George Mason University
Department of Modern & Classical Languages
Spring 2010 CHINESE 301 – Advanced Grammar and Syntax
Class Meeting Time:     MW 3:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Class Meeting Place:    RA 206
Instructor:                      Chen, Xi
Office Location:            Thompson Hall 234A
Office Hours:                 M&W 12:15p.m.- 1:15 p.m. or by appointment
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.

6. 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.

Quizzes & Final Exam
We will study eight more chapters in the textbook. There will be seven quizzes that cover Lessons 8 to 14 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 14 and 40% of the written final will cover the other six 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

1/20  W

Introduction to the Course

L 8 Vocabulary

 

 

1/25   M

L8  Text

 


1/27  W


L8 Grammar Notes; Exercises

 

 

2/1   M

L8 Quiz

 L8 Homework Due (Translation &Composition)


2/3    W

L9  Vocabulary

 

2/8    M

L9 Text

  


2/10   W

L9  Grammar Notes; Exercises

 

2/15   M

L9 Quiz

 L9 Homework Due (Translation &composition)

 

 

2/18   W

L10 Vocabulary

  

2/22   M

L10 Text

 


2/24  W

L10 Grammar Notes; Exercises

 

3/1   M

L10 Quiz

 L 10 Homework Due (Translation & Composition)

 

3/4    W

L11 Vocabulary

 

3/8-3/14

Spring Break

 

3/15   M

L11 Text

 


3/17   W

L11 Grammar Notes; Exercises

 

3/22   M

L11 Quiz

   L 11 Homework Due(Translation & Composition)


3/24   W

L 12 Vocabulary

 

3/29    M

L 12 Text

 


3/31     W

L 12 Grammar Notes; Exercises

 

4/5    M

L 12 Test

L12 Homework Due(Translation & Composition)


4/7    W

L13 Vocabulary

 

 

4/12  M

L13 Text

 


4/14   W

L 13 Grammar Note; Exercises

 

4/19    M

L 13 Quiz

 L13 Homework Due(Translation & Composition)

 

 


4/21  W

L 14 Vocabulary

 

 

4/26   M

L14 Text

 

 


4/28    W

L14 Grammar Notes; Exercises

Preparation for Final Oral Presentation.  Draft Review.

5/3      M

Presentation and Course Evaluation

 L14 Homework Due (Translation & Composition)

 

Monday

May 10
1:30p.m.-4:15p.m.

FINAL EXAM (in our classroom)

Have a nice summer! :)