Writing
To assist with the learning of pronunciation and to allow you to note down and keep track of language more easily, we teach, along with characters, the official phonetically based writing system known as hanyu pinyin. As you probably know, Chinese communities differ in the form of their (character) writing. The People's Republic (the Mainland) and Singapore use the so-called SIMPLIFIED FORMS (jianti), while Taiwan and most overseas Chinese communities use the COMPLEX FORMS (fanti). The differences between the two are not as significant as might be imagined, so we will get used to reading both.
Text
Chou, C. P., Perry Link, and Xuedong Wang. Oh, China! Elementary Reader of Modern Chinese for Advanced Beginners. Princeton, N. J., Princeton University Press.
Wheatley, Julian. Handouts: First Steps in Chinese.
Concise Chinese-English English-Chinese Dictionary. Commercial Press/Oxford (A good beginner's dictionary) (Optional).
Class Format
The first two meetings will be devoted to learning about the SOUNDS of the language and the ways we represent them in the pinyin system of transcription. We will also introduce the basics of CHARACTER WRITING. By the third week, we will begin the first lesson in your textbook, Oh, China!, and we will be covering approximately one lesson in that book per week.
Reading. For each lesson, you should be able to READ the text in characters and pinyin before coming to class on the first day of the three devoted to a lesson. That will allow us to make good use of valuable classroom time. Classroom activities will include discussing the content of the texts, using the texts as the basis for short role playing and performance, practicing some of the relevant grammatical patterns, sight reading of supplemental materials, and almost daily quizzes.
Writing. On the first run through each lesson, you are asked to learn to read in characters, not to write. There will be a lag before you are asked to write characters, in order for you to have time to become completely familiar with them first. When you do learn to write, you will be asked to learn a selection of the characters introduced in the lesson, not all of them. And you will be asked to learn to recognize both simplified and complex from memory. For writing, you may choose one, complex or simplified, as you prefer.
Evaluation
You final grade will be determined as follows:
Class performance (attendance, preparation, punctuality, and participation) 20%.
Dictations and vocabulary quizzes 10%. (lowest 2 of each will be dropped)
Bi-weekly Tests 30%.
Mid-term Exam 10%
End of term project 10%.
Assignments 20%.
*No make-up quizzes. If you cannot make the tests on time, you need to talk with the instructors and make arrangements to take them before your classmates do.
*Attendance and participation are required. You are allowed only three absences without a medical note. More than eight absences = failing grade.
You should get a pocket portfolio for all your written assignments, dictation and vocabulary quiz slips, and bi-weekly quizzes. For each assignment, you should hand in your homework at the time indicated in the detailed schedule. The instructors will then point out your mistakes. And when you get the homework back, you should make necessary corrections and hand in the portfolio with the corrected homework together with your next written assignment in it. Please keep all your homework, dictation and vocabulary quiz slips, and bi-weekly quizzes in the portfolio because you should hand in the portfolio with your end-of-term project at the end of the term.
Late homework will be graded, but will receive no credit. And homework that is not corrected receives half credit.
Also, to make it easier to make corrections, please write on every other line for homework.
Correction marks:
Circled character: character written wrongly, or wrong character
Circled item number: bad grammar/logic; re-write the whole sentence.
Underlined section(s) of a sentence: bad grammar; re-write the underlined part(s)
Factors involved in the class grade include being on time and prepared (as demonstrated by class performance and almost daily quizzes), completing written assignments carefully and on time, and participating enthusiastically in class activities.
Other factors may come in to play, e.g.: improvement versus stagnation over the course of the semester, and progress relative to starting level.
