CHINESE 211.51
INDIVIDUALIZED SECOND-YEAR CHINESE READING, WRITING
TIMES AND LOCATIONS
Time: Individualized. Online scheduling
Place: Chinese II classroom, 120 Hagerty Hall
TEXTBOOKS
All books are available at SBX.
(Character Text for Beginning Chinese)
Written Transfer III
(The Lady in the Painting) Packet
(Read Chinese Book Two)
Self-Study Guide to Read Chinese Book Two
AUDIO PROGRAMS
Audio tapes are available in the lab in Cunz 108.You can listen to the tapes in the lab, but you must bring your own headphones.You may also make your own copies on the high-speed dubbing machines.You will need to supply your own 90-minute blank tapes for this. Lab staff does not know which tape you need for a course so you must be able to tell them the tape number, which is to be found on the. We will use these tape series:
CHI DEF BCBeginning Chinese (CTBC)
CHI RCII Read Chinese Book Two (RCII)
CHI 02 The Lady in the Painting (LP)
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This is a course that designed to enhance your reading and writing in Chinese. It is a continuation of Chinese 103.51 Reading and Writing Track. You are supposed to be able speak in Chinese prior to enroll in the Reading and Writing Track of Chinese Individualized Instruction. In this course, you will work on learning to read and write in Chinese, but your discussion with the instructors regarding various topics will be conducted in Chinese. The texts covered in this course are stories written by the Chinese for foreigners. By the end of this course, you will be able to read stories written for middle-school children in China. Reading, Composition and Evaluation constitute the major components of this course.
READING
In this course you may begin to work with simplified characters if you plan to study or work in the PRC. You may remain with traditional characters if you choose to.Not all texts are in simplified characters, so everyone will still need to do some work with the traditional form.
You will continue to read CTBC (Character Text for Beginning Chinese). Then begin Read Chinese Book Two with a start of The Lady in the Painting in the last Unit.A lesson from this will include reading aloud and asking/answering questions in Chinese on the content of the stories.Successful preparation for classes includes studying with the audio recordings of the texts.The supplement to RCII will also help you to prepare for the first five lessons of RCII. RCII has the texts in simplified characters as well.When reading with an instructor, you will not be permitted to use a text with any notations on the page.The instructor may give you a clean copy of the book to read. The instructor will ask you questions regarding the content of the text you read. You are expected to engage in a smooth discussion with the instructor.
Written Transfer III:This is a character workbook.You use this to review the writing system and make sure your command of basic writing is sound (see CTBC).Familiarity with the orthography and accuracy and speed of recall are the focus of these materials.
Read Chinese Book II:This is a book of stories focused on a few characters and based on a limited set of characters. Again, we are looking for speed and accuracy in the performance of reading these texts.When you meet with an instructor, you will be responsible for performing the texts in the form of reading aloud upon request and recalling and discussing the content of the texts.Your instructor will not only pay attention to what the stories are about, but also to how they are presented.Your ability to readily process these texts will be a good foundation as we move toward the style of writing found in Chinese publications.
The Lady in the Painting: You will start reading an introduction to the story, namely the preface and then pick it up at 311.51.
COMPOSITION
If you wish to learn to write simplified characters, you may do so; or you may remain with traditional characters.Our requirement is that, whichever type of characters you choose to write, you must be able to read both.
You will find that there is more writing work to do now than Chinese 103.51. In addition to the “Writing” and “Summary” you became familiar with in Chinese 103.51, a new “Composition” requirement is imposed. Your “Writing” and “Summary” will cover CTBC 19-23.As you know, you will be expected to write from the audio tapes of those lessons, so prepare by practicing writing with the tapes.Simplified characters are in the later pages of CTBC if you want to learn them instead of or in addition to the traditional characters.For each Unit (equals to one-credit work) you have to write a short (200 characters) composition on a topic listed in class schedule. The topic of the composition is related to one or more of the texts you read within the Unit. So you may refer to the reading texts to see how the Chinese write on the same topic.
EVALUATION
Your final grade is based on your Daily Performance, including the compositions you turn in for each Unit. Each composition counts as one progressive Stage within a specific Unit.
Daily performance of designated material will be graded on the following four-point scale:
4.0 Excellent performance that promises interaction with a native speaker with no difficulty, discomfort or misunderstanding.
3.5 Some minor errors draw a native’s attention to your language but do not hinder communication.
3.0 More serious errors affect communication but do not seriously disrupt it.A native may ask you to clarify your meaning, or need to repeat something for you.
2.5 Some preparation evident, but requires a lot of help from the interlocutor.An English-speaking native might avoid using Chinese with you.
2.0 Minimal preparation, which puts a burden on interlocutor.A native would avoid using Chinese with you or simply give up the discussion.
1.5 barely prepared
1.0 in class but unprepared
0 absent
If your points are lower than 2.5, you will be sent back to prepare for the same Stage one more time. However, if you miss appointment three times, your final grade will be downgraded by one point (B to B- for instance.)
Assignments are due as indicated in class schedule. Each Stage is grade on the four-point scale. So also your Writings, Summaries and Compositions.
CLASSES
Classes will, with few exceptions, be conducted in Chinese.The exceptions will be FACT classes in which we will use English to explain materials or answer questions you may have. You have to specify which session (ACT or FACT) you want it to be each time you are online to schedule an appointment.
Your performance will be aided by the Class Schedule which tells you what to prepare for.IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THE SCHEDULE IS ASKING YOU TO DO, YOUR SHOULD SEEK CLARIFICATION FROM THE INSTRUCTORS.
INSTRUCTORS, THE COURSE, AND YOU
Your ACT teachers will not speak English with you in or out of class unless absolutely necessary.Their responsibility is to require you to deal with them in Chinese, so do not attempt to engage them in English exchanges.The exception to this might be a minimal use of English in explanations of complex language phenomena.
Your instructors are patient and strong-willed and are committed to your progress in Chinese language skills.Your responsibility is to be engaged with the materials and instructors and to do the work to the best of your ability.This is an active—not a passive—process on everyone’s part.You must come to class well-prepared to perform the assignments, pay attention to instructor feedback, and ask questions when you have questions to ask.
FINAL WORDS
In this course the reading will proceed at a faster pace than the writing.It is one of the aims of this program to have you working with standard newspaper articles by the end of 511.51.This is not an unrealistic objective, but your success in attaining it depends on your willingness and commitment.
Our overall purpose is to train you as directly as we can to a measurably higher level of functional skill in Chinese reading and writing.Your teachers are determined to give you the best possible opportunity to learn the language.If you ever think we are not living up to this, discuss it with your instructors.If we think you are not giving your best, we will be sure to let you know.
