CHIN 101 – Beginning Chinese I Department of Foreign Languages & Literatures Saint Joseph’s University Fall 2010 Instructor Juan Julie Yu (Yù Lǎoshī 喻老师) Office Bellarmine Hall 304 Email Address jyu@sju.edu Phone 610‐660‐3089 Office Hours M & W 2:30‐4:00pm or by appointment Class Time M/W/F 9:00‐9:50AM R(Lab) 10:00‐10:50AM Required Materials: (available at the SJU Bookstore) 1. Integrated Chinese Level 1 Part 1 Textbook Yao, Tao‐chung et al.(2005). Second Edition. Simplified Character Edition. Boston: Cheng & Tsui Company. ISBN 0‐88727‐533‐8 2. Integrated Chinese Level 1 Part 1 Workbook Yao, Tao‐chung et al.(2005). Second Edition. Simplified Character Edition. Boston: Cheng & Tsui Company. ISBN 0‐88727‐462‐5 3. Integrated Chinese Level 1 Part 1 Character Workbook Yao, Tao‐chung et al.(2005). Second Edition. Simplified & Traditional Character Edition. Boston: Cheng & Tsui Company. ISBN 0‐
88727‐438‐2 4. CHIN 101 course page on Blackboard for audio materials that accompany the textbooks. Course Description: Chinese 101 is a beginning level course in a series of Chinese language courses (Chinese 101, 102, 203, 204). It is designed for students who have NO previous knowledge of spoken or written Chinese. This course introduces elementary Mandarin Chinese pronunciation, grammar, characters, as well as Chinese culture and computing to students. CHIN 101 consists of one lecture, two recitation sections, and one lab section per week. This course is part of SJU’s General Education Program. It may also count towards the minor in Asian Studies. Objectives: This course aims to enable students to communicate effectively in Chinese and to understand the contemporary social/cultural differences between the Greater China region and western countries through the study of the Chinese language. This course will cover the first five lessons of the textbook, including the introduction on pinyin. Students will learn greetings, numbers, how to introduce oneself and one’s family, how to tell dates and time, how to talk about one’s hobbies and the way to entertain/receive guests in contemporary Chinese cultural settings. Students will also learn about Chinese etiquette and politeness. Expected Learning Outcomes: Successful completion of this course will enable the students to:  PRONOUNCE any mandarin Chinese character accurately with the help of pinyin.  RECOGNIZE approximately 180 Chinese characters by knowing their pronunciation and meaning.  SPEAK Mandarin Chinese well enough to greet people and take leave in formal and informal contexts; ask and answer basic information questions such as telling time, talking about one’s self, family, likes and dislikes.  COMPREHEND spoken Chinese by listening to contextualized short conversation or narrations using learned vocabulary and structures regarding daily activities.  READ and understand simple pedagogical materials in short conversations or essays using learned vocabulary and structures.  WRITE simple Chinese sentences using learned vocabulary and sentence structures to ask and answer questions, and to communicate ideas.  UNDERSTAND the importance of Chinese culture when interacting with Chinese native speakers.  APPLY learned knowledge to solve intercultural communication problems by using proper Chinese.  PERFORM adequately and efficiently in a Chinese cultural setting using learned vocabulary and sentence structures.  USE computer programs to type Chinese characters and send email messages in Chinese. Course Requirements & Grading Policies Grade Distribution Preparation & Participation 30% Review Tests 30% Homework 25% Lab Assignments 10% Skit 5% Grading Scale A = 94 and above B+ = 86‐89.9999 C+ = 76‐79.9999 D+ = 64‐67.9999 A‐ = 90‐93.9999 B = 83‐85.9999 C = 72‐75.9999 D = 60‐63.9999 B‐ = 80‐82.9999 C‐ = 68‐71.9999 F = below 60 Explanation of grades: A = Excellent (given only to students of superior ability and attainment) B = Good (given to students who are well above average, but not in the highest group C = Fair (average for undergraduate students) D = Poor but passing F = Failure I = Incomplete (This grade is NOT to be assigned in lieu of an F or when the performance throughout the semester has been generally unsatisfactory.) In‐class Performance (30%): – Participation + Preparation Classes meet four times a week, including one lecture section, one lab section, and two recitation sections. New materials such as vocabulary and grammar points will be introduced and explained in the lecture section. The recitation sections are to put the new materials into practice. The students will be required to recite dialogues, perform drills, role play, reading and writing tasks during the recitation periods. Only Chinese will be used in the recitation sections. Various assignments will be given to students during the lab session, such as computing, voicemail recording, and listening translation. Daily preparation is critical to this course and students' preparation efforts will be evaluated in every class. Students are required to attend all classes, and prepare for EVERY class according to the "Before Class Preparation" stated on the Class Schedule. A quick quiz (0 to 6 points, either oral or written) will be administered at the beginning of each class. Students will also be evaluated and graded EVERY CLASS for In‐
class participation on a 5‐point scale (see Daily In‐class Performance Grading Criteria below). The weekly average of the In‐Class Performance score will be posted on Blackboard. Daily In‐class Performance Grading Criteria: Preparation Participation 0 – 6 0 1 2 3 4 Actual score Absent Passive Passive Active Active from quick from class participation participation Participation participation quiz, which without and but and and good can be either proper unsatisfactory satisfactory satisfactory performance oral or documentat performance performance performance written. ion **There will be no make‐up for the quick quizzes. Students who come late or leave early for more than 10 minutes will only receive partial credit for attendance. Disturbing in‐class manners, including eating, talking, napping, text messaging, doing homework, reading newspapers, and cell phone ringing will also result in point‐deductions from the student's in‐
class performance grade. Attendance: Students who miss more than 7 classes without proper documentation will receive an "F" as the final grade. Absences due to participation in a University‐sponsored event require an official letter (with institutional signature); work missed must be made up in order for the absence to be excused. Absences for legitimate, unavoidable reasons such as illness, injury, family emergency, or religious observance may be excused if (a) the instructor is notified in advance (unless the situation is a medical emergency) by email and (b) all missed work is made up. In general make‐up work for regular class sessions will consist of work deemed to be the equivalent one regular class session; make‐up work for missed sessions. Lying about reasons for an absence is a violation of the University’s policy on Academic Integrity. 2. Review Tests + Final Exam (30%) ‐ There will be four (4) lesson review tests scheduled throughout the semester. The review tests include assessments of the students’ listening, speaking, reading, writing, as well as cultural knowledge. All the tests will be cumulative.. Make‐up tests, which can only be permitted with proper documentation (e.g. official University memo), are to be arranged within one week from the original test date. The request for the make‐up test needs to be made PRIOR TO the event date. 3. Homework (25%) – Homework will be assigned for each lesson. Written homework must be done before class, and handed in at the beginning of the class on each due day. Homework turned in late on the same day will receive 50% of the assigned grade. Homework turned in after the due date will be checked, but NO grade will be given. Homework assignments may include Workbook exercises, Character Workbook, and Writing Practice. All homework needs to be hand‐written. 4. Lab Assignments (10%) – Lab assignments, such as voicemail recording, paragraph listening, listening translation, and character worksheet, will be assigned for each lab session and must be turned in on each due day. Except for special circumstances where written proofs are required, late lab assignments will NOT receive any credit. 5. Skit (5%) – Students will be required to develop and perform a skit within groups of 2‐3 students towards the end of this quarter (see Class Schedule). The skit will be 4 to 5‐minute long in Chinese using learned vocabulary and sentence structures. Details on the instructions and guidelines for the skit performance will be announced in Week 12. Possible Bonus points will be given to students who produce an excellent skit performance. Bonus Points ‐ Possible bonus points will be given to students who actively participate in individual sessions & Chinese‐related activities such as the Chinese Table and cultural events. Individual Sessions: Individual sessions are designed for students to practice conversation, correct pronunciation, and receive personal help regarding coursework. The session hours will be posted weekly on the bulletin board outside of Bellarmine Hall R304. Chinese Table: Chinese tables will be held every week for you to chat in Chinese with your teachers and fellow classmates. Please attend as many as possible. The times and places for these tables will be announced. POLICY STATEMENTS Social Justice: Saint Joseph’s University is committed to social justice. The instructor of this class concurs with that commitment and expects to maintain a positive learning environment based upon open communication, mutual respect, and non‐discrimination. Our University does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, age, disability, veterans status, religion, sexual orientation, color or national origin. Any suggestions as to how to further such a positive and open environment in this class will be appreciated and given serious consideration Academic Integrity/Dishonesty Policy: I will enforce rigorous standards of academic integrity and the SJU Academic Honesty Policy in all aspects and assignments of this course. It is your responsibility to understand this policy. Use of unauthorized notes or assistance during an exam will result in [failure of the assignment/failure of the course]. Plagiarism will also result in [failure of the assignment/failure of the course]. Plagiarism occurs in any instance where one submits as one’s own work statements or ideas taken from another source but not properly acknowledged as such. For the detailed policy of Saint Joseph’s University regarding the definitions of acts considered to fall under academic dishonesty and possible ensuing sanctions, please see at http://www.sju.edu/resources/registrar/documents/AHP.pdf. Should you have any questions about possibly improper research citations or references, or any other activity that may be interpreted as an attempt at academic dishonesty, please see me before the assignment is due to discuss the matter. Disability Policy: Saint Joseph’s University is committed to full compliance with the Rehabilitation Action (Section 504) and the Americans with Disabilities act (ADA) and employs a Director and Assistant Coordinator for working with student with disabilities. If you are a person with a disability and anticipate needing any type of accommodation in order to participate in this class, please advise me and make appropriate arrangements with the Office of Disability Services (610‐660‐1081).