George Mason University
Department of Modern & Classical Languages
Spring 2006
Course: Chinese
202 Intermediate Chinese II – Section 001
When: MW
3:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Where: Robinson
Hall A245
Instructor: Maggie
Xu
Office: Thompson
Hall 234A
Office Hours: by appointment
E-email: qxu5@gmu.edu
Course Website: http://mason.gmu.edu/~kzhang
Course Materials
1. Integrated Chinese Level I, Part II (2nd edition) :
textbook, workbook, character
workbook.
2. Audio CDs or tapes for Integrated Chinese Level I, Part II (2nd
edition).
Course Objectives
This course is the sequel to
Chinese 201 -- Intermediate Chinese I. It will continue to focus on oral
proficiency as well as on the further development of reading, writing and
listening skills in Chinese. Specifically, by the end of the semester students
are expected to:
Ø to develop a solid command of more complex Chinese syntax
through the intense
study and substantial practice of grammar and common
idiomatic expressions
Ø
to broaden their vocabulary and active character knowledge
Ø to learn and appreciate various unique aspects of
written and spoken Chinese
Ø to employ effectively all four skills (speaking,
listening, reading, writing) in
classroom activities and homework assignments
· Ø
to appreciate Chinese culture as an integral part of the Chinese language
Course Requirements
As students, your strong
commitment, hard work, and consistent cooperation will be the key to the
success of this course; otherwise, it not only hurts your own individual progress,
but can also negatively affect the morale and progress of the entire class. In
order to ensure your learning experience enjoyable and fruitful, it is highly
important and imperative that you should meet the requirements and follow the
rules outlined below.
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 three missed classes. After
that, however, each absence will reduce the final grade by one percentage
point. (That is, thirteen 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 homework assignments will result in a "B").
2. Preparation & In-Class
Performance. Thorough preparation will be graded on a five-point scale,
that is, students are required to preview and review the materials covered in
each session. A detailed session-by-session schedule is provided for this
purpose. Besides, they are also
expected to participate in all class activities. Students who come in well
prepared and participate actively will get five points for each session. 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. Pagers and cell must be turned off before the beginning of class.
3. Quizzes and Tests. At
the beginning of each session, there will be a five-minute quiz on a ten-point
scale on listening, vocabulary and character recognition/writing. After each
lesson, A test on a 100-point scale will be given. There will be no make-up quizzes or tests. Students are allowed to
drop three quiz grades and one test grade (including zero for a missed quiz or test).
4. Homework Assignments.
Homework assignments will be due no later than the day of each test.
Late homeworks will be corrected, but no credit will be given.
5. Final Exam. There will be a comprehensive written final
exam at the end of the semester. It will test students’ skills in listening,
reading and writing, as well as grammar. 50% will cover Lessons 18-22, and 50%
will cover Lesson 23. More details will be given
in class.
6. 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 to 10 minutes in front of the class
on a topic of his or her choice but closely relating to the topics we studied
during the semester. 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/ experience, the description of a picture or
scene, or a re-enactment of the dialogs in our textbook. Students are required
to submit a draft of the proposed presentation to the instructor in advance.
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.
Grades
Final grades are composed as follows:
In-class performance 20 %
Homework
20 %
Quizzes
10 %
Tests 20%
Oral exam
10 %
Final exam
20 %
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 |
Introduction to the Course
|
|
|
Wed, January 25 |
L 18 Vocabulary &
Dialog & Grammar |
|
|
Week 2 |
Happy Chinese
New Year! |
|
|
Wed, February 1 |
L 18 Test |
L 18 Homework Due |
|
Week 3 |
L 19 Vocabulary &
Dialog I & Grammar |
|
|
Wed, February 8 |
L 19 Vocabulary &
Dialog II & Grammar |
|
|
Week 4 |
L 19 Sentence Pattern
Drills; Discussion |
|
|
Wed, February 15 |
L 19 Test |
L 19 Homework Due |
|
Week 5 |
L 20 Vocabulary &
Dialog I & Grammar |
|
|
Wed, February 22 |
L 20 Vocabulary &
Dialog II & Grammar |
|
|
Week 6 |
L 20 Sentence Pattern
Drills; Discussion |
|
|
Wed, March 1 |
L 20 Test |
L 20 Homework Due |
|
Week 7 |
L 21 Vocabulary &
Dialog I & Grammar |
|
|
Wed, March 8 |
L 21 Vocabulary &
Dialog II & Grammar |
|
|
Week 8 |
|
|
|
Week 9 |
L 21 Sentence Pattern
Drills; Discussion |
|
|
Wed, March 22 |
L 21 Test |
L 21 Homework Due |
|
Week 10 |
L 22 Vocabulary &
Dialog I & Grammar |
|
|
Wed, March 29 |
L 22 Vocabulary &
Dialog II & Grammar |
|
|
Week 11 |
L 22 Sentence Pattern
Drills; Discussion |
|
|
Wed, April 5 |
L 22 Test |
L 22 Homework Due |
|
Week 12 |
L 23 Vocabulary &
Dialog I & Grammar |
|
|
Wed, April 12 |
L 23 Vocabulary &
Dialog II & Grammar |
|
|
Week 13 |
L 23 Sentence Pattern Drills; Discussion |
|
|
Wed, April 19 |
Review of Lessons 18-23 |
L 23 Homework Due |
|
Week 14 |
Preparation for Oral
Presentation |
|
|
Wed, April 26 |
Oral Presentation and
Course Evaluation |
|
|
Week 15 |
Review or for a missed
class on a snow day |
|
|
Wed, May 3 |
Individualized Help Available by appointment |
|
|
Monday, May
15 |
FINAL EXAM (in our
classroom) |
|