George
Mason University
Department of Modern & Classical
Languages
Spring 2007 CHINESE 301 ¨C Advanced
Grammar and Syntax
Class Meeting Time:
MW 5:55 p.m. ¨C 7:10 p.m.
Class Meeting Place: RA 101
Instructor:
Chen, Xi
Office Location: Thompson Hall 234-A
Office Hours: MW
4:45p.m.- 5:45 p.m. or by appointment
Office Phone: (703)
993-1631
E-mail:
xchen8@gmu.edu
Course
website: http://mason.gmu.edu/~kzhang/index.html
Course
Description/ Objectives
CHIN 301 is the second semester of the third-year Chinese and designed for advanced
students. Completion of CHIN 300 or equivalent is required. With a focus on
advanced grammar and syntax, this course also strongly emphasizes the further
development of writing, speaking 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
Textbook (two volumes)
A Trip to China: Intermediate Reader of Modern Chinese by Chih-p'ing Chou. Princeton University Press: Princeton, New
Jersey, 1996. (Text)
A Trip to China: Intermediate Reader of Modern Chinese - Vocabulary, Grammar
Notes, Exercises by Der-lin Chao. Princeton
University Press: Princeton, New Jersey, 1996.
Recommended Dictionary:
The Oxford Chinese Dictionary. New
International Edition. Chinese-English/
English-Chinese.
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.
Course Requirements & Rules
1.
Attendance. Attendance at class meetings 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 absence
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 of the
materials to be covered in each session and 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. A detailed
session-by-session schedule is provided for this purpose. Short vocabulary
quizzes may be given from time to time at the beginning of class to test the
level of preparation. Pagers and cell phones should be turned off before the
beginning of class.
3. Quizzes.
There will be a quiz after each lesson. The lowest score on a quiz (including
zero for a missed quiz) will be dropped when calculating the final grade. There
will be no make-up quizzes or quizzes taken in advance, unless the student has
a legitimate reason and informs the instructor in a timely fashion.
4.
Homework. Homework will be due no later than the day of the
quiz. Late homework will be corrected, but no credit will be given for
it.
5.
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.
Quizzes & Final Exam
We will study eight more chapters in the textbook.
There will be seven quizzes that cover Lessons 9 to 15 respectively. The
quizzes will test listening, reading, and writing skills, as well as knowledge of
grammar and cultural aspects. 60% of the written final exam at the end of the
semester will cover chapter 16 and 40% of the written final will cover the
other seven chapters studied during the semester.
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. 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. Students are required to submit a draft of the
proposed presentation to the instructor in advance. More details will be given
in class.
Grades
Final grades are composed as follows:
In-Class Performance 20 %
Homework
20 %
Quizzes
30 %
Oral
10 %
Final
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 |
|
|
1/24 W |
L 9 Vocabulary, Text & Grammar
Notes |
|
|
Week 2 |
|
|
|
1/31 W |
L9 Quiz L10 Vocabulary |
L 9 Homework Due (Translations,
Compositions) |
|
Week 3 |
|
|
|
2/7 W |
L10 Grammar Notes; Exercises |
|
|
Week 4 |
|
L 10 Homework Due(Translations, Compositions) |
|
2/14 W |
L11 Vocabulary & Text |
|
|
Week 5 |
L11 Grammar Notes; Exercises |
|
|
2/21 W |
L11 Quiz L 12 Vocabulary |
L 11 Homework Due
(Translations, Compositions) |
|
Week 6 |
L12 Vocabulary & Text |
|
|
2/28 W |
L12 Grammar Notes; Exercises |
|
|
Week 7 |
|
L 12 Homework Due
(Translations, Compositions) |
|
3/7 W |
L13 Vocabulary& Text |
|
|
Week 8 |
Spring Break |
|
|
Week 9 |
L13 Grammar Notes; Exercises |
|
|
3/21 W |
L13 Quiz & L14 Vocabulary |
L 13 Homework Due
(Translations, Compositions) |
|
Week 10 |
L 14 Vocabulary & Text |
|
|
3/28 W |
L 14 Grammar Notes; Exercises |
|
|
Week 11 |
L 14 Quiz & L
15 Vocabulary |
L 14 Homework Due
(Translations, Compositions) |
|
4/4 W |
L 15 Vocabulary & Text |
|
|
Week 12 |
L15 Grammar Notes; Exercises |
|
|
4/11 W |
L15 Review & Quiz |
L 15 Homework Due
(Translations, Compositions) |
|
Week 13 |
L 16 Vocabulary & Text |
|
|
4/18 W |
L 16 Grammar Notes. |
|
|
Week 14 |
L 16 Exercises |
|
|
4/25 W |
L 16 Snow day make-up |
|
|
Week 15 |
Preparation for Final Oral Presentation |
L 16 Homework Due (Translations, Compositions) |
|
5/2 W |
Final Oral Presentation and Course Evaluation |
|
|
Monday, May 14 7:15p.m. |
FINAL EXAM (in our classroom) Have a nice summer! :) |
|