INTRODUCTION

The Chinese Language Flagship Program at The University of Mississippi was established in 2003 by a grant from the National Security Education Program. The Language Flagship is one of five NSEP initiatives and is designed to change the way Americans learn languages. The program leads the nation in designing, supporting, and implementing a new paradigm for advanced language education.

The five-year undergraduate program at The University of Mississippi is designed for highly motivated and diligent students who seek to achieve Superior-level proficiency in Chinese while pursuing degrees in the academic major of their choice. Unique aspects of the Chinese Language Flagship include an intensive program for beginners in the summer prior to freshman year, a core Flagship Chinese course taught each semester, small classes that allow for personalized instruction, a nine-week summer session in Taiwan immediately after freshman year, a second summer abroad after sophomore year, and direct enrollment and internship experiences through the Capstone Year in China. Stressing speaking, writing, and presentation skills, as well as listening and reading, the program uses an innovative, task-based curriculum to enable students to achieve professional proficiency in the language.

The goal of the Flagship program is to create global professionals, individuals who possess Superior-level proficiency in Mandarin Chinese and a deep level of cultural understanding necessary to succeed in working in China and with Chinese counterparts here and around the world. Before completing the program, Flagship students will not only attain a high level of language proficiency and a rich level of cultural understanding, but also experience working in a Chinese-language environment for some four months during the Capstone Year experience. This gives our students a significant advantage when planning for the future. Graduates of the Flagship Program are working in the private sector, working in the government, and pursuing graduate degrees at such universities as Harvard and Georgetown.