麻省理工学院的中文系提供广泛的汉语普通话培训，有两个不同的途径：普通和精简（适用于具有中文背景的学生）。经过三年的培训，学生将具有良好的普通话工作知识，使他们有能力在中国社会工作或学习。我们的中文课程采用创新的教学方法，重视在各个层次上对语言和文化的综合学习。学生从事学习活动，使他们能够精通听觉理解，口语，阅读和写作。我们的讲师开发的多媒体项目等教育技术被用于许多中文课中，以增强语言学习能力，并帮助学生探索中国文化和社会。除了语言学习之外，麻省理工学院的中国研究还提供了许多以英语授课的有关中国文化，历史，
Mandarin Chinese is the most widely-spoken language in the world and the third most spoken language in the U.S. As an official language of China, Taiwan, and Singapore, its economic and geopolitical importance grows annually, and Chinese scientific, scholarly, literary, and artistic contributions are recognized globally. Learning Chinese offers a gateway to cultures and histories spanning millennia and continents, and prepares students to participate in MIT-China programs and our IAP-in-Shenzhen class.<br><br>Chinese Studies at MIT offers two distinct tracks: Regular and Streamlined. The Regular track is for first-time learners, while Streamlined subjects are geared to students with some level of spoken Chinese competency without equivalent literacy. Both the Regular and Streamlined tracks employ innovative pedagogical methods, including multimedia projects to integrate language and culture learning that grow student proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Language for special purposes subjects, including 21G.120 Business Chinese, prepare students to use Chinese after they leave MIT. Chinese Studies also incorporates a focus on Chinese cultural studies through classes taught in English, and addressing topics from Chinese history, to modern society, literature, film and global immigration.