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Cantonese, Faculty of Arts

CNTO: Cantonese

All students who wish to take CNTO courses are required to complete an online questionnaire PRIOR to registration. To get your placement approval, please go to https://placement.asia.ubc.ca/


  1. CNTO 301 (3) Basic Cantonese I

    Elementary level (part I) course in Cantonese for non-heritage learners with no prior exposure to or background in Cantonese. Focus on training for basic listening and conversational skills in Cantonese. Heritage speakers of Mandarin are NOT eligible. Recommended pre-requisites: one of CHIN 107, CHIN 233, CHIN 108, CHIN 234, or placement approval. This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.

  2. CNTO 303 (3) Basic Cantonese II

    Elementary level (part II) Cantonese for non-heritage learners. Continuation of CNTO 301. Focus on training for basic listening, conversational, and reading skills. Recommended pre-requisite: CNTO 301 or placement approval. This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.

  3. CNTO 311 (3) Basic Cantonese for Mandarin Speakers

    Basic oral and presentation skills in Cantonese. This is an accelerated course that covers content and topics similar to CNTO 301 and CNTO 303, but is structured specifically for heritage speakers of Mandarin. Recommended pre-requisites: one of CHIN 243, CHIN 244, or placement approval. This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.

  4. CNTO 401 (3) Intermediate Cantonese I

    Intermediate lower level (part I) Cantonese for non-heritage learners. Recommended pre-requisites: One of CNTO 303, CNTO 311, or placement approval. This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.

  5. CNTO 403 (3) Intermediate Cantonese II

    Intermediate lower level (part II) Cantonese for non-heritage learners. Continuation of CNTO 401. Recommended pre-requisite: CNTO 401 or placement approval. This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.

  6. CNTO 451 (3) Advanced Cantonese through Popular Culture

    Popular culture in Hong Kong from media such as television, cinema, popular music, literature, social media, etc., through advanced authentic Cantonese listening and reading materials. Open to non-heritage and heritage speakers of Mandarin and/or Cantonese. Recommended pre-requisite: CNTO 401. Prior to registration, a minimum of 9 credits of 300-level ASIA coursework is strongly recommended. This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.


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