Course Description

Beginning Modern Chinese is the first of a two intensive Summer Sessions in first-year modern Chinese. This course introduces elementary Mandarin pronunciation, grammar, and orthography (in both Pinyin and characters) to beginners with no prior exposure to the language (students who are heritage speakers of Chinese are advised to take CHN 1015 ACCELERATED BEGINNING CHINESE in Fall 2007). The class meets four class-hours a day, five days a week. There will be a quiz per lesson, a test every two lessons, and a Final Oral and Written Exam at the end of the session. Lectures and discussions aside, students are expected to spend four to six hours per day in private study. If you have any questions concerning this Chinese class, please take advantage of the one-hour office hour after Tuesday’s and Thursday’s class.

** Please note that before class preparation is critical in this course. Before each lecture, you are required to listen to the text online three times which is supposed to be taught that day. The purpose of discussion sections is not to introduce new materials, but rather to further the students’ understanding of the materials, which the students have studied during the lecture, and then to put those new concepts into practice during the discussion sections. **

Course objectives

Upon the completion of the course, the learners should be able to acquire the following skills:

Pronunciation: Accurate pronunciation of all Chinese sounds and all the words and characters learned in this semester.
Listening: Ability to understand everyday Chinese on the topics covered in and relevant to the textbook.
Grammar: Correct use of grammatical patterns introduced in Level 1, Part 1 of Integrated Chinese (see below – Required Texts).
Reading: Ability to understand and read aloud correctly texts in both Pinyin and Mandarin characters covered in Level 1 Part 1 of Integrated Chinese.
Conversation: Ability to converse in Mandarin on subject matters covered in Level 1 Part 1 of Integrated Chinese.
Orthography: Ability to recognize at least 370 Chinese characters new Chinese characters, and to write accurately a minimum of 100 characters from memory with correct stroke order.

Grading:

Attendance 10%

Performance: 10%

Homework: Characters 10%

Tapes 10%

Written 10%

Quizzes: 10%

Tests: 15%

Final: 25% (Oral 50%, Written 50%)

Total: 100%

Requirement for Audio Recording Assignment. Each student should prepare at least four audiocassette tapes. Each time the tape assignment is turned in, the tape must be rewound to the beginning of the assignment. Recordings that are not rewound to the beginning of the assignment are regarded as unfinished homework and will be given the grade of 0.

There will be one recording assignment for every chapter of the textbook covered; you will receive abridged versions of the textbook dialogues for this purpose.

Required Texts:

There is one set of materials which are required for this course composed of books and audio tapes:

* Integrated Chinese (Traditional Character Edition) Level 1, Part 1 in three volumes (Textbook,

Workbook, and Character Workbook) edited by Tao-chung Yao, YuehuaLiu, et al. (Cheng &

Tsui Company, 1997). Available in the University Bookstore.

Audiovisual Resources

There are several resources available to students of a second language here at the University:

The Language Center has an extensive library of useful audio and video materials which can be used to supplement all levels of language study in their Multi-Media Lab (Jones Hall 135). Staff will be on hand to help direct you to what you need, and to assist with any technical problems you might encounter. Please see their website (http://languagecenter.cla.umn.edu/lc/hours.html) for hours and further information.
This course has a website to facilitate learning. The following URL will bring you to the website. (http://www.all.umn.edu/chinese_language/)

Ground Rules

Attendance & participation. This course consists of two parts: lecture and discussion. The attendance and participation grade will be based on preparation, regular attendance, participation and efforts. During the whole session, only five hours of unexcused absence are allowed. Each additional unexcused absence will cost 1 point of the full percentage (10%) of the Attendance portion of the final grade. Entering the classroom 5 minutes after the class starts is considered tardiness and three instances of tardiness will be considered as one absence.

Excused and Unexcused Absence. Absence from class with a physician’s note is excused absence and will not result in any deduction of point from the Attendance and Performance portion of the final grade. Notification of absence by email or telephone without a physician’s note will not be accepted as excused absence, and will count toward the five unexcused absences, and result in deduction of point from the Attendance portion after the first five unexcused absences are taken.

Permission for Absence. Since all instructors, including both the lecturer and recitation leaders, will be responsible for determining the Attendance & Performance portion of the final grade, students should ask permission for absence from both the lecturer and recitation leader. Failure to contact both the lecturer and the recitation leader may result in deduction from the Attendance & Performance portion of the final grade.

Grading Policy for Homework. Homework is assigned on a daily basis and should be turned in before the beginning of the first class. Late homework handed in will be corrected but will receive only 50% of the deserved credits. Late homework as a result of medical reasons, only when accompanied by a physician’s note, will be accepted as homework finished on time. Homework overdue for two days will be corrected but not graded.

Make-Up Tests and Quizzes. All students are expected to take tests and quizzes as they are scheduled. No make-up test or quiz is allowed unless there is a physician’s note to certify that the student cannot take the test or quiz at the scheduled time.

Teaching Staff:

Teaching Specialist: Jin, Yaliang (jinx0017@umn.edu)

Teaching Assistant: Tan, Simin (tanxx104@umn.edu)

Office: 444 Folwell Hall

Telephones: 612 625-0047

612 624-2366

612 626-9746

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