EALC 108 Reading and Writing Chinese Fall 2007
Instructor: Tin-Yu Tseng
Class meetings: W/Wed 4:00–5:50
at THH 205
Office: THH 356H; mail box: THH 356
Phone: (213) 740-3715
Email:
Office hours: Mon thru Thur 2-3 pm, and by appointment
Program director: Dr. Audrey Li
Office: THH 356M; mailbox: 356
Phone: (213) 740-3717
E-mail:
Office Hours: by appointment
Class materials and information:
All materials and information of this class can be accessed through Blackboard at http:/blackboard.usc.edu
Textbooks:
1. Integrated Chinese (Level I part I): textbook (required)
2. Integrated Chinese (Level I part II): textbook (required)
3. Integrated Chinese Level I: workbook part I & II (required)
4. Integrated Chinese Level I: character workbook part I & II (recommended)
Course Objectives:
To develop basic reading and writing abilities in modern Chinese while enhancing listening and speaking proficiencies.
The performance goals of the class activities are keyed to building up students’ vocabulary, phrases, and sentence patterns so that they can apply them to reading and writing simple Chinese texts. While Pinyin (phonetic symbols) will be used as a supplementary tool throughout the semester, the main emphasis of the course will be on learning the basic Chinese characters and their related expressions. It is expected that all homework and tests be written solely in characters toward the second part of the semester. Even though students won’t be tested on Pinyin, they should familiarize themselves with its usage so that they can apply it to Chinese word processing.
Class Meetings:
1. Attendance is an essential requirement of the course. Active participation in classroom activities is expected. In addition to discussion of the materials from the textbook, classroom activities will include practices of vocabulary and sentence patterns, simulated activities and group-based tasks.
2. Please come to class on time. If you leave 10 minutes early or arrive 10 minutes late, you will be considered absent. Absences and lack of participation in classroom activities will definitely affect the final grade.
3. Course syllabus, Weekly Schedule, all announcements and handouts will be posted at http://blackboard.usc.edu . The instructor is not responsible for students not being informed of homework or not receiving the handouts due to absence from checking the website.
4. Please turn off your cellular phones in the classroom.
Evaluation:
Quizzes and tests:
1. There is a pre-lesson quiz for every class meeting. The pre- lesson quiz is a short preparatory quiz on vocabulary before the lesson is taught. So be prepared and come to class on time.
2. There are five post-lesson tests (including midterm), and one final exam. Post-lesson tests are review tests following completion of every three lessons before midterm and every two lessons after midterm.
Be sure to be on time for the quizzes/tests. If any students miss the beginning part of a quiz/test, it will not be repeated.
Journals:
1. Each student must submit a journal once a week. After the midterm, the journals must be typed.
2. Journal topics should be relevant to the material presented in class, but students are encouraged to explore other options and use vocabulary outside the textbook context.
Homework:
1. Regular written homework includes the reading and writing exercises assigned from the Integrated Chinese Workbook.
2. Assignments must be completed and turned in by the due date.
3. Sloppily written homework or homework with too many errors will be returned. Students will have to resubmit the work on the next day to receive a grade.
Quizzes/tests and homework make up policies:
1. Quizzes & tests: the quizzes and tests not taken at the scheduled time may be made up only if advance arrangement has been made with your instructor with legitimate reasons, or if a documented emergency is received. Make-ups for quizzes will have 20% taken off the initial points awarded; make-ups for tests will have 10% taken off the initial points awarded. All make-ups must be made within one week.
2. Homework: late homework turned in by next class session will be accepted with 10% taken off the initial points awarded; all homework turned in afterward will be graded with maximum of 5 points (out of 1 to 10 scale). Sloppily written assignment, incomplete assignment or assignment with too many errors will be returned without any points
Presentation:
1. There will be one final presentation during the last week of class.
2. Students should discuss their presentation topic with the instructor at least three weeks
before the presentation.
3. Because this is a reading and writing course, students are encouraged to employ their writing skills to create powerpoint presentations in Chinese (or a webpage in Chinese).
More fun projects:
1. If you are interested in earning an extra credit in the range of 0.5%-2% added to the final grade, you can initiate and complete a special project after consulting with your instructor. Such a project must be of semester-long efforts. The credit will be awarded according to the merit of the project. To begin such a project, you must submit your proposal by 9/10/2007 (Monday) to decide on the topic and plan. The special project should be completed and submitted by 12/5/2007 (Wednesday).
2. Field trip: A field trip will be organized and details will be provided in class in due time.
The Language Center and useful web resources:
1. There are CDs, audiotapes, videotapes, and computer software in the Language Center (THH 3rd floor). Serious efforts should be made to take full advantage of the available audio/video materials and computer software.
2. Chinese 108 students enjoy first priority in use of the computers in the Language Center. Students who use the computers at the Language Center to type their assignments should bring their own zip disks. Files saved on the hard disks at the center will be deleted and lost.
3. Students are strongly encouraged and occasionally required to visit our web site at http://www.usc.edu/dept/ealc/chinese, which contains valuable learning materials (such as character learning projects) and provides links to other related web sites.
Addendum
* Academic Integrity and Plagiarism: University policies concerning academic dishonesty will be strictly enforced, and students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with these policies. Plagiarism and/or cheating on exams is subject to the sanctions set forth in the Student Conduct Code and may include expulsion or suspension from the university. For a detailed description of plagiarism and other types of academic dishonesty and the sanctions pertaining thereto, the student is referred to pages 81-85 and 92 in the 2002-2003 SCampus. The student publication, "Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism" (http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/student-conduct/ug_plag.htm) may also prove helpful.
* ACCOMMODATION FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: Students who need to request accommodations based on a disability are required to register each semester with the Disability Services and Programs (DSP) office (Student Union, Room 301.) In addition, a letter of verification to the course instructor, from the Disability Services and Programs office is needed for the semester in which you are enrolled for this course. If you have questions concerning this procedure, please contact both the instructor of the course, and the Disability Services and Programs office at (213) 740-0776.
* The final exam date CANNOT be changed without first obtaining approval from the Provost's office. The students are not allowed to take final exams prior to or after the exam date, except in the case of an emergency. A student's desire to return home a few days early does not constitute an emergency.
Grading:
1. Attendance and participation 10%
2. Written assignments 15%
3. Journals 10%
4. Quizzes 10%
5. Post lesson tests 30%
6. Final 15%
7. Presentation 10%
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Total 100%
A 94-100 A- 90-93
B+ 87-89 B 84-86 B- 80-83
C+ 77-79 C 74-76 C- 70-73
D+ 60-69 Pass: C or above F below 60
Tentative Schedule
Week 1 08/27 Introduction
08/29 Lesson 1
Week 2 09/03 Labor day, no class
09/05 Lesson 2
Week 3 09/10 Lesson 3
09/12 Lesson 4
Week 4 09/17 Test I, Viewing a short animation: 倉頡造字
09/19 Lesson 5
Week 5 09/24 Lesson 6
09/26 Lesson 7
Week 6 10/01 Lesson 8
10/03 Test II, Viewing a short DVD: Chinese New Year
Week 7 10/08 Lesson 9
10/10 Lesson 10
Week 8 10/15 Lesson 12
10/17 Lesson 13
Week 9 10/22 Midterm, NJStar Chinese word processor introduction 10/24 Lesson 14
Week 10 10/29 Lesson 15
10/31 Lesson 16
Week 11 11/05 Lesson 17
11/07 Test IV, Viewing a short DVD: Chinese traditional culture
Week 12 11/12 Lesson 18
11/14 Lesson 20
Week 13 11/19 Lesson 20
11/21 Lesson 21
Week 14 11/26 Lesson 21
11/28 Movie viewing
Week 15 12/03 Test IV, one on one final presentation preparation session
12/05 Final presentation