Studying Chinese at Cambridge

29/09/2025 41 min

Listen "Studying Chinese at Cambridge"

Episode Synopsis

Stay tuned to hear Dr Heather Inwood, Director of Studies in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Chinese), share everything you need to know about studying Chinese at Cambridge! A full list of discussion points can be found below.More information about Dr Heather Inwood can be found below:https://www.trinhall.cam.ac.uk/people/dr-heather-inwood/00:00 R.F. Kuang01:30 Introductions02:20 Is AMES a literature, language, or history degree?03:10 What languages can you study within the AMES course? Can you study more than one?04:20 How much flexibility is there in what students choose to study?05:20 Are students always reading texts in the language they’re learning, or are some texts in English as well?07:10 What kind of students is AMES for?08:50 Comparing translations with their originals11:00 Advice for those who might find learning another language daunting13:10 How is AMES taught?14:05 What’s the difference between supervisions and classes?16:20 What does the Chinese pathway look like within AMES?21:00 What’s the difference between Classical Chinese and Modern Chinese?23:50 Can you take the course if you’re already fluent in Chinese?25:30 Heather’s favourite aspects of the AMES course — East Asian Media and Popular Culture27:00 What eras does the course cover?28:00 Does the course change depending on current affairs?29:50 What makes Cambridge stand out compared to other universities for studying Chinese?31:00 Heather’s journey from undergraduate to academia32:00 Heather’s research in Contemporary Chinese Poetry and Popular/Internet Fiction33:50 What is Internet Fiction?35:30 Opportunities for new and upcoming writers in the English-speaking world38:05 Advice for students thinking about studying Chinese