Two Minor Programs and Two Featured Classes
at School of Foreign Languages
Advanced English-Chinese Interpreting Minor Program
Admission
The program enrolls students every two years. Twelve to sixteen students with a high degree of proficiency in both English and Chinese are selected from the sophomores and juniors of all undergraduate majors. Students need to provide their grade points, CET-4, CET-6, IELTS or TOEFL scores, and submit a copy of their English proficiency test certificate and academic report card. The top 30 candidates, selected on the basis of their English scores and GPA ranking, will be eligible for the entry exam.
Aim of the Program
Based on the concept of elite education, the program of “Advanced English-to-Chinese Interpreting” aims to cultivate students with a good command of English and Chinese, extensive knowledge, and good humanistic qualities. Upon completion of the program, students will have a profound understanding of Chinese and foreign society and culture, become familiar with theories of interpretation and master the basic skills of consecutive interpretation and simultaneous interpretation, understand the market demand and industry norms of interpretation, and demonstrate good professional ethics. They will be able to work as professional interpreters in the fields of foreign affairs, economy and trade, education, culture, science and technology.
Program overview
“Advanced English-to-Chinese Interpreting” is a two-year program of eight courses and 24 credits.
1) The program emphasizes the combination of in-class training with self-learning. Students’ extracurricular training time must not be less than 3 hours per day, and a total of 2000 tape hours of training must be completed in two years;
2) A mid-term qualification system is adopted. Mid-term assessment will be conducted after the end of the first academic year, and those who fail to pass the assessment will be disqualified from the second year of study. Once admitted to the program, students must complete the two years of study and must not drop out by themselves;
3) The School will invite high-level professional interpreters or top experts and scholars in the field of interpretation at home and abroad to give lectures and teach courses;
4) During their study, students will receive funding from the University (or the School) which will enable them to join a three-month international top-level interpretation and translation program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, California, USA, which is known as “the Harvard in the field of interpretation”.
5) Those who successfully complete their studies will receive the diploma of “Advanced English-to-Chinese Interpreting” issued by the University.
Courses
| Semester |
Course |
Course type |
Credit |
| 1st semester |
Liaison interpretation |
Elective |
3 |
| 1st semester |
Fundamentals of consecutive interpretation (1) |
Elective |
3 |
| 2nd semester |
Business interpretation |
Elective |
3 |
| 2nd semester |
Fundamentals of consecutive interpretation (2) |
Elective |
3 |
| 3rd semester |
Sight translation |
Elective |
3 |
| 3rd semester |
Consecutive interpretation on special topics (1) |
Elective |
3 |
| 4th semester |
Fundamentals of simultaneous interpretation |
Elective |
3 |
| 4th semester |
Consecutive interpretation on special topics (2) |
Elective |
3 |
Entry exam:
The entry exam lasts 12-13 minutes for each candidate. Candidates will be asked to perform two-way target language retelling and to give an impromptu speech. The specific requirements are as follows:
(1) B language → A language retelling. Without taking notes, the candidate listens to a three-minute speech in English (without pause) and then retells the speech in Chinese. When retelling, key information and the logic of the speech should be presented clearly.
(2) A language → B language retelling. Without taking notes, the candidate listens to a three-minute speech in Chinese (without pause) and then retells the speech in English. When retelling, key information and the logic of the speech should be presented clearly.
(3) B language impromptu speech. The candidate gives a two-minute impromptu speech in English according to a topic provided by the examiner, after half a minute’s preparation,.
International News and Foreign Affairs English Minor Program
Admission
All sophomores of Shenzhen University are eligible to apply. Students need to provide their grade points and any one of the following scores: CET-4, CET-6, IELTS or TOEFL. A copy of the English proficiency test certificate and the academic report card must be submitted with the application. The top 30 candidates, selected on the basis of their English scores and GPA ranking, will be eligible for the entry exam.
Aim of the program
The program of “International News and Foreign Affairs” was established in 2019 with the aim of cultivating interdisciplinary talents of international news and foreign affairs. The program enrolls students once a year. It selects 20-22 students with outstanding English and Chinese abilities and a strong interest in international news and foreign affairs from the sophomores of all undergraduate majors in the University for a two-year high-intensity and high-level training program. The program offers courses including international journalism and diplomacy, English listening, speaking, reading and translation, foreign affairs escort interpretation, English news interview and writing, media and diplomatic interpretation, international relations, diplomatic etiquette, and so on.
The program implements an application-oriented teaching mode to cultivate students who are familiar with the theory and practice of international news and foreign affairs, have a global vision, diplomatic etiquette literacy, cross-cultural communication abilities, and demonstrate good professional ethics. Students will be able to work as English news reporters, editors, translators, interpreters, and in other relevant posts in the field of news, foreign relations, foreign affairs, and publicity.
Program overview
“International News and Foreign Affairs English” is a two-year program of nine courses and 20 credits.
1) Training: The program emphasizes the practice of international news and diplomacy. It focuses on the training of students’ basic skills of English listening, speaking, reading, writing and translation, and pays special attention to the cultivation of students’ knowledge of international relations and foreign affairs etiquette. Students must complete listening, speaking, reading, writing, translating and other tasks of international news and diplomatic English according to the curriculum’s requirements, and carry out English news interviews and writing practice.
2) Social practice: The program provides students with international news and foreign affairs internship opportunities, such as participating in foreign affairs and diplomatic activities of the Department of International Exchange and Cooperation of Shenzhen University, and carrying out internship activities in Shenzhen Daily, Xinhua news agency and Shenzhen Cloud Translation Technology Co., Ltd.
3) Credit management: credits obtained in the program can replace core credits, elective credits, or general elective credits. International journalism and diplomacy English reading and translation (1) and (2) can replace translation (1) and (2), respectively. Foreign affairs escort interpretation and media and diplomatic interpretation can replace interpretation (1) and (2), respectively. Other courses can replace elective or general elective courses.
4) Those who successfully complete their studies will receive the diploma of “International News and Foreign Affairs” issued by the University.
Courses
| Semester |
Course type |
Course |
Credit |
| 1st semester |
Elective |
International journalism and diplomacy English listening & speaking (1) |
3 |
| 1st semester |
Elective |
International journalism and diplomacy English reading & translation (1) |
3 |
| 2nd semester |
Elective |
International journalism and diplomacy English listening & speaking (2) |
2 |
| 2nd semester |
Elective |
International journalism and diplomacy English reading & translation (2) |
2 |
| 3rd semester |
Elective |
English news interview and writing |
2 |
| 3rd semester |
Elective |
Media and diplomatic interpretation |
2 |
| 4th semester |
Elective |
International relations |
2 |
| 4th semester |
Elective |
Diplomatic etiquette |
2 |
| 4th semester |
Elective |
Foreign affairs escort interpretation |
2 |
Entry exam:
(1) English news retelling and translation. The candidate listens to a short piece of news in English (two minutes, notes-taking is allowed). After half a minute’s preparation, the candidate retells the news in English. After retelling, the candidate translates the news into Chinese.
(2) Impromptu speech in English on current affairs. Based on the news topics provided by the examiner, after half a minute’s preparation, the candidate gives a two-minute impromptu speech in English.
(3) The entry exam lasts 10 minutes per candidate.
3.English-Spanish Featured Class
Admission
All first-year English majors are eligible to apply. An oral examination will be carried out.
Aim of the program
The English-Spanish Featured Class provides bilingual teaching to cultivate comprehensive international talents with a solid foundation in English language and literature and a strong application ability of Spanish language. They will have extensive knowledge, good humanistic qualities, and cross-cultural communication abilities. Students will be able to work in the fields of foreign trade, translation and management in foreign-related enterprises, organizations, and government institutions.
Program overview
(1) The program offers bilingual teaching. Students learn English and Spanish (English as the main subject, Spanish as the secondary subject). Upon completion of the program, students’ English level should reach the level of TEM-4 and TEM-8, and their Spanish level should reach the level of EEE 4.
(2) The program offers small-class teaching. Each year there will be one class of 15-20 students. Small-class teaching follows the best practices in language learning, as it can better facilitate students’ language and cultural communication activities and achieve better learning effects.
(3) A mid-term qualification system is adopted. Mid-term assessment will be conducted after the end of the first academic year, and those who fail to pass the assessment will be disqualified from the next three years of study. Once admitted to the program, students must complete the four years of study and must not drop out by themselves.
(4) English and Spanish lectures and competitions will be held from time to time to help students master and use the two languages flexibly through various activities.
Entry exam
Since September 2018, the English-Spanish Featured Class selects students from first-year English majors at the beginning of the autumn semester each year. First, students submit applications on a voluntary basis, and then an oral examination is carried out. Each year, 15-20 students are selected. The oral examination aims at measuring students’ level of English proficiency, including listening, speaking, reading, writing and translation skills in English.
Courses
The English-Spanish Featured Class is a four-year program. Students must complete 151 credits, including 29 credits for general courses (23 credits for basic general courses and 6 credits for extended general courses), 75 credits for core courses (53 credits for English core courses and 22 credits for Spanish core courses), 37 credits for elective courses (24 credits for English elective courses and 13 credits for Spanish elective courses), and 10 credits for fee-free practical courses. Students are required to take CET-4 and TEM-8 examinations. They are also advised to take CEFR B-level examinations, which is equivalent to EEE 4.
Teaching management
The English-Spanish Featured Class is organized and managed independently. It is run by the English Department with the assistance of the Spanish Department. The curriculum is composed of core courses and elective courses for English majors and Spanish majors. The English courses are delivered by teachers in the English Department, and the Spanish courses by teachers in the Spanish Department. The program emphasizes the integration of in-class learning and extracurricular practices to cultivate international bilingual talents, carry out scientific research cooperation and provide social services.
Internship programs
Students will participate in internship programs related to English or Spanish. Their graduation thesis will be written in English. Opportunities will be provided for students to participate in social practices such as the Shenzhen High Tech Fair, the Sailing Cup, and translation services in cooperation with Tencent and Yangtao Translation Company.
Faculty
The teaching staff of the English-Spanish Featured Class mainly consist of Chinese and foreign teachers from the English and Spanish departments.
4. English-German Featured Class
Admission
All first-year English majors are eligible to apply. An oral examination will be carried out.
Aim of the program
The English-German Featured Class provides bilingual teaching to cultivate comprehensive international talents with a solid foundation in English language and literature and strong German language abilities. They will have extensive knowledge, good humanistic qualities and cross-cultural communication abilities. Students will be able to work in the fields of foreign trade, translation and management in foreign-related enterprises, organizations and government institutions.
Program overview
(1) The program offers bilingual teaching. Students learn English and German (English as the main subject, German as the secondary subject). Upon completion of the program, students’ English level should reach the level of TEM-4 or TEM-8, and their German level should reach the level of PGG 4.
(2) The program offers small-class teaching. Each year there will be one class of 15-20 students. Small-class teaching follows the best practices in language learning, as it can better facilitate students’ language and cultural communication activities and achieve better learning effects.
(3) A mid-term qualification system is adopted. Mid-term assessment will be conducted after the end of the first academic year, and those who fail to pass the assessment will be disqualified from the next three years of study. Once admitted to the program, students must complete the four years of study and must not drop out by themselves.
(4) English and German lectures and competitions will be held from time to time to help students master and use the two languages flexibly through various activities.
Entry exam
Since September 2018, the English-German Featured Class selects students from first-year English majors at the beginning of the autumn semester each year. First, students submit applications on a voluntary basis, and then an oral examination is carried out. Each year, 15-20 students are selected. The oral examination aims at measuring students’ level of English proficiency, including listening, speaking, reading, writing and translation skills in English.
Courses
The English-German Featured Class is a four-year program. Students must complete 151 credits, including 29 credits for general courses (23 credits for basic general courses and 6 credits for extended general courses), 75 credits for core courses (53 credits for English core courses and 22 credits for German core courses), 37 credits for elective courses (24 credits for English elective courses and 13 credits for German elective courses), and 10 credits for fee-free practical courses. Students are required to take CET-4 and TEM-8 examinations. They are also advised to take CEFR B-level examinations, which is equivalent to PGG 4.
Teaching management
The English-German Featured Class is organized and managed independently. It is run by the English Department with the assistance of the German Department. The curriculum is composed of core courses and elective courses for English majors and German majors. The English courses are delivered by teachers in the English Department, and the German courses by teachers in the German Department. The program emphasizes the integration of in-class learning and extracurricular practices to cultivate international bilingual talents, carry out scientific research cooperation and provide social services.
Internship programs
Students will participate in internship programs related to English or German. Their graduation thesis will be written in English. Opportunities will be provided for students to participate in social practices such as the Shenzhen High Tech Fair, the Sailing Cup, and translation services in cooperation with Tencent and Yangtao Translation Company.
Faculty
The teaching staff of the English-German Featured Class mainly consist of Chinese and foreign teachers from the English and German departments.
Admission consultation: Mr. Wang 26732702
