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Instructor: Zou, Zhen
Prereq: Chinese 3032 or equivalent or instructor
consent; 3.0 cr
This course will expose advanced students to various Chinese writings
and improve their ability to read Chinese writings in the original. We
will study Chinese writings on various topics in modern China during
the first half of the twentieth century, especially in the 1920s and
1930s, a time when the pros and cons of Chinese culture was under heated
discussion. The aspects of Chinese culture covered in this course, among
others, include the May 4th Movement, religion, filial piety, ancestral
worship, Chinese characteristics, and male and female positions at home
and in society. The genres of these writings include essays, short stories,
poetry, extracts of novels, and films. These works reflect both a changing
Chinese society and Chinese intellectuals’ efforts to awaken the
general public and to bring China into the modern world. Some works by
female writers will be included to encourage students to rethink about
the issues of memory and representation. The lectures and discussions
will focus on the use of the language, the contents of the texts, and
the Chinese cultural and philosophical messages found in those works.
The hope is that this will inspire students to further explore modern
Chinese society and culture. The course will be taught in Modern Standard
Chinese (Mandarin).
Class URL: http://www.all.umn.edu/chinese_language
Class time: 40% lecture, 50% discussion, 5% laboratory,
5% Internet reading, film viewing, skits.
Work load: 8 pages of reading per week, 10 pages of
writing per semester, 2 exam(s), 1 final project.
Grade: 10% class participation; 15% essay writing; 35%
quizzes, homework, skit writing, Chinese web exploration, and oral report;
10% mid-term exam; 15% final exam; 15% final project.
Exam format: Fill in blanks, answering questions, essay
writing.
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