MIT’s ‘OpenCourseWare’ Free Online Chinese Courses

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has launched an “OpenCourseWare” program online, which provides “a free and open educational resource for faculty, students, and self-learners around the world.” Through this program, MIT is essentially providing the content of some of its courses to anyone who would like to access them via the Web. No registration is required.

Courses often feature downloadable textbooks, supplemental study materials, audio or video files, and active discussion groups where you can communicate with other students around the world who are taking the same online courses as you. Outtasite!

Making it even better for us, their offerings include a number of Chinese language study courses.

Update!

• 21F.101 Chinese I (Regular), Spring 2005
  21F.102 Chinese II, Spring 2005
  21F.103 Chinese III (Regular), Fall 2003
  21F.104 Chinese IV (Regular), Spring 2004
  21F.105 Chinese V (Regular): Chinese Cultures & Society, Fall 2003
  21F.106 Chinese VI (Regular): Discovering Chinese Cultures and Societies, Spring 2003
  21F.107 Chinese I (Streamlined), Fall 2002
  21F.108 Chinese II (Streamlined), Spring 2003
  21F.109 Chinese III (Streamlined), Fall 2002
  21F.110 Chinese IV (Streamlined), Spring 2004
  21F.151 Chinese I (Regular), Spring 2005
  21F.152 Chinese II, Spring 2005
  21F.158 Chinese II (Streamlined), Spring 2003

And some other China- and Asia-related courses from the Literature, History and Political Science departments that might interest you:

• 21F.044 Traditional Chinese Literature: Poetry, Fiction and Drama
  21F.191 Smashing the Iron Rice Bowl: Chinese East Asia, Fall 2004
  21H.580 From the Silk Road to the Great Game: China, Russia, and Central Eurasia, Fall 2003
  17.544 Comparative Politics and China, Fall 2002
  17.547 Government and Politics of China, Fall 2002
  11.952 Foshan China Workshop, Spring 2004
  17.551 Political Economy of Chinese Reform, Spring 2003
  17.552 Political Economy of Chinese Reform, Spring 2003
  21F.030 East Asian Cultures: From Zen to Pop, Fall 2002
  21F.043J Introduction to Asian American Studies: Literature, Culture, & Historical Experience, Fall 2002
  21H.504 East Asia in the World, Spring 2003
  17.433 International Relations of East Asia, Spring 2005
  17.53 Democratization in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, Fall 2001

You can also browse a complete list of other MIT OpenCourseWare offerings, or see a list of other universities around the world with OpenCourseWare programs.

Note that OpenCourseWare offerings won’t let you add a degree from MIT to your resume or CV, as they’re not associated with “a degree-granting or certificate-granting activity” and do not “provide access to MIT faculty.” Doh!