CHINESE 511.51
INDIVIDUALIZED FOURTH-YEAR CHINESE READING, WRITING
TIMES AND LOCATIONS
Time: Individualized. Online scheduling
Place: Chinese II classroom, 120 Hagerty Hall
Textbooks
(available at SBX)
A New Text for a Modern China(NTMC)
Reading Chinese Newspapers(RCN)
Course Description
This is a course that designed to enhance your reading and writing in Chinese. It is a continuation of Chinese 311.51 Reading and Writing). 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 partly newspaper texts written for the Chinese but adapted to foreign learners (NTMC) and partly authentic newspaper articles written for native Chinese readers. By the end of this course, you will be able to read texts written for high school students in China. Like Chinese 311.51, Reading, Composition and Evaluation are still the three major components of the courses but special requirements need to be noted:
Course Procedures
a) NTMC:The texts in NTMC become more complicated to comprehend. You need to work at a slower pace now than in 311.51. Read carefully the introductions to the texts. They can help you better understand the content. It is advisable to surf on the Net to find related articles to further strengthen your reading comprehension. You are now required to define a problem and provide solutions. When you do your own writing assignments, we expect you to respond to define a problem and provide a solution as well.
b) RCN:You may feel that there is a big jump in the complexity of the texts from NTMC to RNC in terms of both the vocabulary and the structures used in the authentic newspaper texts in RCN. Although we only cover three articles from RCN, you probably need twice or more time working a lesson in RCN than in NTMC. So plan ahead. You should leave enough time to tackle the last three articles, probably more than you anticipate. We encourage you to read one of them by yourself prior to moving onto that stage so as to get an idea how much time you need for that section. Remember, you can only adjust your credit hours during the 6th week.
c) Writing. You will no longer write Summaries. You are free now to express yourself. And you are expected to write longer and in more detail, using more extensive vocabulary and more complicated structures. That means each of your compositions now should be 250 characters instead of 200 characters required in 311.51.
d) Composition:You are learning to define and present problems as well as provide solutions in a more professional manner. We do not expect you to write like a native professional but we ask that you move in that direction. Simply expressing yourself is not enough. You must do it in a rational, logical and convincing way, which means that we expect you present to us not only what you think, i.e., your opinions and feelings, but also supporting evidence to your arguments. You may naturally refer to your English writing for preparing and fulfilling the composition tasks but we encourage you to pay close attention on how the Chinese do their argumentation, both in writing and in speaking. That may help you better in understanding the Chinese way of thinking. Remember, only when you follow their way, will they think or feel your argument is convincing. After all, your Chinese is going to be used to interact with the Chinese.
e) In-class reading.Similarly, during an in-class reading session, the instructor now would ask you to establish your argument or to prove what you said or what you get from the reading.
f) Class Schedules:class schedules are available online now at http://deall.osu.edu/courses/c-lang/ii/511_51agenda
g) Tests:There will be no mid-term or final for this course. Your final grade is totally determined by your daily grade, namely your grades on Stages (Reading and Discussion and Composition).
h) Grades 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.
2.0 Minimal preparation, which puts burden on interlocutor.A native would avoid using Chinese with you or simply give up to communicate with you.
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 for 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 designated in class schedule.You are not allowed to move onto the next stage until you finish all the work (including Summary and Composition) in the current Unit.
FINAL WORDS
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.
You are now dealing with the authentic Chinese newspaper articles. That doesn’t mean you can read Chinese newspaper by yourself. You have to work hard to achieve that goal.
We hope to see you in 611.
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.
