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Instructor: Mr. Jianhua Bai (427-5530)
Office Hours: (ASC 112) 10:00-12:00 M.W. and by appointment
Schedule: 12:10-1:00 (MTWRF)
Required Texts
Integrated Chinese, Level 1, Part 2 (IC) by Tao-chung Yao et al.
Integrated Chinese Workbook, (ICW) Level 1, Part 2
Video Clips of Survival Chinese (on-line)
Supplementary Materials
Click here to listen to the recordings of the text and do more exercises.
Click here to practice your vocabulary.
Click here to go to a web site to practice your sounds and tones.
Click here for another web site to practice sounds and tones.
Click here to go to a USC webpage to practice chracters.
Click here to
go to a tool that help you create wordlists of your own texts.
Course Description
This is the basic introductory language course in Modern Standard Chinese (Putonghua). This course will develop
students' basic communicative competence in the Chinese language and their understanding of the Chinese culture.
Throughout the course, students develop their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills across the three
communicative modes: interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational. In the first semester, the pronunciation
and some basic grammar will be taught. The bulk of in-class work will be devoted to developing oral and aural skills.
There will also be an introduction to the Chinese writing system.
2. Practice
A foreign language is acquired only as a consequence
of using that language. The purpose of the practice classes is to build
each week's new material into an increasingly versatile proficiency. Practice
is the most important activity in this course. Every minute is valuable
to you. Every class meeting contributes, cumulatively, to the attainment
of your personal objective.
To practice means to interact with all others in
the class. Therefore, active participation in the practice class activities (AT sessions)
is essential for our success in this course. In addition to the practice
classes you will also have regular home assignment, either paper-pencil
or on the computer. Each week you will need to complete the workbook exercises and turn them in no later than Friday. Homework turned in late will be corrected, but not credited. Please note, for the listening section, you need to listen to the recordings and complete the listening exericises.
3. Evaluation
Evaluation provides each student multiple opportunities
to demonstrate incremental skill development over discrete segments of
material. It provides feedback for both teaching and learning. Each
weekly evaluation is cumulative, including all previous material plus the
most recent week's new material.
Back to the Top
Assignments and Evaluation
The final letter grade assigned represents the judgement
of the following aspects:
---the bi-weekly quizzes =15 points
---class participation=20 points
---assignments=15 points
---cultural project=5 points: The Culture Project (3-5 pages in English or
Chinese or a combination of both): 1. Identity a topic of your own interest
such as customs, festivals, food, family and kinship terms etc. (by early Feb.).
2. Narrow your topic to a few specific questions. (by the end of Feb.). 3. Gather
data to answer your questions. You can use information from the Internet, books,
journals, newspapers or interviews with native speakers etc. The paper is due
the end of April.
---character quizzes=5 points
---Final Exam = 40points (1:30-3:30, Mon, May 7)
Some of the useful learning techniques include 1) listening to the dialogues and workbook passages regularly.
2) Semantic map, putting semantically similar words together on one page
for effective memorization. For instance you can put words about family
together. 3) Learning to relate to the parts of the new words to the parts
of words that you already know. 4) Reading and listening repeatedly to
the lessons. 5) Sentence Anagram: taking the sentence apart into different
phrases and put the parts back together into meaningful sentences.
6) Talking to yourself such as composing interesting dialogue that systematically
recycle the words that you have learned.Back to the Top
Chinese Table
Students and teachers of Chinese have dinner together every
Tuesday from 5:30 to 6:30 at Peirce Hall (Downstairs).
Date |
Pre-class Work |
During-class Activities |
Post-class Assignments |
W1 1/12 |
Purchase textbooks | Intro to the course, review and start IC 12: dining
|
Study IC12 Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part One of ICW. |
1/13 |
Study and learn the new words of the first half of IC 12. |
Review of the first part of IC 12: Dining
|
Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part 2 of ICW. |
1/14 |
Study the second part of the lesson and come to class with questions if you have any. |
Character Quiz Second half of IC 2: Functioning in more dining situations. |
Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part 2 of ICW. |
1/16 |
general review of IC 12 |
general review of IC 12 |
Study/preview IC 13 |
W2 1/19 |
Review of IC 12 and learn the new words of IC 13. |
Character Quiz Review IC12, Q&A about homework... Learn to function in a 图书馆: borrowing books/tapes |
Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part One of ICW. |
1/20
|
Study dialogue 2 and come to class with questions if you have any. |
Class starts 8:15: Learn to function in a 图书馆. Grammar practice with ba and etc. |
Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part One of ICW. |
1/21 |
review for bi-weekly test |
Character Quiz |
Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part 2 of ICW. |
1/23 |
Listen to the text until you can understand the dialogue without looking at the book. |
Bi-weekly test/written |
Study/preview IC 14
|
W3 1/26 |
Study and learn the new words of the first half of IC 14. Listen to the first dialogue once. |
Character Quiz and Review ofIC 13 Q&A about "ba3" structure and homework |
Practice characters, sentence patterns and the dialogue. Do the Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part One of ICW. |
1/27
|
Study and learn the new words of the second part of IC 14. Listen to both dialogues of IC14 |
Learn to " move around (directions)" Grammar practice: directional phrases and etc |
Practice characters, sentence patterns and the dialogue. Do the Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part 2 of ICW. |
1/ 28
|
Study the lesson and come to class with questions if any. |
Character Quiz Study the second half of IC 14: moving around Recycle and practice the grammar and vocabulary Practicing reading and writing of the characters of IC 14. |
Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part 2 of ICW. |
1/30 |
General review |
General Review |
Study IC 15 |
Date |
Pre-class Work |
During-class Activities |
Post-class Assignments |
W4 2/2 |
Study and learn the new words of the first half of IC 15. Listen to the first dialogue once. |
Character Quiz General review and learn to 过生日 |
Practice characters, sentence patterns and the dialogue. Do the Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part One of ICW. |
2/3 |
Study and learn the new words of the second half of IC 15. Listen to both dialogues of IC15. |
Continue with IC 15: "going to parties"
|
Practice characters, sentence patterns and the dialogue. Do the Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part 2 of ICW. |
2/4 |
review |
Character Quiz Study the second half of IC 15: moving around Recycle and practice the grammar and vocabulary Practicing reading and writing of the characters of IC 15. |
Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part 2 of ICW. |
2/6 |
Listen to the text until you can understand the dialogues well. |
Character Quiz Review and bi-weekly test/Speaking |
Study/preview IC 16 |
W 5 2/9 |
Study and learn the new words of the first half of IC 16. Listen to the first dialogue once. |
Character Quiz Review IC 15. Q&A about homework |
Practice characters, sentence patterns and the dialogue. Do the Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part 1 of ICW. |
2/10 |
Study and learn the new words of the second half of IC 16 Listen to both dialogues of IC16 |
First half of IC 16: "Seeing a doctor"
|
Practice characters, sentence patterns and the dialogue. Do the Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part 2 of ICW. |
2/11 |
Study the lesson and come to class with questions if any. |
Character Quiz Review of the first part of IC 16 AND Grammar practice Second half of IC 16 |
Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part 2 of ICW. |
2/13 |
Listen to the text until you can understand the dialogue without looking at the book. |
Recycle and practice the grammar and vocabulary Practicing reading and writing of the characters of IC 16.
|
Study/preview IC 17 |
W6 2/16 |
review |
Character Quiz Review of IC 16 |
|
2/17 &18 |
review |
Review and bi-weekly test/Written |
|
| 2/20 | Study and learn the new words of the second half of IC 17 | start IC 17: "Dating" |
|
W7 2/23 |
Study and learn the new words of the second half of IC 17 | Study the first part of IC 17: Grammar and vocabulary practice and learn how to "invite a friend to dinner or movie etc.
|
Practice characters, sentence patterns and the dialogue. Do the Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part 1 of ICW. |
| 2/24 | Study and learn the new words of the second half of IC 17 | Second half of IC 17 and do some of the exercises | Practice characters, sentence patterns and the dialogue. Do the Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part 2 of ICW. |
| 2/25 | Study the lesson and come to class with questions if any | Continue with the half of IC 17 and do some of the exercises | |
| 2/27 | Review of IC 17: "Dating" | Start the "cultural projects" | |
|
Spring Break |
March 1 to 15 |
Happy spring break! |
Culture Project (3-5 pages in English or Chinese or a combination of both)
1. Identity a topic of your own interest such as customs, festivals, food, family and kinship terms etc.
2. Narrow your topic to a few specific questions.
3. Gather data to answer your questions. You can use information from the Internet, books, journals, newspapers or interviews with native speakers etc.
4. Write a summary of your findings and discuss their implications on learning of the Chinese language or cross-cultural understanding.
Date |
Class Activities |
Assignments |
3/16 |
Start IC 18 |
Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part 1 of ICW |
| 3/17 | Review IC 18/Describing your living spaces |
Continue with the homework |
| 3/18 | Character Quiz Review IC 18/role-play: renting an apt. |
Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part 2 of ICW |
| 3/20 | speaking test | Study and learn the new words of IC 19. |
3/23 |
Character Quiz IC 19: Learn to function at at a post office |
Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part 1 of ICW |
3/24 |
Review of first part of IC19 and study the second half |
Listen to the text until you can understand the dialogues well. |
3/25 |
Character Quiz IC 19: Learn to function at at a post office |
Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part 2 of ICW |
3/27 |
General Review of the whole chapter and a video clip of "post office" |
1) Listen to the text until you can understand the dialogues well. 2) Study and learn the new words of IC 20. |
3/30 |
Character Quiz Review of IC 19 and Start IC 20 |
Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part 1 of ICW |
3/31 |
IC 20: Discuss sports and hobbies |
Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part 2 of ICW |
4/1 |
Character Quiz Review of IC 20 |
Listen to the text until you can understand the dialogues well. |
| 4/2 | Review of IC 20 | |
4/3 |
review and bi-weekly test/ reading and writing |
Study and learn the new words of IC 21. |
4/6 |
Character Quiz First half of IC 21: Travelling around |
Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part 1 of ICW |
4/7 |
Second half of IC 21: Travelling around |
Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part 2 of ICW |
4/8 |
Character Quiz IC 21: Travelling around |
Listen to understand the who text without looking at the text. |
4/10 |
General review |
Study and learn the new words of IC 22 |
4/13 |
Character Quiz First half of IC 22: hometown |
Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part 1 of ICW |
4/14 |
Second half of IC 22: hometown |
Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part 2 of ICW |
| 4/15 | Character Quiz Review for the bi-weekly test |
Listen to the text until you can understand the dialogues well. |
| 4/16 | Review for the bi-weekly test | |
4/17 |
Speaking test |
Study and learn the new words of IC 23 |
4/20 |
Character Quiz First half of IC 23: IC 23: Learn to function at an airport |
Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part 1 of ICW |
4/21 |
Second part of IC 23 |
Listening, Reading and writing exercises of Part 2 of ICW |
4/22 |
Character Quiz IC 23: Learn to function at an airport |
Listen to the text until you can understand the dialogues well. |
| 4/24 | General review of IC 23 (NO CLASS) | General Revview/Speaking |
4/27 |
General Revview |
General Revview/Speaking/listening, reading and writing |
| 4/28 | General Revview | General Revview/Speaking/listening, reading and writing |
| 4/29 | Final Speaking Evaluation. Each pair will have 15 min. with Bai Laoshi. One role play is choosen randomly from the list of Speaking Review sheets and then there will be a natural conversation in Chinese followed by a few Qs from Bai laoshi. | General Revview/listening, reading and writing |
| 5/1 | General Revview/reading and writing (NO CLASS) | General Revview/listening, reading and writing |
| 5/7 | Final Exam: Listening, Reading and Writing (1:30-3:30) | Have a happy summer vacation! |