This class is intended to be an intensive course for students who have studied Chinese for two years. It is designed to bridge the gap between intermediate and advanced Chinese. The lessons encompass several hundred sentence patterns, approximately 2100 new words, many dialogues, as well as 20 Chinese newspaper articles. All the materials are related to contemporary issues in China, and the topics all focus on Chinese people’s daily lives. The class is designed to emphasize speaking and reading skills. Such practices will be organized during classroom teaching: (a) interviewing local people; (b) discussions of social issues like “beggars in China”, “May-December marriages”, “college students’ opinions on relationships”, etc. (c) writing essays on given topics; and (d) making presentations. At the end of the semester, students should be able to express their opinions smoothly and hold discussions with local Chinese people on certain social topics.
Week 1
Communication: Arriving in Beijing; renting a bicycle; car accident; traditional Chinese costumes. Tasks: Write an advertisement for a bike rental shop; talk about traffic in China; Debate—
traditional vs. modern values
Culture: Traditional Chinese costumes and food.
Week 2
Communication: “one-time products” (i.e., disposable products); theft in China; beggars in China;
lawsuits
Tasks: Interview two Chinese people who make livings on collecting garbage and discuss about their life; discussion—what do you think about “one-time products” in China; make a speech— how should beggars be treated?; Field trip to a Chinese courthouse
Culture: How to handle arguments in China?
Week 3
Communication: Modern technology; “May-December marriages”; privacy; morality
Tasks: Write a composition—email and me; interview three Chinese people (young person, middle- aged person and elderly person), ask their views about May-December marriages; interview two Chinese people and discuss their views on privacy.
Culture: Chinese people’s opinions on relationships & marriage
Week 4
Communication: Primary school students’ lives in China; money and its value in contemporary
Chinese society
Tasks: Visit a Chinese primary school; interview two students in high school to talk about their way of life and study; Discussion—how to help students with mental problems; read some articles from local newspapers about middle school students’ life during weekends.
Culture: How Chinese parents educate their children
Week 5
Communication: Chinese college students’ lives; cheating on tests; responsibilities to parents;
sexuality
Tasks: Interview two Chinese college students, discuss their views on sexual behavior before marriage; research how Chinese college students spend their summer breaks; interview three
Chinese people (child, young person, and elderly person), ask how Chinese take care of their parents.
Culture: How Chinese people see sexual relationship?
Week 6
Communication: Old people’s life in China; quality and “Made in China”; Chinese cuisine
Tasks: Chat with older Chinese people in public parks; write a composition—Chinese people’s table manners; Debate—would you buy a pirated CD in China?
Culture: Chinese movies about relationships between fathers and sons.
Week 7
Communication: Birth control policy in China; man’s procreation rights; how to respect other people
Tasks: Write a composition—my view on birth control policy in China; discussion—abortion;
Debate—(a) do you think it is necessary in China to ask customers to deposit their bags at the supermarket? (b) will you give money to children beggars? Why or why not?
Culture: Children’s education in rural areas in China
Week 8
Communication: Smoking in China; is Taiwan an independent country? Chinese military
Tasks: Debate— human rights vs. prohibiting smoking in public; Discussion—One-China policy.
Review
Final Exam
Required readings:
事事关心 (Shìshì Guānxīn)
All Things Considered, additional supplemental readings
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 Advanced Chinese I
This class is intended to be an intensive course for students who have studied Chinese for two years. It is designed to bridge the gap between intermediate and advanced Chinese. The lessons encompass several hundred sentence patterns, approximately 2100 new words, many dialogues, as well as 20 Chinese newspaper articles. All the materials are related to contemporary issues in China, and the topics all focus on Chinese people’s daily lives. The class is designed to emphasize speaking and reading skills. Such practices will be organized during classroom teaching: (a) interviewing local people; (b) discussions of social issues like “beggars in China”, “May-December marriages”, “college students’ opinions on relationships”, etc. (c) writing essays on given topics; and (d) making presentations. At the end of the semester, students should be able to express their opinions smoothly and hold discussions with local Chinese people on certain social topics.
None
Written and oral assignments
exams (15-20%), quizzes (10%), homework
(10%), participation (15%), research project (15%)
Week 1
Communication: Arriving in Beijing; renting a bicycle; car accident; traditional Chinese costumes. Tasks: Write an advertisement for a bike rental shop; talk about traffic in China; Debate—
traditional vs. modern values
Culture: Traditional Chinese costumes and food.
Week 2
Communication: “one-time products” (i.e., disposable products); theft in China; beggars in China;
lawsuits
Tasks: Interview two Chinese people who make livings on collecting garbage and discuss about their life; discussion—what do you think about “one-time products” in China; make a speech— how should beggars be treated?; Field trip to a Chinese courthouse
Culture: How to handle arguments in China?
Week 3
Communication: Modern technology; “May-December marriages”; privacy; morality
Tasks: Write a composition—email and me; interview three Chinese people (young person, middle- aged person and elderly person), ask their views about May-December marriages; interview two Chinese people and discuss their views on privacy.
Culture: Chinese people’s opinions on relationships & marriage
Week 4
Communication: Primary school students’ lives in China; money and its value in contemporary
Chinese society
Tasks: Visit a Chinese primary school; interview two students in high school to talk about their way of life and study; Discussion—how to help students with mental problems; read some articles from local newspapers about middle school students’ life during weekends.
Culture: How Chinese parents educate their children
Week 5
Communication: Chinese college students’ lives; cheating on tests; responsibilities to parents;
sexuality
Tasks: Interview two Chinese college students, discuss their views on sexual behavior before marriage; research how Chinese college students spend their summer breaks; interview three
Chinese people (child, young person, and elderly person), ask how Chinese take care of their parents.
Culture: How Chinese people see sexual relationship?
Week 6
Communication: Old people’s life in China; quality and “Made in China”; Chinese cuisine
Tasks: Chat with older Chinese people in public parks; write a composition—Chinese people’s table manners; Debate—would you buy a pirated CD in China?
Culture: Chinese movies about relationships between fathers and sons.
Week 7
Communication: Birth control policy in China; man’s procreation rights; how to respect other people
Tasks: Write a composition—my view on birth control policy in China; discussion—abortion;
Debate—(a) do you think it is necessary in China to ask customers to deposit their bags at the supermarket? (b) will you give money to children beggars? Why or why not?
Culture: Children’s education in rural areas in China
Week 8
Communication: Smoking in China; is Taiwan an independent country? Chinese military
Tasks: Debate— human rights vs. prohibiting smoking in public; Discussion—One-China policy.
Review
Final Exam
事事关心 (Shìshì Guānxīn)
All Things Considered, additional supplemental readings
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.