a placement examination before the beginning of the academic year. These exams can be accessed via the department website and must be completed before the end of July. Students of Japanese, Chinese, and Korean languages, returning from programs abroad, must take a placement examination, unless the coursework was completed at an institution preapproved by the Richard U. Light Fellowship program. For questions, consult with the director of undergraduate studies (DUS).

Requirements of the Major

Students are held to the requirements that were in place when they declared their major. However, with approval from the director of undergraduate studies (DUS), the following requirements, updated for the academic year 2024-2025, may be fulfilled by students who declared the major in a prior term. A Korean concentration was added to the Chinese and Japanese concentrations.

The major consists of at least eleven term courses beyond the prerequisite. Students must take two terms of advanced modern Chinese (CHNS 150 and 151 or equivalents), advanced Japanese (JAPN 150 and 151 or equivalents), or advanced Korean (KREN 150 and 151 or equivalents) as well as one term of literary Chinese (CHNS 170), literary Japanese (JAPN 170), or Introduction to Hanja (KREN 170). Students also take a survey course in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or East Asian history and culture, preferably early in their studies. Three courses are required in literature in translation, taught in English, selected from EALL 200–399; one must be focused primarily on premodern content. These three may include courses on theater and film. In addition, three advanced courses with readings in literary or modern Chinese, Japanese, and/or Korean are required.

Credit/D/Fail A maximum of one course taken Credit/D/Fail may be counted toward the requirements of the major, with permission of the DUS.

Senior Requirement

Students prepare a one-term senior essay in EALL 491 or a yearlong senior essay in EALL 492 and 493. Those who elect a yearlong essay effectively commit to taking twelve term courses in the major, because the second term of the essay may not be substituted for any of the eleven required courses.

Study Abroad

Students are encouraged to study abroad. Interested students should consult with the DUS and with the office of the Richard U. Light Fellowship to apply for support for programs in China, Japan, and Korea.

SUMMARY OF MAJOR REQUIREMENTS

Prerequisite CHNS 140, JAPN 140, KREN 140, or equivalent

Number of courses 11 courses (incl one-term senior essay) or 12 courses (incl yearlong senior essay) beyond prerequisite

Specific courses required Chinese concentration—CHNS 150, 151 or equivalents, and 170; Japanese concentration—JAPN 150, 151 or equivalents, and 170; Korean concentration—KREN 150, 151 or equivalents, and KREN 170

Distribution of courses 1 survey course in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or East Asian history and culture; 3 courses in literature in translation numbered EALL 200–399, one of them premodern; 3 adv courses with readings in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean

Senior requirement One-term senior essay (EALL 491) or yearlong senior essay (EALL 492, 493)

The major in East Asian Languages and Literatures provides rigorous training in the study of East Asian languages, literatures, cultures, and thought from ancient times through the present, with a strong focus on the reading and analysis of texts, theater, film, and other forms of media. Students select either the Chinese, Japanese, or Korean concentration but are encouraged to take courses across geographical regions to become familiar with East Asian literary culture more broadly. The major is excellent preparation for careers including business, law, academia, foreign service, journalism, and translation that demand advanced linguistic proficiency and analytical sophistication. EALL graduates have gone on to careers in law, business, medicine, academia, film, translation, teaching, and diplomacy.

The prerequisite to the major is completion of CHNS 140, JAPN 140, KREN 140, or the equivalent, so students interested in the major should start the language as early as possible. Language courses are taught in a semi-intensive format, require substantial daily preparation and meet three to five times per week. Special courses are offered for students with a background in Chinese or Korean. Additionally, students are strongly encouraged to take content courses in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean literature, history, religion, or film.

Prospective majors should consult the director of undergraduate studies (DUS) by the beginning of the sophomore year. Students who do not complete the language prerequisite (intermediate Chinese, Japanese, or Korean) by the end of the sophomore year will have difficulty completing the requirements of the major unless they study abroad.

The department strongly encourages students to study abroad for at least one term. Majors sometimes apply credits from approved summer or term abroad programs in China, Japan, or Korea. Students from any major who are interested in studying an East Asian language abroad may qualify for financial support through the Richard U. Light Fellowship program. For eligibility requirements and further information, prospective applicants should visit the Light Fellowship website.

Placement

First-year students who come to Yale with some knowledge of Chinese, Japanese, or Korean should take a placement test. The date of the test will be announced on the department website. Before the day of the examination, students taking the placement test must also complete an online component through the department website.

Certificate of Advanced Language Study

The Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures offers a Certificate of Advanced Language Study in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese. A certificate adviser, typically the director of undergraduate studies (DUS), advises students on the certification process and certifies to the University Registrar's Office that students have completed the stated requirements before the end of eight terms of study. The Certificate of Advanced Language Study, once certified, is listed on the student's transcript.

Requirements

Students seeking to earn the certificate are required to take four courses beyond the L4 level in their chosen language, at least two of which must be Yale courses designated as L5. (Courses conducted in English, such as CHNS 170 and 171, JAPN 170 and 171, and KREN 170 do not count.) All courses must be taken for a letter grade, and students must achieve a grade of B or above. With the approval of the certificate adviser, one advanced non-L5 course, conducted in the target language, such as an independent study course, a graduate seminar, or an advanced seminar may count toward certification requirements.

The certificate adviser may allow one “language across the curriculum” (LxC) course taught in English to count toward the certification requirements provided the course includes at a minimum a weekly discussion section conducted entirely in the target language. The discussion section must enroll a minimum of three students and the course must be designated as LxC in the course description.

The certificate adviser may also approve the substitution of up to two credits earned during study abroad and taught in the target language to count toward the certificate requirements. If the adviser approves courses taken outside of Yale for inclusion in the certificate requirements, students must take the necessary steps to ensure those courses appear on their transcript.

Credit/D/Fail No courses taken Credit/D/Fail may be counted toward the requirements of the certificate.

Declaration of Candidacy

Students must submit a Declaration of Candidacy for a Certificate form, as early as possible, but at the very latest, before the start of the student’s last semester at Yale. The form can be found on the University Registrar’s Office website. Once declared, Degree Audit tracks students' progress toward completion of the certificate.

FACULTY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EAST ASIAN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES

Professors Aaron Gerow (Chair), Tina Lu, Jing Tsu

Associate Professors Lucas Bender, Michael Hunter, Hwansoo Kim

Assistant Professors Kyunghee Eo, Rosa van Hensbergen 

Senior Lecturer Pauline Lin

Senior Lectors II Seungja Choi, Angela Lee-Smith, Rongzhen Li, Ninghui Liang, Hiroyo Nishimura, Peisong Xu

Senior Lectors Hsiu-hsien Chan, Min Chen, Fan Liu, Kumiko Nakamura, Jianhua Shen, Wei Su, Chuanmei Sun, Haiwen Wang, Yu-lin Wang Saussy, Mika Yamaguchi, Yongtao Zhang, William Zhou

Lectors Jingjing Ao, Seunghee Back, Xing Gao, Hye Song Kim, Hyun Sung Lim, Saori Nozaki

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