This is an emerging competent course in Chinese as a foreign language. The goal of the course is to foster cross-cultural awareness, understanding, and build Chinese reading and language skills. The course uses authentic texts as a source of reading. The texts give the students an entry into understanding Chinese culture by reading authentic articles and talking about their views and experiences. These readings also present a variety of topics: daily life of a Chinese family, the job of a Chinese zoologist, the stress of Chinese students and many others. The readings and activities in class are intended to get students to examine not only Chinese cultural values, but their own cultural values as well. Students are also supposed to enlarge their vocabulary by studying Chinese morphemes, synonyms, idioms and doing extended reading.
Research has demonstrated that study abroad can enhance every aspect of language ability. One of the most important general findings of this research is, however, that study abroad is most beneficial for the development of abilities related to social interaction. Students who go abroad are able to learn how to produce language in a variety of situations, such as the making of requests, the use of compliments, and apologies, and they also may develop skills to interpret such interactions within the local cultural context. In short, and logically, study abroad has been show to enhance the aspects of communicative competence that are most difficult to foster in classroom settings (IES Abroad MAP for Language and Intercultural Communication, p. 6).
STUDENT PROFILE:
Students who enter this course will have mastered most of the outcomes of the Independent Abroad level as defined by the IES Abroad MAP for Language and Intercultural Communication. Among other characteristics, these students are able to converse at a rate of speed approaching normal conversation. They are creative, spontaneous and self-reliant as they solve problems, interpret texts, negotiate, express their opinions, likes and dislikes in the culture. Although they still make errors and experience communication breakdowns, these students tend to resolve these challenges on their own. Students who enter this level can already understand a variety of colloquial expressions and slang, and are also able to understand a wider variety of native speakers from different backgrounds.
By the end of this course, students will have started to acquire the subtlety of expression and control of complex structures that characterize Competent Abroad learners. However, Emerging Competent Abroad learners have only partial mastery of these structures and quite often resort to simpler and more direct modes of expression, particularly when negotiating linguistically difficult or unfamiliar situations. Students at this level begin to understand some local cultural attitudes, values, beliefs, and behavior patterns. However, there will be numerous gaps and inconsistencies in their knowledge, and they lack the depth of understanding and sophistication of those who have spent more time living and working in the local context.
Prerequisites:
Proficiency at a level equivalent to IES Abroad’s Independent Abroad, as determined by placement test.
Attendance policy:
Every day you start with 100 points (including field trips and Chinese class activities).
•Late within 10 minutes, no deduction from your score.
•Late between 10 and 30 minutes, 30 points will be deducted.
•Late over 30 minutes, 50 points will be deducted.
•The same rule applies to leaving class early.
•Unexcused absences will result in 0 points, and from the fourth absence onward, every absence will result in degrading the final course grade by one-third, e.g. from B- to C+.
Learning outcomes:
Students who are placed in this level should be capable of achieving the outcomes in the Independent Abroad level as defined by the IES Abroad MAP for Language and Intercultural Communication.
By the end of the course, students will be able to achieve some of the outcomes for the Emerging Competent Abroad level as defined by the MAP for Language and Intercultural Communication. The key learning outcomes from the MAP are summarized below:
I. Intercultural Communication
a. Students will be able to recognize and describe key host cultures, subcultures, habits, norms, and behaviors in a variety of settings, and they will be aware of the risk that generalizations can lead to stereotypes.
b. Students will be able to reflect on and discuss the validity of their own cultural beliefs, behaviors, and values by contrasting and comparing them with the host cultures.
c. Students will demonstrate openness toward different beliefs and styles even when they do not agree with them.
d. Students will accept responsibility for their own learning by defining their linguistic goals and demonstrating independence in their exploration of the culture.
II. Listening
a. Students will be able to identify a range of dialects of the spoken language as they are related to cultural, economic, and educational differences.
b. Students will be able to understand a variety of native speakers and non-native experts and comprehend an array of moderately complex interactions.
III. Speaking
a. Students will participate reasonably well in most academic and social interactions using when appropriate complex language including slang, colloquial expressions, double meaning, and humor with increasing confidence.
b. Students will be able to make arguments and form opinions on almost any topic of their interest.
IV. Reading
a. Students will be able to read and understand textbooks and academic articles for classes taught in the host language as well as some popular texts for enjoyment.
b. Students will be able to read and understand authentic materials including newspapers, advertisements, brochures, instruction manuals, etc. on abstract topics with some assistance at times.
V. Writing
a. Students will be able to write for certain native audiences and express themselves somewhat clearly and effectively.
b. Students will be able to write essays for classes incorporating aspects of appropriate academic style with some assistance at times.
Method of presentation:
Audio-lingual method and communicative approach.
Required work and form of assessment:
Mid-term exam (10%)
Final exam (10%)
Bi-weekly quizzes (15%)
Homework (20%)
Attendance (15%)
Participation (15%)
Dictation (15%)
Participation
Every day you start with 100 points (including field trips and other Chinese class activities)
•If you actively participate in the classes and the class-related activities or field trip, you will receive 100 points.
•If you do not participate actively, certain points will be deducted accordingly.
Dictation
A Dictation is worth 100 points
•If you are late or absent, you will probably miss it, and, therefore lose the 100 points.
•For an absence(with a doctor’s note or center director’s written approval), you can make up the previous dictation with your instructor or the language coordinator on the same day. However, you will receive, at most, 70 points for a make-up dictation.
•After the third unexcused absence, that day’s dictation will be 0 points.
Homework
Every homework is worth 100 points.
•If you do it carefully and hand it in on time, you will receive 100 points.
•If you finish it rashly with a careless attitude, certain points will be deducted accordingly.
•If you forget to do the homework or hand it in, you are required to hand it in the next day, and you will receive at most 70 points.
•If you forget to do the homework or hand it in more than two days late, you will get 0 points.
Grading System
Letter
GPA
Percent
A
4.0
95-100
A-
3.7
90.5-94.5
B+
3.3
87.5-90
B
3.0
84.5-87
B-
2.7
81.5-84
C+
2.3
78.5-81
C
2.0
75.5-78
C-
1.7
70-75
D
1.3
60-69
F
0
content:
Week
Content
Assignments
Corresponding Learning Outcome(s)
Week 1
1.Functional:
Describe daily life
2.Grammatical:
ge + v. + ge de (each + v. + each)
to express to do something separately
3.Vocabulary:
words about food and daily life such as retengteng, kanbuguan,
chufei, zhaoli, gezi, zhilei, xingkui
4.Culture: Chinese daily life
Do exercises
from p.8 to p.14
Go to the park
to see Chinese people do morning exercises
Ⅰ. b, c
Ⅱ. a, b
Ⅲ. a, b
Ⅳ. a
Ⅴ. b
Week 2
1.Functional:
Describe daily life
2.Grammatical:
organize sentences chronically
3.Vocabulary:
some synonyms (like ranhou vs. yihou, fengsheng vs. fengfu, tanlun vs. taolun)
4.Culture:
Chinese young people’s life
Supplementary
reading:
1) The life of a Shanghai office worker
2) My day
Write an essay:
My Day
Ⅰ. b, c
Ⅱ. a, b
Ⅲ. a, b
Ⅳ. a, b
Ⅴ. b
Week 3
1.Functional:
Describe a trouble
2. Grammatical:
“yinwei...er…” to express because
3.Vocabulary:
words about feeling and attitude, such as ling, qilai, bing, yiweizhe, haobu, er, faner
4.Culture:
famous person Yao Min
Do exercises
from p.26 to p.32
Supplementary
reading: Yao Ming’s Retirement
Ⅰ.a, b,
Ⅱ. a, b
Ⅲ. a, b
Ⅳ. a
Week 4
1.Functional:
Describe a trouble
2.Grammatical:
organize sentences sequentially
3.Vocabulary:
some synonyms (like yudao vs. jiandao, ziran vs. dangran, mianlin vs. miandui)
4.Culture:
Chinese calligraphy
Practice
characters with
Chinese brush
Supplementary
reading: Calligraphy
Ⅰ. a, b, d
Ⅱ. a, b
Ⅲ. a, b
Ⅳ. a, b
Week 5
1.Functional:
Describe a job
2.Grammatical:
v. + de guolai/ v. + bu guolai
( guolai used as a complement)
3.Vocabulary:
some important adverbs and conjunctions such as jiang, jihu, yilian, yibian, ershi, shenzhi, dang
4.Culture:
Protection of wild animals
Do exercises
from p.46 to p.53
Watch the
Chinese movie: Kekexili
Ⅰ. a, b, c
Ⅱ. a, b
Ⅲ. a, b
Ⅳ. a
Week 6
1.Functional:
Describe a holiday
2.Grammatical:
organize sentences sequentially
3.Vocabulary:
some synonyms (jingli vs. jingshen, manzu vs. manyi, jihu vs. chadianr)
4.Culture:
Chinese scenic spots
Write an
essay: My Holiday
Ⅰ. a, b
Ⅱ. a, b
Ⅲ. a, b
Ⅳ. a
Ⅴ. a, b
Week 7
1.Functional: general revision
2.Grammatical: general revision
3.Vocabulary: general revision
4.Culture: Chinese tea ceremony
Homework
Review for the mid-term exam
Ⅰ. a, b, c
Ⅱ. a, b
Ⅲ. a, b
Ⅳ. a, b
Ⅴ. b
Week 8
1.Functional:
Describe a person
2.Grammatical:
v. + shang
(shang used after a verb to indicate the attainment of an objective)
3.Vocabulary:
some words about personality such as shui, AliAB, jingran, teyi, shide, v+zhe+v+na
4.Culture:
Difference between Northern people and Southern people
Do exercise from
p.68 to p.73
Supplementary
reading: My neighbors are actors
Ⅰ. a, b, c
Ⅱ. a, b
Ⅲ. a
Ⅳ. a
Week 9
1.Functional:
Describe a person
2.Grammatical:
organize sentences sequentially
3.Vocabulary:
some synonyms (tuici vs. jujue, like vs. mashang, leisi vs. xiangsi)
4.Culture:
Chinese cooking
Watch the
documentary: A Bite of China
Practice cooking
Chinese fried rice
Ⅰ.a, b, c
Ⅱ. a, b
Ⅲ. a, b
Ⅳ. a
Week 10
1.Functional:
Describe education problems
2. Grammatical:
fei…buke… (must, to have to)
3.Vocabulary:
words about education such as bujin, juedui, yu, an, dadou, ju, zongdei, bufang
4.Culture:
Chinese education problems
Do exercises
from p.90 to p.97
Supplementary
reading: What do Chinese children lack?
Ⅰ. a, b, c
Ⅱ. a, b
Ⅲ. a, b
Ⅳ. a
Week 11
1.Functional:
Make a conclusion based on a test
2. Grammatical:
shui ye bu…shui, bieshuo…jiulian…
to express neither of…, to say nothing of
3.Vocabulary:
some important conjunctions used in compound sentences such as zaiye, mingming, yixin
4.Culture:
Find personality by mental tests
Do exercises
from p.110 to p.117
Supplementary
reading: A Peacock’s Sorrow
A mental test of
Harvard University
Ⅰ. a, b, c
Ⅱ. a, b
Ⅲ. a, b
Ⅳ. a, b
Ⅴ. b
Week 12
1.Functional:
Tell an economic story
2.Grammatical:
v. + guolai, v. + chulai ( guolai and chulai used as complements)
3.Vocabulary:
words about business
some formal words like suowei…shizhi…, dui…liashuo, youcikejian
4.Culture:
Chinese economic problems
Do exercises
from p.132 to p.139
Supplementary
reading: The Economics Stories of Wang Er
Ⅰ. b, c
Ⅱ. a, b
Ⅲ. a, b
Ⅳ. a
Week 13
1.Functional: general revision
2.Grammatical: general revision
3.Vocabulary: general revision
4.Culture: Chinese New Year
Write an essay:
Days in Shanghai
Ⅰ.a, b, c
Ⅱ. a, b
Ⅲ. a, b
Ⅳ. a, b
Ⅴ. b
Required readings:
Road to success2: lower intermediate 成功之路2：提高篇
Recommended readings:
Some articles from magazines and newspapers
Brief Biography of Instructor:
She has about 20 years of teaching experience, and has taught Chinese at Mandarin House, I Mandarin, East China Normal University and Shanghai Maritime University. She is good at managing the classroom and always encourages students to integrate into the local community.
Chinese Language In Context: Emerging Competent Abroad I
This is an emerging competent course in Chinese as a foreign language. The goal of the course is to foster cross-cultural awareness, understanding, and build Chinese reading and language skills. The course uses authentic texts as a source of reading. The texts give the students an entry into understanding Chinese culture by reading authentic articles and talking about their views and experiences. These readings also present a variety of topics: daily life of a Chinese family, the job of a Chinese zoologist, the stress of Chinese students and many others. The readings and activities in class are intended to get students to examine not only Chinese cultural values, but their own cultural values as well. Students are also supposed to enlarge their vocabulary by studying Chinese morphemes, synonyms, idioms and doing extended reading.
Research has demonstrated that study abroad can enhance every aspect of language ability. One of the most important general findings of this research is, however, that study abroad is most beneficial for the development of abilities related to social interaction. Students who go abroad are able to learn how to produce language in a variety of situations, such as the making of requests, the use of compliments, and apologies, and they also may develop skills to interpret such interactions within the local cultural context. In short, and logically, study abroad has been show to enhance the aspects of communicative competence that are most difficult to foster in classroom settings (IES Abroad MAP for Language and Intercultural Communication, p. 6).
STUDENT PROFILE:
Students who enter this course will have mastered most of the outcomes of the Independent Abroad level as defined by the IES Abroad MAP for Language and Intercultural Communication. Among other characteristics, these students are able to converse at a rate of speed approaching normal conversation. They are creative, spontaneous and self-reliant as they solve problems, interpret texts, negotiate, express their opinions, likes and dislikes in the culture. Although they still make errors and experience communication breakdowns, these students tend to resolve these challenges on their own. Students who enter this level can already understand a variety of colloquial expressions and slang, and are also able to understand a wider variety of native speakers from different backgrounds.
By the end of this course, students will have started to acquire the subtlety of expression and control of complex structures that characterize Competent Abroad learners. However, Emerging Competent Abroad learners have only partial mastery of these structures and quite often resort to simpler and more direct modes of expression, particularly when negotiating linguistically difficult or unfamiliar situations. Students at this level begin to understand some local cultural attitudes, values, beliefs, and behavior patterns. However, there will be numerous gaps and inconsistencies in their knowledge, and they lack the depth of understanding and sophistication of those who have spent more time living and working in the local context.
Proficiency at a level equivalent to IES Abroad’s Independent Abroad, as determined by placement test.
Every day you start with 100 points (including field trips and Chinese class activities).
•Late within 10 minutes, no deduction from your score.
•Late between 10 and 30 minutes, 30 points will be deducted.
•Late over 30 minutes, 50 points will be deducted.
•The same rule applies to leaving class early.
•Unexcused absences will result in 0 points, and from the fourth absence onward, every absence will result in degrading the final course grade by one-third, e.g. from B- to C+.
Students who are placed in this level should be capable of achieving the outcomes in the Independent Abroad level as defined by the IES Abroad MAP for Language and Intercultural Communication.
By the end of the course, students will be able to achieve some of the outcomes for the Emerging Competent Abroad level as defined by the MAP for Language and Intercultural Communication. The key learning outcomes from the MAP are summarized below:
I. Intercultural Communication
a. Students will be able to recognize and describe key host cultures, subcultures, habits, norms, and behaviors in a variety of settings, and they will be aware of the risk that generalizations can lead to stereotypes.
b. Students will be able to reflect on and discuss the validity of their own cultural beliefs, behaviors, and values by contrasting and comparing them with the host cultures.
c. Students will demonstrate openness toward different beliefs and styles even when they do not agree with them.
d. Students will accept responsibility for their own learning by defining their linguistic goals and demonstrating independence in their exploration of the culture.
II. Listening
a. Students will be able to identify a range of dialects of the spoken language as they are related to cultural, economic, and educational differences.
b. Students will be able to understand a variety of native speakers and non-native experts and comprehend an array of moderately complex interactions.
III. Speaking
a. Students will participate reasonably well in most academic and social interactions using when appropriate complex language including slang, colloquial expressions, double meaning, and humor with increasing confidence.
b. Students will be able to make arguments and form opinions on almost any topic of their interest.
IV. Reading
a. Students will be able to read and understand textbooks and academic articles for classes taught in the host language as well as some popular texts for enjoyment.
b. Students will be able to read and understand authentic materials including newspapers, advertisements, brochures, instruction manuals, etc. on abstract topics with some assistance at times.
V. Writing
a. Students will be able to write for certain native audiences and express themselves somewhat clearly and effectively.
b. Students will be able to write essays for classes incorporating aspects of appropriate academic style with some assistance at times.
Audio-lingual method and communicative approach.
Every day you start with 100 points (including field trips and other Chinese class activities)
•If you actively participate in the classes and the class-related activities or field trip, you will receive 100 points.
•If you do not participate actively, certain points will be deducted accordingly.
A Dictation is worth 100 points
•If you are late or absent, you will probably miss it, and, therefore lose the 100 points.
•For an absence(with a doctor’s note or center director’s written approval), you can make up the previous dictation with your instructor or the language coordinator on the same day. However, you will receive, at most, 70 points for a make-up dictation.
•After the third unexcused absence, that day’s dictation will be 0 points.
Every homework is worth 100 points.
•If you do it carefully and hand it in on time, you will receive 100 points.
•If you finish it rashly with a careless attitude, certain points will be deducted accordingly.
•If you forget to do the homework or hand it in, you are required to hand it in the next day, and you will receive at most 70 points.
•If you forget to do the homework or hand it in more than two days late, you will get 0 points.
Letter
GPA
Percent
A
4.0
95-100
A-
3.7
90.5-94.5
B+
3.3
87.5-90
B
3.0
84.5-87
B-
2.7
81.5-84
C+
2.3
78.5-81
C
2.0
75.5-78
C-
1.7
70-75
D
1.3
60-69
F
0
Week
Content
Assignments
Corresponding Learning Outcome(s)
Week 1
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
to express to do something separately
3.Vocabulary:
chufei, zhaoli, gezi, zhilei, xingkui
4.Culture: Chinese daily life
from p.8 to p.14
to see Chinese people do morning exercises
Ⅰ. b, c
Ⅱ. a, b
Ⅲ. a, b
Ⅳ. a
Ⅴ. b
Week 2
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
reading:
1) The life of a Shanghai office worker
2) My day
My Day
Ⅰ. b, c
Ⅱ. a, b
Ⅲ. a, b
Ⅳ. a, b
Ⅴ. b
Week 3
1.Functional:
2. Grammatical:
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
from p.26 to p.32
reading: Yao Ming’s Retirement
Ⅰ.a, b,
Ⅱ. a, b
Ⅲ. a, b
Ⅳ. a
Week 4
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
characters with
Chinese brush
reading: Calligraphy
Ⅰ. a, b, d
Ⅱ. a, b
Ⅲ. a, b
Ⅳ. a, b
Week 5
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
( guolai used as a complement)
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
from p.46 to p.53
Chinese movie: Kekexili
Ⅰ. a, b, c
Ⅱ. a, b
Ⅲ. a, b
Ⅳ. a
Week 6
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
essay: My Holiday
Ⅰ. a, b
Ⅱ. a, b
Ⅲ. a, b
Ⅳ. a
Ⅴ. a, b
Week 7
1.Functional: general revision
2.Grammatical: general revision
3.Vocabulary: general revision
4.Culture: Chinese tea ceremony
Ⅰ. a, b, c
Ⅱ. a, b
Ⅲ. a, b
Ⅳ. a, b
Ⅴ. b
Week 8
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
(shang used after a verb to indicate the attainment of an objective)
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
p.68 to p.73
reading: My neighbors are actors
Ⅰ. a, b, c
Ⅱ. a, b
Ⅲ. a
Ⅳ. a
Week 9
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
documentary: A Bite of China
Chinese fried rice
Ⅰ.a, b, c
Ⅱ. a, b
Ⅲ. a, b
Ⅳ. a
Week 10
1.Functional:
2. Grammatical:
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
from p.90 to p.97
reading: What do Chinese children lack?
Ⅰ. a, b, c
Ⅱ. a, b
Ⅲ. a, b
Ⅳ. a
Week 11
1.Functional:
2. Grammatical:
to express neither of…, to say nothing of
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
from p.110 to p.117
reading: A Peacock’s Sorrow
Harvard University
Ⅰ. a, b, c
Ⅱ. a, b
Ⅲ. a, b
Ⅳ. a, b
Ⅴ. b
Week 12
1.Functional:
2.Grammatical:
3.Vocabulary:
4.Culture:
from p.132 to p.139
reading: The Economics Stories of Wang Er
Ⅰ. b, c
Ⅱ. a, b
Ⅲ. a, b
Ⅳ. a
Week 13
1.Functional: general revision
2.Grammatical: general revision
3.Vocabulary: general revision
4.Culture: Chinese New Year
Days in Shanghai
Ⅰ.a, b, c
Ⅱ. a, b
Ⅲ. a, b
Ⅳ. a, b
Ⅴ. b
Road to success2: lower intermediate 成功之路2：提高篇
Some articles from magazines and newspapers
She has about 20 years of teaching experience, and has taught Chinese at Mandarin House, I Mandarin, East China Normal University and Shanghai Maritime University. She is good at managing the classroom and always encourages students to integrate into the local community.