<p>When you say 5-6 years, are we talking speaking and reading/writing newspapers/literary books or just speaking?</p>
<p>Am asking as 3 years of college level Chinese* at schools with topflight Chinese language programs are the bare minimum to be able to read a newspaper proficiently. Once you hit 4-5 years, you’re reading and writing essays in Chinese on literary works. </p>
<p>My LAC, Oberlin, offers a superb program in Chinese language studies and the instructors my friends and I had there are superb.</p>
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<li>Colleges with less intensive Chinese language programs may dilute this so one year at a school like Oberlin would be 2 years there. Avoid that if possible as then…the pacing is more at the level of a typical high school level foreign language class and may cause problems if you’re hoping to use the language for grad school or more advanced work.</li>
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