SYLLABUS
CHIN-30100-01 (17880) High Intermediate Chinese I
Autumn, 2015
Class times and locations Shíjiān hé dìdiǎn 时间和地点
M, W, F 10:00AM – 10:50AM, Kauke Hall, Room 142
Instructor Jiàoyuán教员
Dr. YOU Ziying (游自荧老师)
Office: 229 Kauke Hall
Phone: (330)-287-1920
Email: zyou@wooster.edu
Office hours: Monday 3:00-4:00pm, or by appointment
Texts and materials Kèběn hé zīliào 课本和资料
Irene Liu, Xiaoqi Li: READING INTO A NEW CHINA Vol 1 变化中的中国 ISBN 978-0-88727-627-9
The audio files are available at www.cheng-tsui.com/downloads. Each book comes with a product key. Use that to access the files on the web.
Learning Objectives/Goals of the Course Kèchéng Mùbiāo 课程目标
Chinese 301 is a continuation of Chinese 202, and its purpose is to continue to train you to communicate successfully in Chinese. We assume that you are interested in communicating with Chinese people in a way that will permit you to pursue professional goals in some segment of a Chinese society. This means that we expect you to learn how to communicate in Chinese in a way that a Chinese person understands it, and to present yourself in a way that a Chinese person will find appropriate. If you cannot express yourself from a Chinese perspective, or if a Chinese person feels uncomfortable when communicating with you, it is less likely that you can accomplish what you intend in China.
This course will steadily develop your capacity to communicate in Chinese. You will develop skills in Chinese to communicate across ethnic, cultural, ideological and national boundaries and to develop an understanding of Chinese culture and related issues. At the end of the course, you will be expected to perform in Chinese at a level of proficiency appropriate for continuing on to the next course in the sequence. You should also demonstrate a level of cultural understanding suitable for correct performance of assigned tasks in Chinese.
I will assure you that if you do what I ask of you on a daily basis, you will learn Chinese. If you learn Chinese, you will do well in this class. Therefore, our evaluation (i.e., your grades) will mainly be based on your performance each day in class (hereafter known as daily performance).
Course description Kèchéng jièshào课程介绍
Classes will be taught in Chinese. Your performance will be aided by schedules which tell you what to prepare for and what to expect in class. The weekly schedules will be posted in advance in Moodle. Your job is to be prepared to perform in class as indicated on the schedule. If you do not understand what the schedule is asking you to do, it is your responsibility to seek clarification. The instructor reserves the right to make changes in the schedule, course requirements, and evaluation standards as necessary.
OUTLINE OF TOPICS
- Population Explosion
- China’s 1.3 billionth Citizen
- Living Quarters
- Education
- A Middle-School Graduate’s Sunday
- College Graduate’s New Job Prospects
- College Students and Fast Food Restaurants
- Love and Marriage
- Marriage Ad and Respondent
- Women and the Home
READING (Yuèdú阅读)
In this course you may continue to write simplified characters (jiăntĭzì) if you plan to study or work in the PRC; or you may continue to write traditional characters (fántĭzì). Everyone should learn to read both systems. Reading class will focus on interacting with Chinese texts from a native speaker’s perspective. A reading lesson may include reading aloud, asking and answering questions in Chinese on the content and language of the selections, and discussing and retelling content. Successful preparation here will include study with the audio recording of the texts which are online as explained on the Audio Downloads page before the Preface. When reading in class, you will not be permitted to use a text with any notations on the page. The instructor may give written quizzes on the readings.
When preparing reading, be sure to READ FOR COMPREHENSION instead of DECODING. First read the text to understand the gist, and then read slowly to get the meanings of each paragraph and understand the meanings between lines. Listen to audio tapes and read aloud to build up fluency and improve your pronunciation as well. Start with the text and use the vocabulary lists as supplements. Reread texts to improve speed and consolidate vocabulary.
WRITING characters and compositions (Hànzì hé Zuòwén汉字和写作)
If you wish to learn to write simplified characters, you may do so; or you may remain with traditional characters. Our requirement is that, whatever type of characters you choose, you must be CONSISTENT. In other words, a composition must be either all in simplified characters or all in traditional characters—mixing will be counted as an error.
You may be expected to write dictations of lessons, so prepare by practicing writing with the audiofiles. When writing, be sure to be able to analyze the components of characters, and write the characters fast and accurately. Practice writing in contexts: in word combinations or sentences. There will be no tracing but you will have quizzes in class.
Weekly Blogs:
Weekly Blogs are open-topic, and may include the following aspects: your personal experience; reflections on current events from newspapers, magazine and website; book (or chapter) reviews; film reviews; any topic related to your area of interest in study. The blog is 150-200 characters. The due date will be indicated in our weekly schedule. You are expected to post 13 weekly blogs online through the semester, 8 points in full for each of them. If you submit 14 or more, the 13 best scores will be counted toward your final grade.
Keep in mind that native Chinese speakers will be your readers. I encourage you to take advantage of my office hours, or to make appointments with me. Individual assistance will be very helpful for your writings.
Evaluation Chéngjī成績
Your grade in this course will be based on three categories of performance, distributed as follows:
1. Daily Performance 312 points
2. Weekly blogs 104
3. Final Exam 84
Percentage Grade Scale
93-100 = A 83-87 = B 73-77 = C 63-67 = D
90-92 = A- 80-82 = B- 70-72 = C- 60-62 = D-
88-89 = B+ 78-79 = C+ 68-69 = D+ 0-59 = E
As you can see, daily performance is the most important factor in your grade, as it is the most important factor in your continued success in learning Chinese. We are convinced that if you
follow the program with consistency and persistence, you will develop significant demonstrable skills in Chinese by the end of the academic year. You will need a minimum of 60% to pass the course). Assignments are due IN CLASS. Late homework will be accepted with a penalty (-2 points per day) and will not be accepted two days late. Most classes will be graded on a scale of 8 possible points each time, effective immediately. Grades will be kept from the first day of the semester in which you have an assignment.
Absence and Makeup Policy Quexí Hé Bukè Guidìng 缺席和补课规定
As usual, your attendance in class is required. However, we offer reasonable numbers of makeup for your missed class. The rules we set up are:
1. You will be allowed to make up NO MORE THAN THREE missed classes. If you need to make up more because of illness or injury, we will require a written medical excuse by your physician. It is your responsibility to seek your instructor and set up make-ups, as we will not remind you.
2. Missed classes MUST be made up within a week of your missed date or you may not be allowed to make it up. It is your responsibility to arrange your makeup on time. Missed classes which are not made up within the above time frame or which exceed three in number will be entered as zeroes in your grade record.
3. The make-ups will be conducted by the instructor during her office hours or by appointment and will cover the work missed.
4. There will be NO MAKEUPS during the first week and final exam week.
5. Arrive on time to class; we may deduct 20% for persistent tardiness; in extreme cases we may refuse to assign a grade for that day/assignment.
Academic Integrity:
The College’s understanding and expectations in regard to issues of academic honesty are fully articulated in the Code of Academic Integrity as published in The Scot’s Key and form an essential part of the implicit contract between the student and the college. The Code provides a framework at Wooster to help students develop and exhibit honesty in their academic work. You are expected to know and abide by the rules of the institution as described in The Scot’s Key and the Handbook of Selected College Policies.
Dishonesty in any of your academic work in a serious breach of the Code of Academic Integrity and is grounds for an “F” for the entire course. Such violations include turning in another person’s work as your own, copying from any source without proper citation, and lying in connection with your academic work. If you are in doubt, ask. You will be held responsible for your actions.
Learning Center:
The Learning Center (ext. 2595) offers services designed to help students improve their overall academic performance. Sessions are structured to promote principles of effective learning and time management. Any student on campus may schedule sessions at the Learning Center. The Learning Center also offers a variety of services and accommodations to students with 5 | 5
disabilities based on appropriate documentation, nature of disability, and academic need. In order to initiate services, students should meet with Pam Rose, Director of the Learning Center, at the start of the semester to discuss reasonable accommodations. You may contact the Learning Center at ext. 2595 or through email at prose@wooster.edu. All discussions will remain confidential.
Instructor, the course, and you Lăoshī, Kèchéng, hé Nĭ 老师，课程和你
Your teacher will not speak English with you in or out of class unless absolutely necessary. Her responsibility is to require you to deal with them in Chinese, so do not attempt to engage her in English exchanges. The exception to this might be a minimal use of English in explanations of complex language phenomena.
Your instructor is patient and strong-willed and is committed to your progress in Chinese language skills. Your responsibility is to be engaged with the materials and the instructor and to do the work to the best of your ability. This is an active—not a passive—process of everyone’s part. You must come to class well-prepared to perform the assignments, pay attention to instructor’s feedback, and ask questions when you have questions to ask.
I expect an average of about 2 to 3 hours of work for each hour in class. If you are exceeding that by a substantial amount, let me know. You will learn a great deal of Chinese this semester and you will earn every bit of it; however, we do not require an inordinate amount of your time.
The instructor reserves the right to change the grading policies, assignments,
content and materials of the course at any time.
FINAL WORDS Jiéshùyŭ结束语
My overall purpose is to train you as directly as I can to a measurably higher level of functional skill in Chinese. Learning as a class requires a great amount of cooperation, and attitude means everything to the long-run success of our efforts. Your teacher is determined to give you the best possible opportunity to learn the language. If you ever think I am not living up to this, discuss it with me. If I think you are not giving your best, I will be sure to let you know.
学习如逆水行舟，不进则退！