Syllabus
Chinese 101- Introductory Chinese I – Sections 1 and 2
Fall 2010
Section 1: MWF 1:00 p.m. – 1:50 p.m.
Section 2: MWF 2:00 p.m. – 2:50 p.m.
Room: Rayzor Hall 304
Instructor: Liang Fu
Office: 230 Rayzor Hall
Office hours: M.W.F. 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. and by appointment
Tel: 713-348-2747
E-mail:liang.fu@rice.edu
Texts
Integrated Chinese, Level 1, Part 1 (Ted Yao, Cheng & Tsui, 1997)
Textbook, Simplified or Traditional Character Edition (Third Edition)
Workbook, Simplified or Traditional Character Edition (Third Edition)
Character Workbook, Traditional and Simplified Character Edition
All the books are available at Rice University Bookstore (713-348-4052; book@rice.edu)
Description
The goal of this course is to develop basic communication skills in Chinese. Chinese sound and writing systems will be introduced. While reading and writing are an essential part of our studies, the class puts more emphasis on the acquisition of listening and speaking skills. By the end of the semester, students will be able to use simple Chinese to communicate in some daily life situations and will have learned to write about 300 characters.
Requirements
Attendance and participation are essential for success in this class. Excused absences are documented cases of illness, family emergencies, required travel with a campus team, or religious holidays. When such situations arise, call or see the instructor immediately, supported with the appropriate documentation. Each student may have three absences without penalty. These absences are to be used to cover situations such as undocumented illness, early departures from campus, traffic delays, weddings, funerals, etc. Those who have more than three absences will receive a lower final grade than they would have otherwise (e.g. A to B), and those who have 6 such absences will automatically fail the class.
Disability Accommodation
Students with a disability requiring accommodations in this course are encouraged to contact the instructor after class or during office hours. Such discussions will remain as confidential as possible. Additionally, students also need to contact Disability Support Services in the Allen Center.
2
Grading
24% – Exams (written and oral, 4 at 6% each)
25% – Homework (workbook and Character workbook)
15% – Quizzes
26% – Final (written: 20%, oral: 6%)
10% – Class performance
Quizzes everyday
Exams: (1) Oral Pronunciation
(2) Oral L1 L2
(3) Written L1 L2 L3
(4) Oral L3 L4
Finals: (1) Oral L1-L5
(2) Written L4 L5
There will be four exams (oral and written) throughout the semester. One written exam is to cover Lesson 1, Lesson 2 and Lesson 3. One oral is to test on pronunciation and two others will be in the form of questions/answers and translation (Chinese to English). Study sheets will be handed out prior to the oral tests. The final written will mainly cover Lesson 4 and Lesson 5 and final oral cover Lesson 1 through Lesson 5 in the form of role-play.
Homework should be turned in at the beginning of class on the day it is due. Homework turned in late will be corrected but receive no credits. In case of emergency, homework may be turned in to the instructor’s office no later than 5:00 p.m. on the due date, but the grade will be lowered by half a level.
Quizzes are given on a daily basis to test on the preparatory work students have done prior to class. Learning Chinese requires a commitment of time and effort in order to be effective, so students should expect to spend around two hours every day preparing for class. Preparation content sheets for each lesson will be posted online. Quizzes are usually in the form of dictations in which you are asked to write Chinese characters, pinyin, and/or English for words and sentences. No make-up quizzes will be allowed without prior permission from the instructor
Class performance includes attendance and participation. Students who come to class well-prepared and eager to participate will receive evaluation in the A-range, while students who are usually prepared but reluctant to volunteer will receive evaluation in the B-range. Being unprepared, arriving late, leaving early, or behaving disruptively will lower your grade.
3
Schedule
(Subject to change at the discretion of instructor)
Week 1 08/23 – 08/27 Introduction, pronunciation
Week 2 8/30 – 09/03 Pronunciation
Week 3 09/08 – 09/10 Pronunciation
(No classes on 9/6. Labor Day)
Week 4 09/13 – 09/17 Lesson 1
Week 5 09/20 – 09/24 Lesson 1 – 2
Week 6 09/27 – 10/01 Lesson 2
Week 7 10/04 – 10/08 Lesson 2 – 3
Week 8 10/13 – 10/15 Lesson 3
(No classes on 10/11 and 10/12. Mid-term Recess)
Week 9 10/18 – 10/22 Lesson 3
Week 10 10/25 – 10/29 Lesson 4
Week 11 11/01 – 11/05 Lesson 4
Week 12 11/08 – 11/12 Lesson 4
Week 13 11/15 – 11/19 Lesson 5
Week 14 11/22 – 11/24 Lesson 5
(No classes on 10/25 and 10/26. Thanksgiving Recess)
Week 15 11/29 – 12/03 Lesson 5
Week 16/17 12/06 – 12/15 Final exams
(No exams on 12/06 and 12/07. Study days)
Access to audio and video materials for the textbook and workbook:
1. Listen online. Go to Language Resource Center’s (LRC) homepage:
(LRC Homepage). Click on “Digital Media” and go to audio and video links to find
Integrated Chinese, 3rd Edition – Level 1 Part 1. You will need to log in to access.
2. Physically go to the LRC lab to listen or watch. The LRC lab is located in Rayzor Hall 119
Lecturer in Chinese