Why Study Chinese Language at Holy Cross?

• Chinese is the first language of 1.3 billion people … one-fifth of the world’s population. Spoken as the first language by more people than any other language, Chinese is predicted to surpass English as the #1 language on the world wide web by 2007.
• Chinese language study opens the door to the rich cultural traditions of China, a civilization spanning several thousand years, and to the dynamic China of the 21st Century.
• China is strategically important to United States’ national security, foreign relations, and trade, and Chinese is considered by the U.S. government to be one of the world’s critical languages.
  The economy of the People’s Republic of China is among the strongest in the world and continues to grow by 7% or more per year.
• A strong Chinese language background is essential for careers and advanced study involving China in business, education, journalism, and diplomacy.

Holy Cross offers...

• 4 years of Chinese language and courses in English on Chinese literature and culture
• A major and concentration in Chinese Studies or Asian Studies through the Center for Interdisciplinary and Special Studies
• Study Abroad in China through the Holy Cross Study Abroad Program
• A scholarship for study abroad for one graduating senior each year

Welcoming the Year of the Ox (2009)