(formerly CN 202)
Center: 
Shanghai
Discipline(s): 
Chinese Language
Course code: 
CN 301
Terms offered: 
Fall
Spring
Credits: 
6
Language of instruction: 
Chinese
Instructor: 
Zhang Wei
Description: 

This class is intended to be a course in Chinese language as part of IES Abroad Shanghai Program for students who have studied Chinese at least five semesters. The lessons of these two months encompass many new sentence patterns, more than 400 new words, as well as activity objectives.

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 can learn to do things with words, such as requesting, apologizing, or offering compliments, and they may also learn to interpret situations calling such speech acts in ways that local people do…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 entering this level must be able to fulfill the learning outcomes of the Novice Abroad level, as defined by the IES Abroad MAP for Language and Intercultural Communication. Specifically, they should already be able to express themselves on a variety of concrete, everyday topics and meet their basic needs in the language. Depending on their academic background, their mastery of the four basic skills—reading, writing, speaking and listening—may be uneven.  Although students may have been exposed previously to certain competencies taught at this level, they need additional practice and instruction to move toward mastery of these competencies. 

As students gain more self-awareness and self-confidence, they will attempt more in the community. Paradoxically, this means they may also experience more miscommunications and frustration. Reading and writing require effort, and many students will need to make a special effort in this regard. Students will also develop cultural awareness and skills to work through the challenges of adaptation in the local culture and learn to celebrate their successes.  They will begin to appreciate the value of these language and intercultural skills. 

This course builds upon skills introduced in Novice Abroad.  By the end of the course, the successful student will have begun to develop some communicative and cultural self-confidence necessary to attempt moderately complex tasks in the language, as described in the learning outcomes below.

Prerequisites: 

This course builds upon skills introduced in Novice Abroad as defined by the IES Abroad MAP for Language and Intercultural Communication.

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 Novice 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 Independent Abroad level as defined by the MAP for Language and Intercultural Communication. The key learning outcomes from the MAP are summarized below:

Intercultural Communication
a.    Students will be able to solve many daily troublesome situations and meet needs with limited help.
b.    Increasingly, students will be able to make informed comparisons between the host culture and the students’ home cultures.  
c.    Students will be able to distinguish and begin to imitate verbal and non-verbal communication that reflects politeness, formality, or informality.  
d.    Students will be able to recognize some patterns of intonation, their meaning, and cultural implications.  
Listening
a.    Students will be able to understand some interactions of increasing complexity (media, speeches, music, conversations, etc.), especially if the speaker is used to interacting with non-native speakers.
b.    Students will be able to understand many direct requests, questions, and basic conversations on familiar and concrete topics.
c.    Students will be able to recognize some regional differences in speech on a basic level.

Speaking
a.    Students will be able to talk about persons and things in their immediate environment, as well as their plans and their experiences, and they can provide a limited amount of supporting details.
b.    Students will be able to address and attempt to resolve moderately complicated situations involving familiar subjects.
c.    Students will be able to produce tones and pronunciation patterns with increased accuracy.

Reading
a.    Students will be able to read passages and short texts (notes, detailed instructions, etc.) on familiar topics covered in class and understand their general meaning.
b.    Students will be able to support their understanding of texts through the use of context, visual aids, dictionaries, or with the assistance of others in order to facilitate comprehension.

Writing
a.    Students will be able to communicate with some effectiveness through notes, emails, and simple online discussions and chats.
b.    Students will be able to write short essays on concrete topics of limited levels of complexity with some reliance on the communicative patterns of their native language.
 

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:

  • How to introduce oneself
  • How to introduce hobby and spare time

2.Grammatical:

  • “Not only..., but also..."
  • “Besides...,”
  • “Both...and....."
  • Modal Complement "verb/adjective + structurally auxiliary word + complement"

3.Vocabulary: 

  • Words about self-introduction,
  • Word about hobby and spare time

4.Culture:

  • Chinese traditional games
  • Cultural taboos in Chinese daily life
  • Greet and introduce oneself to Chinese people, and pay attention to the cultural taboos in Chinese daily life.

 

  • Learn and play Chinese traditional games with Chinese common people.

 

  • Survey and

report about Chinese opinion to bargain and different bargain

methods

 

Ⅰ. a, b, c

Ⅱ. a, b

Ⅲ. a, b

Ⅳ. a

Ⅴ. a

Week 2

 

 

1.Functional:

  • Sport in China
  • Build body in gym

2.Grammatical:

  • ” Compare with B, A also…”
  • ” as long as…,…”
  • Differences between ”bu” and “mei”

3.Vocabulary:

  • Words about sports and health

4.Culture:

  • Different sport habits between

the old people and young people in China

  • Learn Taijiquan, a kind of traditional Chinese shadow boxing
  • Go to LuXun

park to talk with the aged who do Morning exercise, and learn Taijiquan from them.

 

  • Learn how to

play Chinese chess

 

  • Watch a clip of a competition video, and comment on this competition.

Ⅰ. a, b

Ⅱ. a, b

Ⅲ. a, b

Ⅳ. a

 

Week 3

 

 

1.Functional:

  • Talking about festival
  • Talking about colors and photography
  • How to make a request

2.Grammatical:

  • No matter what happens, the

outcome will not change

  • A structure to express one of

the two alternatives must be chosen.

  • In the process of …
  • An oral way to say ”but”
  • Basic form of imperative sentence

3.Vocabulary:

  • Words about colors;
  • Words about Mid-Autumn Day

4.Culture:

  • The customs of different Chinese traditional festivals
  • The modesty words and appellation in Chinese daily life
  • Make a request on the street, use the  imperative sentence learned in class, such as

"May I use your phone to make a call?'

“Could you please take a photo for me?'

 

  • Make a

comparison between TV and Internet 

 

 

Ⅰ. a, b, c

Ⅱ. a, b

Ⅲ. a, b

Ⅳ. a

 

Week 4

 

1.Functional:

  • Make a travel plan
  • Describe tourist attractions
  • Book tickets by telephone
  1. Grammatical: 
  • different kinds of “ba”

structures, which means to deal with something.

  • Use conjunction to express orders;

“first..., then...., at least........"

  • The structure to make a proposal;

 “You’d better........"

  • Use interrogative pronouns to express full negation;  

3.Vocabulary:

  • Words about travel and book tickets
  • Words about tourist attractions

4.Culture:

  • The legend of the folk festivals
  • Make your

Golden week travel plan, and try to book tickets by phone.

 

  • Go to Luxun Park to see the Mid-Autumn Lantern Festivals and interview other visitors.

 

  • Describe the tourist attractions you visited during the Golden Week.

Ⅰ. a, b, c

Ⅱ. a, b

Ⅲ. a

Ⅳ. a

Ⅴ. a

Week 5

 

1.Functional:

  • Inquire about repair-ment
  • How to compare products and after-sales service between different brands in dialogue.

2.Grammatical:

  • The repeat form of verb; to express the action of a very short time, or do it very easily.
  • " rather than..., it's better to ..."
  • " ...,in addition ..."
  • “Have to...
  1. Vocabulary,
  • Words about computer and digital product
  • Words about quality and repair-ment
  1. Culture:
  • Different shopping habits of digital products between Chinese and American
  • Go to Ego Digital

Plaza to talk to the clerks and inquire about digital products, compare a product's quality and after-sales service between different brands. And ask for a comment from the clerk.

 

  • Learn to sing

Chinese song

 

  • Dub for one clip

video of a Chinese commercial

 

Ⅰ. a,  c

Ⅱ. a, b

Ⅲ. a, b

Ⅴ. a

Week 6

 

1.Functional:

  • Mid-exam review
  • Mid-exam (written test & oral test)

2.Grammatical:

  • Review learned grammar

3.Vocabulary:

  • Review learned words

4.Culture:

  • Compare American traffic condition with Chinese traffic condition
  • Give a

presentation about the American traffic condition and compare American traffic condition with Chinese traffic condition.

 

  • Make a free-style story, use words and grammar that have been learned

Ⅰ. a, b, c

Ⅱ.  b

Ⅲ. a, b

Ⅳ. a

Ⅴ. a

Week 7

 

1.Functional:

  • Describe and inquire about one's appearance
  • Learn Chinese name of food and condiment and cook Chinese dishes.

2.Grammatical:

  • structures and sentences used to describe and inquire one's looking
  • structures used to express approximate number
  • Structure used to ask degree or quantity
  1. Vocabulary:
  • Words about one's appearance
  • Words about degree or quantity
  • Words about  food & condiment

4.Culture:

  • Compare the standards of choosing spouse between Chinese young people and American young people
  • Chinese table manners
  • Learn the development of Chinese   Character and experience the Chinese calligraphy.

 

  • Write a poster to find a given person, in order to practice the words and grammar that have been learned

 

  • Cook Chinese dishes such as, hot tofu, fried egg with rice, etc. and learn table manners when you have dinner with Chinese people.

Ⅰ. a, b

Ⅱ. a, b

Ⅲ. a, b

Ⅳ. a

Ⅴ. a

Week 8

  1. Functional:
  • Make an appointment
  • Inquire and share one's experience and opinion

2.Grammatical:

  • Complement of possibility
  • Structures and sentences used to make an appointment. Such as "Are you free to ..."

"Would you like to ...."

"How about ...."

“I would like to ..., but...."

  • "If...,”
  • "....should be......"

3.Vocabulary:

  • Words about making appointments
  • Words about journal and dairy
  • Words about  Chinese traditional tales
  1. Culture:
  • Narrate Chinese Traditional Tales
  • Differences between Taiwan and mainland
  • Share the Taiwan journal,and compare Taiwan and mainland.

 

  • Watch the U.S. Election and interview Chinese common people's opinion about the U.S. Election.

 

  • Learn a Chinese traditional tale " the White Snake", understand Chinese vision of love

 

  • Role play to make an appointment by phone.

Ⅰ. a, b, c

Ⅱ. a, b

Ⅲ. a, b

Ⅳ. a

Ⅴ. a

Week 9

1.Functional:

  • Know Chinese traditional medicine
  • Experience Chinese tea culture
  • Weekly quiz
  1. Grammatical:
  • Sentence patterns to emphasize time; place; tools and method.
  • The complete negation," not...at all"
  • Structures and sentences used to inquire and answer one's health condition.

3.Vocabulary:

  • Words about Chinese traditional medicine
  • Words about Chinese tea culture

4.Culture:

  • Know the concept of Yinyang and Qi in Chinese traditional medicine.
  • Understand common people's life from the angle of tea culture
  • Listen to Chinese traditional medicine lecture and experience the treatments of Chinese medicine.

 

  • Watch Chinese tea ceremony and learn the classification of Chinese tea. Make a cup of tea and taste.

 

  • Write a movie script and plan to shoot

Ⅰ. a, b, c

Ⅱ. a, b

Ⅲ. a, b

Ⅳ. a

 

Week 10

  1. Functional:
  • Take taxi and inquire about one's lost  item
  • Expressing thanks in formal & informal way
  • Talk about culture shocks

2.Grammatical:

  • Pivotal sentence used to express  request and command
  • The honorific phrases and sentences used to express thanks
  • Structures and sentences used to inquire and answer about one's lost things.
  1. Vocabulary:
  • Words about describing lost things
  • Words about expressing thanks in formal way
  1. Culture:
  • Usage of the honorific phrases and sentences
  • Talk about culture shocks based on experience in China
  • Experience service of different business premises, such as go to KTV, take a taxi, make an invoice, etc.

 

  • Watch a few sections of the movie “treatment Guasha" and talk about culture shocks and cross-cultural communication.

 

  • Go to Lost & Found office to practice inquiring and answering in regards to lost things.

Ⅰ. a, b, c

Ⅱ. a, b

Ⅲ. a, b

Ⅳ. a

Ⅴ. a

Week 11

  1. Functional:
  •  Disposal construction: passive sentence, You-Sentence and Wu- Sentence
  • Express congratulations
  1. Grammatical:
  • The basic structure of disposal construction, Such as;
  • passive sentence, You-Sentence and Wu- Sentence
  • The structure used to explain destination or object " ...., for......"
  • Structure and sentences used to express congratulations
  1. Vocabulary:
  • Words about furniture and household products
  • Words about expressing congratulations
  1. Culture:
  • Chinese customs of wedding and birthday
  • Marriage interview in China
  • Understand China's marriage customs and congratulate one's birthday in Chinese way.

 

  • Design your future house and introduce design concept in Chinese.

 

  • Visit a Chinese arts school, watch the Kongfu show and communicate with Chinese students.

 

Ⅰ. a, b

Ⅱ. a, b

Ⅲ. a, b

Ⅳ. a

Week 12

  1. Functional:
  • Talk about love and marriage
  • Describe one's strengths and weaknesses
  1. Grammatical:
  • The structure used to express hopes
  • The structure used to describe one's strengths and weaknesses
  • The structure used to explain necessary condition; "only if ...,”

3.Vocabulary:

  • Words about describing one's strengths and weaknesses
  •  Words about love and marriage
  1. Culture:
  •  Compare different views of marriage and love between Chinese and American; youth and aged.
  • Describe the National character of different countries

 

  • Go to Renming Park and visit the weekend marriage interview corner, and communicate with Chinese people to understand their views of marriage and love.

 

  • Watch a few sections of TV show “If You Are The One", and Compare different views of marriage and love between Chinese and American.

 

  • Talk about stereotypes of different counties ,and describe the National character of different countries

 

Ⅰ. a, b, c

Ⅱ. a, b

Ⅲ. a

Ⅳ. a

Ⅴ. a

Week 13

 

1.Functional:

  • Partings in formal and informal way
  • Summarizing experience
  • Review and final exam
  1. Grammatical:
  • The structure used to enumerate
  • The structures and sentences used to bid farewell.
  1. Vocabulary:
  • Words about recalling experience.
  • Words about partings.
  1. Culture:
  • Chinese idioms about partings

giving meeting and summarize students' experience and harvests during whole semester.

 

  • Use words and grammar that have been learned to make story

Ⅰ. a, b, c

Ⅱ. a, b

Ⅲ. a, b

Ⅳ. a

Ⅴ. a

 

Required readings: 

Intermediate Spoken Chinese I (汉语中级口语教程上册)

Brief Biography of Instructor: 

Zhang Wei, getting the bachelor’s and master’s degree in Nankai Unversity in Tianjin with the major Teaching Chinese as a Second Language, has taught Chinese in the International Department of Tianjin Experimental High School, and in RMIT University in Australia as an internship. She can use very diverse teaching methods, organize colorful language activities, and create a profound cultural atmosphere for students to stimulate students' interest in learning Chinese.

Contact Hours: 
150 hours