<p>If you have some knowledge of Chinese (both writing and speaking) you can place into an advanced first-year class; if you’re <em>really</em> good, you might be able to place into a second-year or higher class. The most advanced first-year class meets only in the fall, and after that you’re expected to go on to second-year Chinese. If you place into any of the other first-year classes, you will take them in this sequence:</p>
<ul>
<li>Chinese 1 - fall</li>
<li>Chinese 2 - winter</li>
<li>Chinese 3 - spring</li>
</ul>
<p>Regardless of skill level, once you complete first-year Chinese, you can apply to go on the Beijing FSP in the coming summer or fall.</p>
<p>Drill meets every term for first-year Chinese, but does not exist beyond that, as far as I know. All/most first-year classes are actually taught mainly in English, but use of Chinese in the classroom steadily increases. Traditional characters are used initially, but simplified characters are introduced in Chinese 3. The pedagogical approach is basically the same as at anywhere else: memorize a bunch of words/characters and learn how to use them in sentences. Emphasis is also placed on getting the pin1yin1 right.</p>