George Mason University
Department of Modern & Classical Languages
Spring 2008: CHINESE 481 – Fourth Year Chinese II
Class Meeting Time: 12:00 p.m.-1:15
p.m.
Class Meeting Room: ENT 174
Professor: Dr. Karl K. Zhang
Telephone: (703) 993-4231
Office: Thompson 235G
Office Hours: TR 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. and by appointment
E-mail: kzhang@gmu.edu
Website: http//:mason.gmu.edu/~kzhang
Prerequisites, Course
Description & Objectives
This course is the continuation of CHIN 480, designed
for advanced students of Chinese. Completion of the Elementary and Intermediate
Chinese courses or equivalent is required. The course is open to students who
have fulfilled this prerequisite at other institutions.
With a focus on oral
proficiency, this course also strongly emphasizes 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
Textbook (available in
the GMU Bookstore)
Beyond the Basics: Communicative Chinese for Intermediate/Advanced Learners
Textbook by Jianhua Bai, Juyu Sung, and Janet Zhiqun Xing;
Cheng & Tsui, 1996, Printing 2003.
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 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 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. 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 daily quizzes. 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. Two lowest quizzes will dropped
when calculating your final grade.
4. Homework. Homework will be due no later than the day of the
test. Late homework will be corrected, but
penalized 50% of the possible score.
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.
Tests & Final Exam
We will study Lessons 8 through 12 in the textbook.
There will be four tests that cover Lessons 8 to 11 respectively. Material of
Lesson 12 will be incorporated in the final exam. All tests will test
listening, reading, and writing skills, as well as knowledge of grammar and
cultural aspects.
Oral Exam
There will be a final oral in-class presentation 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 based on the
material we studied in class. 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
10 %
Oral 10 %
Tests 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 by Session Schedule
|
Date |
Class |
Homework |
|
1/22 T |
Introduction & L8 Vocabulary |
|
|
1/29 T |
L-8Vocabulary &Text L-8 Text & Discussion |
|
|
2/05 T |
L-8 Grammar & Supplementary Vocabulary L-8 Review & Quiz |
Homework 1 Due |
|
2/12 T |
L-9 Vocabulary |
|
|
2/19 T 2/21 R |
L-9 Text |
|
|
2/26 T |
L-9 Grammar & Supplementary Vocabulary |
Homework 2 Due |
|
3/04 T |
L-10 Vocabulary |
|
|
3/10-3/16 |
Spring Break |
|
|
3/18 T |
L-10 Text Discussion |
|
|
3/25 T |
L-10 Review & Test |
Homework 3 Due |
|
4/01 T |
L-11 Text |
|
|
4/08 T |
L-11 Grammar & Supplement Vocabulary L-11 Review & Test |
Homework 4 Due |
|
4/15 T |
L-12 Vocabulary L-12-Text |
|
|
4/22 T |
L-12 Text & Discussion |
Homework 5 due |
|
4/29 T |
Preparation for Presentation |
|
|
5/06 T |
Reading Day |
|
|
5/13 T |
Final Exam 10:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m. |
|