Pre-AP Chinese
2019-2020
Instructor
Mrs. Lei He 何蕾老师
Prerequisites
Rising 7th grade and above students and the admission will be based on the replacement test.
Course Description
This course is designed for students who have several years of Chinese learning and reached
intermediate Chinese language proficiency. The course aims to prepare students for AP
Chinese which is a full year course that cover the equivalent of a second year college Chinese
course.
Lessons focus on high frequency vocabulary, sentence structures and writing in order to
maximize student comprehension, retention and ability to communicate in the target
language.
In addition to communication, the course also addresses the Standards' other four goals:
cultural competence, connections to other school disciplines, comparisons between Chinese
language and culture and those of the learners, and the use of the language within the
broader communities beyond the traditional school environment.
More specifically, they will learn about: Teenage life, talking about school; Language and
identity, discussing successes and challenges in learning Chinese and the impact of Chinese
celebrities; Family and social traditions, exploring holiday traditions and social customs, being
a global citizen, making the world a better place; Cultural symbols such as Chinese literature
and writers as well as Chinese cultural heritage; Related cultural aspects through authentic
products and practices are along with each topic. In addition, students will learn about
China’s geography, customs, literature, and traditions as well as explore similarities and
differences between China and the United States.
Course Objectives
 To prepare and get ready for the Chinese AP test
 To meet the national guidelines in Chinese language proficiency and performance.
 To be fluent in Chinese word processing on computer.
 To read selections of Chinese authors, to discuss and answer questions on content and
analyze selections by theme, characters, plot, time, and place.
 To read newspapers, magazines, and other readings of thematic units.
 To write essay and exams
 To be able to apply all of the four skills and other knowledge learned from the class to the
daily lives.
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Textbook and Materials
The textbook entitled Easy Steps to Chinese, Jiā Yóu ！ (加油 ！) and the primary school
Chinese textbook are primary textbooks used for this course. Step Up Chinese is another
supplementary textbook that will be using in this class. Besides the materials in these
textbook, there is also a collection of readers that cover current events (news), short
passages, articles and literature, cultural festivals, historical stories, Chinese philosophy from
Chinese newspapers, online resources and books. From supplementary textbooks, movies,
documentaries, TV shows, as well as songs in Chinese are all covered more or less.
Assignments
Homework assignment includes oral presentation on varied topics, learning new vocabulary,
daily reading and dictation on characters, and preparing for discussion and presentation in
class.
Weekly writing will also be assigned. It emphasizes correct use of handwritten characters and
Pinyin spelling.
Additional Information
Pre AP Chinese course is designed around themes. The theme provides a purpose as well as a
vehicle to use language.
This course is also integrated with Microsoft Chinese input methods so students can get the
necessary opportunity to be familiarized with the online testing for AP in the future. All
lessons are designed to follow 5Cs with 3 modes in order to meet the requirements set by the
College Board.
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