CLASS EXPECTATIONS
Mandarin Chinese I
2010-2011
Instructor: Ms. Zhang Hongling
Phone Number: 854-6683
Email: hongling_zhang@clayton.k12.mo.us
Textbook: Huanying, An Invitation to Chinese, Volume 1 Part 1
By Jiaying Howard and Lanting Xu, Second edition.
Boston: Cheng & Tsui Company.
Workbook: Huanying workbook
Course Description: Chinese 1A will introduce the students to the basic
components of Mandarin Chinese through theme-based content and handson activities. Pinyin romanization, simplified forms of Chinese characters,
basic grammar patterns as well as functional everyday expressions will be
taught within the living context of Chinese culture. Topics will start from selfintroduction and develop to students' immediate surrounding such as school,
family and daily life. Cultural components will be taught through movies,
video clips, songs, calligraphy, crafts, cooking and festival celebrations. The
ultimate goal is to motivate students to become interested in and committed
to the learning of Chinese language and culture.
Materials: 1. A Pocket Chinese-English Dictionary if you don’t have a
reliable internet access, such as Pocket Dictionary Mandarin
Chinese by Langenscheidt. If you have access for an on-line
dictionaries as listed below, you may only look up one word at a
time (ie. To take = acceptable to look up, He took =
unacceptable).
 http://www.mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.php
 http://www.yellowbridge.com/chinese/chinesedictionary.php
2. A binder (for lots of handouts) and a notebook (for journaling
and note-taking). You should bring a writing utensil and paper
with you to class every day, as well as your textbook and
workbook. (Take good care of your book—the first one is free,
but you have to pay for replacement copies!) You should use
whatever method of keeping track of your papers and
assignments that works best for you (folder, binder, etc.).
3. A flash drive to back up computer work for the class.
Class Format and Expectations:
There are five lessons in each unit and each lesson will take one week
to complete. Quizzes and oral presentations will be given on a weekly basis.
A comprehensive test will be given at the end of each lesson and long and
short-term projects will be assigned throughout the semester.
The key to learning a foreign language is practice! This includes
listening to others, participating in class, completing class and homework,
completing group tasks and projects, and studying/preparing for
assessments. The best ways to practice are to use the language as much as
possible in class and to study for a short period each day. A successful
language learning experience in this class is comprised of the completion of
the following:
1. Homework: The primary purpose of homework in this class is for
practice and skill development. There will be both short- and longterm assignments. The homework may consist of studying,
practicing vocabulary, completing a worksheet or assignment,
writing, preparing for an oral evaluation, or working on a long-term
project. The more practice you get by completing homework, the
better prepared you will be for assessments (oral
presentations, projects, quizzes and tests). Each homework
assignment will be recorded and reported in the online grading
program with a completion grade and will serve as materials to be
covered in quizzes and tests.
2. Participation: Participation in class plays a vital role in your success
in this class. Obviously, the more you participate in class, the more
likely you are to develop your four language skills. The more skills
you develop, the better you will be able to complete the required
oral presentations and demonstrate your learning on quizzes
and tests. Your voluntary contribution to the class will all be part
of the participation grade. Participation means coming to class
prepared, following instructions in Chinese, maximizing your ability
to speak Chinese, taking an active and appropriate role in
discussion and in-class exercises and working collobratetivelly with
partners and small groups.
Assessment Types: The semester grades will be based on tests, quizzes,
oral presentations, participation, homework assignments, and projects:
20%
20%
20%
25%
15%
Class Participation
Homework assignment.
Oral Presentations and Projects
quizzes, lesson tests and unit tests
Final exams, both oral and written
Ask for Help: I encourage you to seek me out for help as soon as you need it.
Since I teach at both Wydown and Clayton and travel back and forth on a
daily basis, the best way is to write me an email and make an appointment
with me. I am generally available to work with you after school.
Policy on Late Work, Absences and Test Retake
Lateness – 10% or a letter grade will be deducted for every day the
assignment is late.
Absences: If you miss school due to an excused absence, you will have the
same amount of days to make up for your homework, quizzes and tests.
After that, the late work policy will apply to you.
Retake: You can retake the quizzes and tests for 90% of the full credits if
your scores are below D+.
I have read and understand Mrs. Zhang’s Class Expectation.
Student
Signature________________________________________________
Parent Signature________________________________________________