This class is intended to be an intensive course for students who have studied Chinese for two or three semesters. The lessons encompass many new sentence patterns, 1800 new words, as well as activity objectives. This class is designed to gain ability to hold higher level of daily conversations with native speakers, such as: (a) interviewing local people; (b) discussions about “celebrating birthday in different countries”, “traffic and transportation in big cities”, “the single-child generation”, etc.; (c) writing essays on given topics; and (d) making up stories or describing in detail based on given pictures, encouraging students to finish assignments creatively with newly learned structures and vocabulary. Through these exercises, students will be able to communicate with local Chinese people on certain social topics. For example, they will be able to talk about cultural differences between China and U.S.
Week 1
Communication: Studying in Beijing; describing student dorms; ordering dishes Tasks: Filling in forms; reading travel books; using IP card to make phone calls. Culture: The difference between Chinese food and American food
Week 2
Communication: Chinese families; talking about the Chinese learning experience
Tasks: Reading advertisements; meeting Chinese families and discussing how to house remodeling and decorations; meet foreign students from other countries to have an exchange about their learning experiences; meet Chinese college students and discuss their ways of life.
Week 3
Communication: Seeing a doctor; talking about traffic in China; bookstores
Tasks: Visiting Beijing International SOS Center or other foreign hospitals; Discussion—traffic safety in China; visit small bookstores.
Culture: Popular books in China
Week 4
Communication: Taking a taxi; celebrating birthday.
Tasks: Writing a composition—Taxi drivers in China; meet Chinese families, interview parents and children, discuss the importance of having birthday party.
Culture: The Spring Festival
Week 5
Communication: Bargaining; traveling; introducing family members
Tasks: Discussion—Do you like bargaining? Why?; Writing a composition—talking about travel experience in Chengde and Inner Mongolia; Interview three Chinese people(child, young person, and elderly person), ask them to talk about their fathers.
Culture: The different views about parents between China and America.
Week 6
Communication: Are single children all little emperors? “个体户 gètǐhù (self-employed sellers)”
Tasks: Interview two single children in Beijing to talk about their way of life and study; visit a street market in China.
Culture: Chinese movies
Week 7
Communication: How to get along well with roommates or classmates; talking about the changes in
Chinese family structure; talking about unemployed workers.
Tasks: Writing a composition—an inconsiderate person in my eyes; Discussion—the equality between men and women; interview two unemployed workers and discuss their lives.
Culture: Women’s rights movement in China
Week 8
Communication: remarriage; modern technology
Tasks: Discussion—how to use computers to support your Chinese learning; interview two Chinese people and discuss their views on divorce.
Culture: How Chinese people see privacy.
Final Exam
Required readings:
留学中国 (Liúxué Zhōngguó)
Crossing Paths: Living and Learning in China
中国之路 (Zhōngguó zhī Lù)
Shifting Tides: Culture in Contemporary China
Notes:
EXTERNAL NOTE: This course is offered during the regular semester and in the summer. For summer sections, the course schedule is condensed, but the content, learning outcomes, and contact hours are the same.
Intermediate Chinese I
This class is intended to be an intensive course for students who have studied Chinese for two or three semesters. The lessons encompass many new sentence patterns, 1800 new words, as well as activity objectives. This class is designed to gain ability to hold higher level of daily conversations with native speakers, such as: (a) interviewing local people; (b) discussions about “celebrating birthday in different countries”, “traffic and transportation in big cities”, “the single-child generation”, etc.; (c) writing essays on given topics; and (d) making up stories or describing in detail based on given pictures, encouraging students to finish assignments creatively with newly learned structures and vocabulary. Through these exercises, students will be able to communicate with local Chinese people on certain social topics. For example, they will be able to talk about cultural differences between China and U.S.
None
Written and oral assignments
exams (15-20%), quizzes (15%); homework
(20%), participation (20%)
Week 1
Communication: Studying in Beijing; describing student dorms; ordering dishes Tasks: Filling in forms; reading travel books; using IP card to make phone calls. Culture: The difference between Chinese food and American food
Week 2
Communication: Chinese families; talking about the Chinese learning experience
Tasks: Reading advertisements; meeting Chinese families and discussing how to house remodeling and decorations; meet foreign students from other countries to have an exchange about their learning experiences; meet Chinese college students and discuss their ways of life.
Week 3
Communication: Seeing a doctor; talking about traffic in China; bookstores
Tasks: Visiting Beijing International SOS Center or other foreign hospitals; Discussion—traffic safety in China; visit small bookstores.
Culture: Popular books in China
Week 4
Communication: Taking a taxi; celebrating birthday.
Tasks: Writing a composition—Taxi drivers in China; meet Chinese families, interview parents and children, discuss the importance of having birthday party.
Culture: The Spring Festival
Week 5
Communication: Bargaining; traveling; introducing family members
Tasks: Discussion—Do you like bargaining? Why?; Writing a composition—talking about travel experience in Chengde and Inner Mongolia; Interview three Chinese people(child, young person, and elderly person), ask them to talk about their fathers.
Culture: The different views about parents between China and America.
Week 6
Communication: Are single children all little emperors? “个体户 gètǐhù (self-employed sellers)”
Tasks: Interview two single children in Beijing to talk about their way of life and study; visit a street market in China.
Culture: Chinese movies
Week 7
Communication: How to get along well with roommates or classmates; talking about the changes in
Chinese family structure; talking about unemployed workers.
Tasks: Writing a composition—an inconsiderate person in my eyes; Discussion—the equality between men and women; interview two unemployed workers and discuss their lives.
Culture: Women’s rights movement in China
Week 8
Communication: remarriage; modern technology
Tasks: Discussion—how to use computers to support your Chinese learning; interview two Chinese people and discuss their views on divorce.
Culture: How Chinese people see privacy.
Final Exam
留学中国 (Liúxué Zhōngguó)
Crossing Paths: Living and Learning in China
中国之路 (Zhōngguó zhī Lù)
Shifting Tides: Culture in Contemporary China
EXTERNAL NOTE: This course is offered during the regular semester and in the summer. For summer sections, the course schedule is condensed, but the content, learning outcomes, and contact hours are the same.