Pittsburgh Magazine names the Chinese major best at Pitt

The September 2011 issue of the Pittsburgh Magazine touted the importance of learning Chinese and named our program as the smartest major at Pitt. The author wrote, "For top-notch immersion in the Mandarin language and culture, set your sights on a major in Chinese at the University of Pittsburgh’s internationally renowned East Asian Languages and Literatures Program. The coursework not only features intensive verbal and written Mandarin, but also the study of ancient and modern Chinese culture and history, an essential asset for professionals working in the vast traditionalist country."

Spring 2012 Korean Film Festival

1. March 21, 2012: "Poonsang" (2011) directed by Jaihong Juhn
2. March 28, 2012: "Poetry" (2010) directed by Chang-dong Lee
3. April 4, 2012: "Leafie, a Hen into the Wild" (2011) directed by Seong-yun Oh

Shows start Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. in 4130 WWPH. Pizza will be provided!

Part-time instructors needed for Chinese Language Program

The Chinese Language Program is looking for part-time instructors to teach recitation sections for Fall 2012. Candidates must have prior experience in teaching a foreign language (preferably Chinese) or/and training in foreign language pedagogy, and are authorized to work on campus. Please send your CV to dom@pitt.edu if you are interested. Please state "part-time Chinese language instructor" in the subject line.

2012 Japanese Speech Contest Winners Announced
March 2, 2012

The Asian Studies Center (UCIS), in collaboration with the Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania and the Japanese Speaking Society at the University of Pittsburgh, held the annual High School Japanese Speech Contest at the William Pitt Union on Friday, March 2, 2012. Eighty students from eight area high schools participated in the contest. Sponsors of the event included Westinghouse, Sumitomo Corporation of America, Elliott Group, Wheeling-Nisshin, Mitsubishi Electric Power Products, the Consulate-General of Japan in New York, the Japan Foundation in Los Angeles, Temple University Japan Campus, the Office of the Provost at the University of Pittsburgh, and the Japan Iron and Steel Federation and Mitsubishi endowments at the university.Special guests were Mr. Masakazu Kigure, Consul from the Consulate General of Japan, and Dr. Jennifer Creamer, Associate Director of the University Center for International Studies. Judges included faculty from the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures, University of Pittsburgh, and the Department of Modern Languages, Carnegie Mellon University.The competition was divided into four levels: a poster session for first-year students of Japanese, followed by three levels corresponding to the number of years of language study. The first-place winners were selected as:

Advanced/Advanced Plus: Yinping Hu, Allderdice High School. Teacher: Isabel Espino de Valdivia. Yinping also received the Consulate Award, an electronic Japanese-English dictionary.

Intermediate: Benjamin Laun (private student). Teacher: Junko Kapples (Upper St. Clair High School)

Beginner: Hoan Bao Ngo (Norwin High School). Teacher: Hiroko Maekawa

Poster Contest: Amy Adelman (Allegheny-Clarion Valley High School). Teacher: Dixie Lipinchan

All participating students received certificates. The first, second and third place winners in each category of the Speech Contest also received gifts. The schools of the first place winners will also receive trophies.

Chinese Speech Contest

The Third Annual Chinese Speech Contest will be held on Saturday, March 31, in the Martin Room (4th floor) of Sennott Square.

EALL Welcomes Three New Faculty

EALL welcomes Charles Exley, Fan Fan, and Kun Qian who joined our department this fall. Exley is a specialist in modern and contemporary Japanese literature, visual and popular culture, and translation. Read More

EALL Colloquium, 2011-2012

All colloquia will be held in 4130 Posvar Hall at 12 noon. Light refershments will be served.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012. Xiner Tong, graduate student in the IDMA Program." L2 Acquisition of Mandarin LE and ZAI" Wednesday, February 29, 2012, 12:00 noon in room 4130 WWPH. Refreshments will be served.

Friday, April 6, 2012. David Kim, Department of Anthropology. "Divination and its Mirrors: Patrons, Consumption, and Control in South Korea"

Graduation Reception

The Department will host a reception on Sunday, April 29, 2012, starting at 10:00 am through 12 noon. It is for graduating seniors majoring in Chinese or Japanese. The event will be held on the 3rd floor of the University Club. Each graduate may bring up to four guests. Please RSVP to Paula Locante at 412-624-5568 or Paula Locante, by April 17, 2012. Invitations were sent by email to students (April 9) and a hard copy mailed to their "home address" or "billing address" (April 10). This invitation does not, of course, guarantee that the named student will officially graduate.