George Mason University
Department of Modern & Classical
Languages
Spring 2009 CHINESE 250-001 – Gateway to Advanced Chinese
Class Meeting Time: MW 3:00 p.m. –
4:15 p.m.
Class Meeting Place: RB102
Instructor:
Lu Leina
Office Location:
Thompson Hall 234-A
Office Hours:
M 4:30p.m.-5:30p.m.
and by appointment
Office Phone:
(703) 993-1631
E-mail:
llu3@gmu.edu
MSN: luleina_620@hotmail.com
Course
website: http://mason.gmu.edu/~kzhang/index.html
Course Description/ Objectives
This
course is the sequel to Chinese 210 taught in the previous semester. To attend
this course, successful completion of CHIN 110 and 210 or equivalent is
required. This course will continue to focus on oral proficiency as well as on
the further development of reading, writing, and listening skills.
Specifically, students are expected
· to develop a solid grasp of more complex Chinese syntax
through the intense study and practice of grammar and common idiomatic
expressions
· to broaden their vocabulary and active character knowledge
· to learn and appreciate various unique aspects of written
and spoken Chinese
· to employ effectively all four skills (speaking, listening,
reading, writing) in classroom activities and homework assignments
· to appreciate Chinese culture as an integral part of the
Chinese language
Textbooks (available at the GMU Bookstore)
Integrated
Chinese Level 1 Part 2 (L14-18), Simplified Character Edition, 2nd
Edition, by Tao-chung Yao & Yuehua Liu (et al.), Cheng & Tsui
Company (includes Textbook, Workbook and
Character Workbook)
Recommended
Dictionary:
The Oxford Chinese Dictionary. New International Edition.
Chinese-English/ English-Chinese.
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.
Course
Requirements & Rules
1. Attendance.
Attendance of class sessions is crucial. Students should keep in mind that part
of their grade is based on attendance and that absences count against them
regardless of the reasons. There will be no penalty for the first two missed
classes. After that, however, each absence will reduce the final grade by one
percentage point. (That is, twelve absences over the course of the semester
will result in a ten percentage point subtraction from the final grade, so even
perfect scores on all tests and homeworks will result in a "B").
2. Preparation & In-Class Performance. Thorough preparation of the materials to be covered in each
session as well as in-class performance will be graded on a four-point scale.
Students who come in well prepared and perform well will get four points each
day. Those who are not well prepared, do not participate, do not pay attention,
or disrupt the class, will receive lower scores accordingly. Absence, of
course, scores a zero. Students are expected to prepare beforehand the
material to be covered in class, such as new vocabulary, grammar, and sentence
patterns.
3. Tests and Quizzes. There will be 4 tests that cover Lessons 14 to 17. The
tests will test listening, reading, and writing skills, as well as knowledge of
grammar and cultural aspects. Each test is worth 5% of the student’s final
grade.
There will be 2 quizzes for each
lesson, including new vocabulary, grammar or sentence patterns. There are a total of 8 quizzes for the whole
semester, but students are allowed to drop 2 quiz grades. There will be no
make-up tests and quizzes unless the student has a legitimate reason and
informs the instructor in a timely fashion.
4. Homework.
Homeworks, including Workbook and Character Workbook will be due no later
than the day of the test. And every week students are required to email or MSN the instructor in Chinese
character. Topics can be related to or beyond what has been covered. This
online communication will account for 5% of the final score.
5. Oral Exam. There will be a final oral exam at the end of the semester.
Each student is required to give a presentation of approximately 5 minutes in
front of the class on a topic of his or her choice. Students should try to
incorporate as much of the studied material/ grammar/ vocabulary as possible,
but they can be creative in devising form and content of the presentation. For
example, the presentation can be a role-play, the telling of a story,
describing a picture or scene, or a discussion of socio-cultural issues related
to the lessons covered during the semester. In addition to the oral
presentation you are expected to have an individual meeting with the instructor
in her office. More details will be given about the
format of the individual meeting in class.
6. Final
Exam. There will be a written final exam
at the end of the semester. This comprehensive exam will test the student’s
listening, reading, and writing skills, knowledge of grammar and cultural
aspects. More details will be given in class.
7. Honor Code. The George Mason University Honor Code is in effect
throughout the entire duration of the course and applies to all course work
carried out inside and outside the classroom. It is the responsibility of each
student to be familiar with the GMU Honor System and Code as laid out in the
Student Handbook. Please refer to http://www.gmu.edu/mlstudents/handbook/honor.html
for detailed information.
8. Policy on Disabilities. Students with disabilities who seek accommodations in a
course must be registered with the GMU Disability Resource Center (DRC) and
inform the instructor, in writing, at the beginning of the semester. Please see
www.gmu.edu/student/drc or call 703-993-2474 to access the DRC.
Grades
Final grades are composed as follows:
In-Class Performance 20 %
Homework
20 % (15%+5%)
Quizzes
10 %
Lesson
Test 20%
Oral
15 % (10%+5%)
Final 15
%
Grading Scale
A 100-93
A- 92-90
B+ 89-87
B 86-83
B- 82-80
C+ 79-77
C 76-73
C- 72-70
D 69-60
F 59- 0
Session Schedule
|
Date |
Class |
Homework |
|
Week 1 |
|
|
|
1/21 W |
Introduction to the Course &
Review L12 |
|
|
Week 2 |
|
|
|
1/28 W |
L14 Dialogue I & Cultural Activity (Spring Festival) |
|
|
Week 3 |
|
|
|
2/4 W |
L14 Dialogue II |
|
|
Week 4 |
Quiz D2 + L14 Grammar and Pattern
Drills & Learn a Love Song |
|
|
2/11 W |
Workbook Exercises and
Presentation for L14 |
|
|
Week 5 |
L14 Review & Test |
L 14 Homework Due |
|
2/18 W |
L15 Dialogue I |
|
|
Week 6 |
Quiz D1+ L15 Dialogue II (Vocabulary) |
|
|
2/25 W |
L15 Dialogue II |
|
|
Week 7 |
Quiz D2 + L15 Grammar and Pattern
Drills & Write a
Birthday Card, Learn a Birthday
Song |
|
|
3/4 W |
Workbook Exercises and
Presentation for L15 |
|
|
Week 8 |
|
|
|
Week 9 |
L15 Review & Test |
L 15 Homework Due |
|
3/18 W |
L16 Dialogue I |
|
|
Week 10 3/23 M |
Quiz D1+ L16 Dialogue II (Vocabulary) |
|
|
3/25 W |
L 16 Dialogue II |
|
|
Week 11 |
Quiz D2 + L16 Grammar and Pattern
Drills |
|
|
4/1 W |
Workbook Exercises and
Presentation for L16 |
|
|
Week 12 |
L16 Review & Test |
L 16 Homework Due |
|
4/8 W |
L 17 Dialogue I |
|
|
Week 13 |
Quiz D1+ L17 Dialogue II (Vocabulary) |
|
|
4/15 W |
L17 Dialogue II |
|
|
Week 14 |
Quiz D2 + L17 Grammar and Pattern
Drills & Pop Music |
|
|
4/22 W |
Workbook Exercises and
Presentation for L16 |
|
|
Week 15 |
L17 Review & Test |
L 17 Homework Due |
|
4/29 W |
Review L14-L16
& Preparation for Oral Presentation |
Sign up for individual meeting |
|
Week
16 5/ 4 M |
Oral Presentation & Course Evaluations |
|
|
5/11 M |
1:30p.m.— 4:15p.m. Final Written Exam.
(in our classroom) Have a nice summer! J |
|