CHINESE 101: BEGINNING CHINESE I (Fall 2011)
Northern Virginia Community College (Alexandria Campus)
Instructor: Dali Tan, Ph.D.
Email:;
Class meeting times: Mon. & Wed. 11:00am-1:15pm
Classroom: A-Bisdorf/AA-0234
Course Description
Beginning Chinese I is the first semester of the two-semester course for beginners or a refresher course for non-native speakers. While the course will include a brief introduction to the written language, the emphasis is on learning to listen and speak Mandarin at the beginning level, and to master the basic sentence patterns of spoken Chinese. The textbook uses Pinyinand simplified characters.No prerequisite is required for taking this course.
Course Objectives
- To acquire listening skills through participating in class work, and listening to textbook recordings & supplementary listening material.
- To learn basic spoken Chinese through oral work—dialogues & short skits, etc.
- To learn basic Chinese syntax through mastering sentence patterns.
- To increase cultural understanding and appreciation through various activities.
Textbooks
Tao-chung Yao and Yuehua Liu, et al., 3rd Edition (2009):
- Integrated Chinese, Textbook (Simplified Character Edition) –Level 1 Part 1
- Integrated Chinese, Workbook (Simplified Character Edition) –Level 1 Part 1
- Integrated Chinese, Character Workbook (Simplified Character Edition) –Level 1 Part
Lessons To Be Covered
The projected lessons for this semester are Lessons 1 through 5. Details of assignments will be announced in Schedule of Classes.
Lesson1: Greetings
Lesson 2: Family
Lesson 3: Dates and Time
Lesson 4: Hobbies
Lesson 5: Visiting Friends
Supplementary Materials
1. Audiocassettes and CDs of the textbook
(You could also purchase it from Cheng & Tsui Company
2. Supplementary exercises for each lesson compiled by the instructor
Resources
Listening& Reading Exerciseskeyed to IC textbook lesson by lesson.
Important resources for Integrated Chinese (IC resources):
Attendance
It is essential in a language class that the student attends class regularly, complete assignments on time, and take the scheduled tests, though inability to complete an assignment or take a test should not be as a reason for staying away from class. Each unexcused absence will result in loss of 1 percentage point from the student's final grade. There are no exceptions. Repeated absence from class may result in the grade of F or W depending on the circumstances and at the discretion of the instructor. In case of absence, it is the student's responsibility to obtain information about and make up the missed work.
Grading System
Attendance, class participation, group work: 30%.
Assignments: 20%.
Quizzes (5): 15%
Final Oral Presentation: 15%
Final Exam: 20%
No mid-term exam will be administered.
Course Credit
If you are taking this course for credit, you will have to follow the grading policy. For those who have to withdraw in the middle of the semester, please make sure that official procedures are followed. Failure to do it will result in an F.
Special Needs and Accommodations
Some adjustments may be made in terms of the progress of the lessons based on the needs of the students in this course. Please address with the instructor any special problems or needs at the beginning of the semester. If you are seeking accommodations based on a disability, you should provide a disability data sheet, which can be obtained from the counselor for special needs, who is located in Room 148 of the BisdorfBuilding. The telephone number is 703-845-6301.
Expected Behavior
Students are expected to abide by the listed rules and policies listed in the Student Handbook.