This class is intended to be a course in Chinese language as part of IES Abroad Shanghai Program for non-Chinese speaking students who have studied Chinese approximately two years (four or more semesters or six quarters). The semester will begin with a week-long intensive “foundation building” designed to give students basic tools that are immediately useful as well as stabilize their existing foundation. It is designed to bridge the gap between intermediate and advanced Chinese. The lessons encompass several hundreds sentence patterns, over 1300 new words, and many dialogues. 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 all four skills in speaking, listening comprehension, reading and writing. Such practices will be organized during classroom teaching:
interviewing local people;
discussions of social, economic and political issues and topics in international relations such as “beggars in China”, “moral change in face of commercialization”, and “a new China and its role on the international stage”, etc.
writing essays on given topics and reflection papers on real life observation and experiences;
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 a wide range of topics.
Method of presentation:
Written and oral assignments.
Required work and form of assessment:
Mid-term exam (15%)
Final exam (15%)
quizzes (10%)
homework (10%)
participation (10%)
Attendance (10%)
Dictation (10%)
Composition (10%)
Presentation (10%)
content:
Foundation Building Week: Foundation building and review;
Week 1
Communication: Arriving in Beijing; renting a bicycle;
Tasks: Write an advertisement for a bike rental shop; role play for renting a bicycle.
Culture: Traditional Chinese costumes and food.
Week 2
Communication: car accident; Traditional Chinese costumes; “one-time products” (i.e., disposable products)
Tasks: talk about traffic in China; Debate—traditional vs. modern values; Interview two Chinese people who make livings on collecting garbage and discuss about their life.
Culture: Traditional Chinese costumes and food.
Week 3
Communication: beggars in China; lawsuits; to learn news language.
Tasks: Make a speech—how should beggars be treated?
Culture: Poverty in China? How to handle arguments in China?
Week 4
Communication: Chinese movie.
Tasks: role play-react a part of the movie.
Culture: 1940s-1950s Chinese culture.
Week 5
Communication: Modern technology; “May-December marriages”.
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.
Culture: Modern technology; Chinese people’s opinions on marriage.
Week 6
Communication: To learn literature language.
Tasks: Reading a piece of literature.
Midterm Exam
Week 7
Communication: privacy; morality; to learn news language.
Tasks: Interview two Chinese people and discuss their views on privacy.
Culture: Chinese people’s opinions on relationships.
Week 8
Communication: To learn news language; Chinese culture.
Tasks: Write a composition—interview three Chinese people and discuss their views on calligraphy. Culture: sex and morality in China; calligraphy.
Week 9
Communication: Chinese movie.
Tasks: Shoot movie.
Culture: Chinese people’s opinions on relationships & love.
Week 10
Communication: Ordinary Chinese people’s lives and changes of the city-Beijing
Tasks: Discuss the influence of social development to ordinary peoples’ lives.
Culture: Chinese people’s opinions on social development
Week 11
Communication: Drug use in China; peace and war; talking about housewives.
Tasks: Write a composition—my view on drug use among students; discussion—drugs.
Culture: Politics & war
Week 12
Communication: Weekend hobbies; to learn literature language.
Tasks: Write a composition—my view weekend activities in China; discussion—modern literature.
Culture: modern Chinese culture.
Week13
Review and Final Exam
Required readings:
《事事关心》 (Shìshì Guānxīn) All Things Considered
IES 三年级补充材料
IES Level 3 Supplementary Materials
Notes:
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
This class is intended to be a course in Chinese language as part of IES Abroad Shanghai Program for non-Chinese speaking students who have studied Chinese approximately two years (four or more semesters or six quarters). The semester will begin with a week-long intensive “foundation building” designed to give students basic tools that are immediately useful as well as stabilize their existing foundation. It is designed to bridge the gap between intermediate and advanced Chinese. The lessons encompass several hundreds sentence patterns, over 1300 new words, and many dialogues. 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 all four skills in speaking, listening comprehension, reading and writing. Such practices will be organized during classroom teaching:
Written and oral assignments.
Foundation Building Week: Foundation building and review;
Week 1
Communication: Arriving in Beijing; renting a bicycle;
Tasks: Write an advertisement for a bike rental shop; role play for renting a bicycle.
Culture: Traditional Chinese costumes and food.
Week 2
Communication: car accident; Traditional Chinese costumes; “one-time products” (i.e., disposable products)
Tasks: talk about traffic in China; Debate—traditional vs. modern values; Interview two Chinese people who make livings on collecting garbage and discuss about their life.
Culture: Traditional Chinese costumes and food.
Week 3
Communication: beggars in China; lawsuits; to learn news language.
Tasks: Make a speech—how should beggars be treated?
Culture: Poverty in China? How to handle arguments in China?
Week 4
Communication: Chinese movie.
Tasks: role play-react a part of the movie.
Culture: 1940s-1950s Chinese culture.
Week 5
Communication: Modern technology; “May-December marriages”.
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.
Culture: Modern technology; Chinese people’s opinions on marriage.
Week 6
Communication: To learn literature language.
Tasks: Reading a piece of literature.
Midterm Exam
Week 7
Communication: privacy; morality; to learn news language.
Tasks: Interview two Chinese people and discuss their views on privacy.
Culture: Chinese people’s opinions on relationships.
Week 8
Communication: To learn news language; Chinese culture.
Tasks: Write a composition—interview three Chinese people and discuss their views on calligraphy. Culture: sex and morality in China; calligraphy.
Week 9
Communication: Chinese movie.
Tasks: Shoot movie.
Culture: Chinese people’s opinions on relationships & love.
Week 10
Communication: Ordinary Chinese people’s lives and changes of the city-Beijing
Tasks: Discuss the influence of social development to ordinary peoples’ lives.
Culture: Chinese people’s opinions on social development
Week 11
Communication: Drug use in China; peace and war; talking about housewives.
Tasks: Write a composition—my view on drug use among students; discussion—drugs.
Culture: Politics & war
Week 12
Communication: Weekend hobbies; to learn literature language.
Tasks: Write a composition—my view weekend activities in China; discussion—modern literature.
Culture: modern Chinese culture.
Week13
Review and Final Exam
《事事关心》 (Shìshì Guānxīn) All Things Considered
IES 三年级补充材料
IES Level 3 Supplementary Materials
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.