# Chinese ## expand\_more The teaching of Chinese as a foreign language at Harvard University began in 1879. The application of modern linguistic theory and methods to Chinese language education began with Professor Yuen Ren Chao at Harvard University in 1942. Since then, Harvard's Chinese language pedagogy initiated a new age of modernization which established two foundational traditions. They require that teaching materials employ 'authentic spoken Chinese' and that teaching pedagogy engages in a direct drilling method. For more than half a century, these Harvard traditions have exhibited a powerful resilience, as professor Timothy Light remarked in 1982, "let us not forget that Y.R. Chao was the pioneer in what is now the accepted mode of teaching Chinese." Today, the teaching and learning of Chinese is entering a new era of economic and cultural globalization, and Chinese language is increasingly prevalent in the international academic discourse. To this end, the Chinese Language Program at Harvard has composed Chinese language curricula from first- through fifth-year courses based on the traditional principle of 'authentic spoken Chinese', and the newly developed methodology of teaching 'elegant written Chinese'. The Chinese language curriculum and textbooks developed are not only used by students at Harvard, but also by those who study overseas at the Harvard-Taipei Academy in Taipei. Building on the experiences of the Harvard Beijing Academy, the Harvard Taipei Academy was launched in Taipei in 2023. It enables students to complete an entire academic year’s coursework in eight weeks through an immersive experience that includes extensive interaction with local Taiwanese people and deep cultural exploration. For a closer look at the activities and experiences offered, please [visit this website](https://sites.harvard.edu/harvard-taipei-academy/). Beyond classroom instruction, the Chinese program enhances student engagement with the Chinese language and culture through a variety of extracurricular activities, fostering language skills and nurturing a close-knit community. The following video commemorates the 100th anniversary of the program, showcasing nearly a decade (2014-2022) of student interactions with the Chinese language across diverse settings. We invite you to learn more about our program as we look forward to further breakthroughs in language instruction and acquisition. ![facebook](/sites/g/files/omnuum3106/files/styles/hwp_1_1__100x100_scale/public/ealc/files/333140-facbook.jpg?itok=q8xeeeZ1)