East meets West Virginia.

As China becomes an increasingly important economic and political player on the world stage, the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University is providing the opportunity for students to learn all things east about the countrys language and culture.

Dr. Huey Hannah Lin has joined the faculty of Foreign Languages in the Eberly College as visiting assistant professor of Chinese and is now teaching introductory level courses that she hopes to build on in coming semesters.

This year, we begin with elementary Chinese, and each year we will add to that, so that within four years, we will have every level through advanced Chinese,Dr. Lin said.

I’m also working on the syllabus for an introductory course in Chinese language and culture that will be taught in English,she said.It will be a good introduction for all students who are interested in China.

Lin was born in Taiwan and came to the United States to attend college. She earned a bachelors in linguistics from the University of Oregon and a masters in foreign language education from Ohio State University. She stayed on at Ohio State to earn her doctorate in Chinese linguistics and pedagogy.

Lin taught previously at Princeton University and the University of California-Los Angeles. Her research is in the field of pragmaticsa study of how language is tailored and delivered to fit in various communication contexts.

After teaching at UCLA , I felt I could offer more to students at WVU ,Lin said.Given the economic power of China, this curriculum will open doors for our students.

This is the first time in many years weve been able to offer Chinese,Foreign Languages Chair Dr. Donald Hall said.We’re excited about this and very pleased to have Dr. Lin join our faculty.”

Eberly College Dean Mary Ellen Mazey agreed, saying it wasespecially propitiousthat Lin should join her college at this time in the world.

Our political science department has recently begun offering a concentration in intelligence and national security, and the opportunity for students in that program to learn Chinese will be especially helpful,Mazey added.Chinese will also have an immediate impact on programs in history, business, and other disciplines. Its an important part of our effort to make WVU a more international university.

For more information, contact Lin at Huey.Lin@mail.wvu.edu or 304-293-5121.