The goals and approaches of Chinese curricula in large institutions vary from the preparation of students to do research in ancient government documents to the insistence on a mastery of spoken Mandarin adequate for functioning in a modern Chinese society. No institution does it all, but the limited program in a small college, free from the expectation of any finished product, can be an appropriate introduction to the language and writing system. Specific interests of individual students may be pursued through supplementary reading on such topics as dialectology, lexicography, the influence of Sanskrit scholars on early Chinese phonological studies, or the intricacies of prosody in Tang poetry. Vocabulary items encountered in related courses in Chinese history, art, or philosophy, as well as the most frequently occurring terms in current affairs, can be incorporated into language exercises. The article suggests that by adapting vocabulary and individual study to the requirements of sutdents, to related curricular offerings, and to events in the world, limited Chinese programs provide both sound language instruction and the needed foundation for further study in a variety of areas. (Author)