Placement interviews and enrolment

Please note that department policy on placement interviews has changed.

From the end of October 2007 students enrolling in the junior units CHNS 1101 Chinese 1A (For Beginners) and CHNS 1201 Chinese 1C (For Advanced Beginners) no longer require placement interviews. You should be able to enrol directly into these units online. Please read carefully the description of these units to decide which one is right for you. If you would like advice on which unit to choose please contact a member of staff.

During the first 2 weeks of class teaching staff will check to ensure that you have chosen the correct unit. During this period you may be advised to change to another unit that is more appropriate for your pre-existing knowledge of Chinese language.

Placement interviews are still required for students who wish to enrol directly into senior units, that is, units with a ‘2’ or ‘3’ as the first number. This will apply, for example, to students who can already read and write Chinese well. If you think this applies to you please contact the coordinator of the unit that you hope to take. You can do this in consultation hours during the semester, otherwise by email.
For those who do require a placement interview, you will normally receive a signed form identifying the unit(s) of study in which you have department permission to enrol. This form must be taken to your own faculty, so that the faculty office staff can enrol you. The permission given by the department is conditional on approval by your faculty.

The deadline for adding units of study is the Friday of Second Week in each semester. Make sure that you have your placement interview no later than the Thursday of Second Week. We do not give permission for late enrolment unless the coordinator is able to certify that the student has already been attending class during the first two weeks.

Some students are on the borderline between two units of study. If, during the first few weeks of class, you feel that the work is either too easy or too hard for you, please talk with the coordinator. Changes in enrolment can be made easily in the first two weeks of the semester. They can still be made, with department support, up to the deadline for withdrawal from units of study (31 March or 31 August).

Departmental enrolment permission is also conditional on your telling us the truth and demonstrating your real level of proficiency. If, during the course of the semester, it proves that your proficiency in Modern Standard Chinese, any other modern Chinese language and/or Classical Chinese is significantly greater than appeared at interview, you may be required to withdraw or discontinue from the unit in which you have enrolled. Students who are asked to withdraw or discontinue but fail to do so are reported to the Dean.