George Mason University
Department of Modern & Classical Languages
Fall 2014: CHINESE 480 –001 Fourth Year Chinese I
Class Meeting Time: TR 10:30 am -11:45 am.
Class Meeting Place: Merten3001
Instructor: Lili Ren
Office Location: Aquia 374
Office Hours: TR 1:00-2:00pm
E-mail: lren3@gmu.edu
Tel.: 571-358-4443
Course Description
This course is designed for advanced students of Chinese. Completion of the
Elementary and Intermediate Chinese courses or equivalent is required. The
course is open to students who have fulfilled this prerequisite at other
institutions.
This course strongly emphasizes the further development of reading, writing,
and listening skills. Specifically, students are expected:
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to develop a solid grasp of more complex Chinese syntax through
the intense study and practice of grammar and common idiomatic
expressions
to broaden their vocabulary and active character knowledge
to learn and appreciate various unique aspects of written and
spoken Chinese
to employ effectively all four skills (speaking, listening, reading,
writing) in classroom activities and homework assignments
to appreciate Chinese culture as an integral part of the Chinese
language
Textbook (available in the GMU Bookstore)
Beyond the Basics: Communicative Chinese for Intermediate and Advanced
Learners Second Edition, by Jianhua Bai, Juyu Sung, and Janet Zhiqun Xing;
Cheng & Tsui Company Inc., 2009.
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Recommended Dictionary
The Oxford Chinese Dictionary. New International Edition. ChineseEnglish/ English-Chinese. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.
Course Requirements and Grading
Requirements
Regular attendance, thorough preparation of each session, participation in
classroom discussions and homework are required to obtain a satisfactory
grade.
1. Classroom attendance, preparation, and participation in discussions
(20%).
Students are expected to attend all sessions except in case of emergencies.
There will be no penalty for the first three missed classes. After that, more
than three absences will result in a final grade deduction. Participation
includes the thorough preparation of material covered in session, discussion
and other assignments.
2. Homework (15%).
Homework in the textbook will be due no later than the day of the
quiz. Late homework will be corrected, but no credit will be given for it.
3. Composition and Writing Requirement (15%)
This is a course which fulfills in part of the Writing Intensive requirement in
the Chinese major in addition to one of the electives which fulfills the
General Education Requirements in Writing. All writing assignments must
be turned in as a requisite for passing the course. It does so through five
writing assignments in Chinese on assigned topics.
4. Quizzes (30%). There will be a quiz after each lesson (L1-L6). All 6
quizzes will test listening, reading, and writing skills, as well as knowledge
of grammar and cultural aspects. There will be no make-up quizzes or
quizzes taken in advance, unless the student has a legitimate reason and
informs the instructor in a timely fashion.
5. Final Exam (20%)
 Oral Exam (5%): There will be a final oral in-class presentation at
the end of the semester. Each student is required to give a
presentation of approximately 5 to 10 minutes in front of the class
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on a topic of his or her choice but based on the material we studied
in class. Students should try to incorporate as much of the studied
material/ grammar/ vocabulary as possible, but they can be
creative in devising form and content of the presentation. For
example, the presentation can be a role-play, the telling of a story,
describing a picture or scene, or a discussion of socio-cultural
issues related to the lessons covered during the semester. Students
are required to submit a draft of the proposed presentation to the
instructor in advance. More details will be given in class.
 Written Exam (15%): All materials from L1-L6 will be covered in
final written exam, such as vocabulary, grammar, discussion,
analysis etc.. Vocabulary and grammar items of Lesson 7 will also
be incorporated in the final exam.
6. Extra Credits
Students are highly encouraged to participate in Chinese cultural activities,
such as participating or watching Chinese language speech contest,
volunteering for cultural activities, etc. Reports of activities in either
Chinese or English are required. One extra credit for each report. At least
300 characters for a report in Chinese or 500 words in English. Please go to
the website of the Confucius Institute at George Mason University to learn
more about the relevant activities and programs
(http://confucius.gmu.edu/events.cfm) Up to 3 extra credits will be given to
a student.
Grading Scale
A
100-93
A92-90
B+
89-87
B
86-83
B82-80
C+
79-77
C
76-73
C72-70
D
69-60
F
59- 0
Other Things to Keep in Mind
The Honor Code—Plagiarizing and cheating are both violations of the honor
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code. Please refer to http://www.gmu.edu/mlstudents/handbook/honor.html
for detailed information.
Disability Office—Students with disabilities who seek academic
accommodations need to contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS).
Please refer to http://ods.gmu.edu for more information.
Session Schedule
Date
Week 1
Tue, 8/26
Class
Homework
Introduction & L1
Vocabulary
Thurs, 8/28
L1 Vocabulary & Text &
Discussion
Week 2
Tue, 9/2
L1 Vocabulary & Text &
Discussion
Thurs, 9/4
L1 Text & Discussion
(Supplementary
Vocabulary)
Week 3
Tue, 9/9
L1Quiz
Thurs, 9/11
L2 Vocabulary & Text &
Discussion
Week 4
Tue, 9/16
L2 Vocabulary & Text &
Discussion
Thurs, 9/18
L2 Text & Discussion
(Supplementary
Vocabulary)
Week 5
Tue, 9/23
L 2 Quiz
Thurs, 9/25
L3 Vocabulary & Text &
Discussion
L 1 Homework
Due
L 2 Homework
Due
4
Week 6
Tue, 9/30
L3 Vocabulary & Text &
Discussion
Thurs, 10/2
L3 Text & Discussion
(Supplementary
Vocabulary)
Week 7
Tue, 10/7
L 3 Quiz
Thurs, 10/9
L4Vocabulary & Text &
Discussion
Week 8
Tue, 10/14
No Class
Thurs,
10/ 16
L4 Vocabulary & Text &
Discussion
Week 9
Tue, 10/21
L4Text & Discussion
(Supplementary
Vocabulary)
Thurs, 10/23
L 4 Quiz
Week 10
Tue, 10/28
L5 Vocabulary & Text &
Discussion
Thurs, 10/30
L5 Vocabulary & Text &
Discussion
Week 11
Tue, 11/4
L5 Text & Discussion
(Supplementary
Vocabulary)
Thurs, 11/6
L 5 Quiz
Week 12
Tue, 11/11
L6 Vocabulary & Text &
Discussion
Thurs, 11/13
L6 Vocabulary & Text &
L3 Homework
Due
L4 Homework
Due
L5 Homework
Due
5
Discussion
Week 13
Tue, 11/18
L6 Text & Discussion
(Supplementary
Vocabulary)
Thurs, 11/20
L 6 Quiz
Week 14
Tue, 11/25
Final Oral Presentation
Thurs, 11/27
Thanksgiving Recess
L6 Homework
Due
No Class
Week 15
Tue, 12/2
Final Oral Presentation
Thurs, 12/4
Review L1-6
Tue 12/9
Reading Day
Tue 12/16
10:30 am – 1:15 pm
FINAL EXAM
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