Course syllabus

CHINESE 300: Advanced Modern Chinese 1

SEMESTER 1, 2018

15 points

 
Course Convenor: 
Margaret Lee - ms.lee@auckland.ac.nz

Other teaching staff:                 
To be announced

Schedule of Lecture and Tutorials – 4 hours per week
2 hours lectures:  
Mondays:  1:00- 2:00 room 206-216*
Wednesdays: 1:00- 2:00 room 206-216*
AND
2 hours tutorial:
Thursdays: 12:00 - 1:00 room 206-216*
Fridays:12:00 - 1:00 room 201E-259
*Please check SSO to confirm the classroom details, as this information is subject to sudden change.

Description and Aims:
This course builds on the knowledge that you have gained over the previous two years of studying Chinese and aims to help you to develop independent and confident skills as a learner and user of Chinese in a Chinese speaking environment.  You will read texts covering various aspects of Chinese society and culture, and through these texts you will strengthen your knowledge of Chinese grammar and vocabulary and develop your skills in both written and spoken Chinese. You will also develop a deeper knowledge about Chinese language, Chinese society and Chinese culture.

 In order to achieve good results, you will need to work consistently throughout the semester.  Daily study both in class and outside of class is essential.  Students who rely on a sudden burst of concentrated study just before a test or exam as the primary means of getting by are highly ineffective.

By far the most effective way for you to advance your Chinese skills is to train yourself to constantly and actively practice making use of your vocabulary and grammar knowledge that you have learned to express as many of your complex thoughts and ideas as possible, thus gaining the confidence and independence to operate on your own.  Your goal should always be clear in your own mind what the core meaning is that you are trying to express, ever mindful of the need to render that underlying core meaning into a version of Chinese that is grammatically correct and natural according to the rules of Chinese.

Based on the above philosophy, one key focus of classroom instruction will be on developing the skills of circumlocution (the ability to talk about something that you do not know how to say directly) and paraphrasing (being able to say the same thing in different words). To encourage you to come to class every day fully prepared to take an active role in what is happening there, 10% of the internal assessment will be based on ‘class participation’. Points for tutorial attendance are not a free gift to everyone and need to be earned. You are expected to prepare for the lessons and to participate actively in the classroom activities. Although homework is optional, as it is designed to reinforce what you have learned, it is very important that you do all the homework that is assigned.

Course outcomes:
If you meet all the requirements set in this course, at the end of this course you will:

• have gained a wider, more sophisticated vocabulary as used in modern China;
• be able to read more advanced texts on general topics about life and culture in modern China;
• have improved your ability to write in accurate Chinese on various topics on modern China;
• have improved your ability to talk to others about life and culture in modern China;
• have developed a deeper knowledge about the Chinese language and China in general.

Important information
Students who study Chinese for the first time at the University of Auckland must complete the Language Ability Declaration and may be called for an interview and a placement test. Failure to complete the Language Ability Declaration will result in deletion of the enrolment.

Assessments Summary:
Weighting of coursework assessments and dates:
15%  Oral Test Week 6, April 19
20% Computer based Mid-semester testWeek 8 April 30   
15% Oral presentation Week 12 (May 31) Group1/(June1): Group 2
10% Class participation On-going assessment
40% Computer based Exam

Weekly Topics:
CHINESE 300 Schedules
Week 1 Revision+
Monday (February 26):          Course Introduction, Grammar revision
Wednesday (February28):      Section A (Translation) of Chinese 201 Final Written Test
Thursday (March 1):              Oral revision
Friday (March 2):                   Section B (Reading Comprehension) of Chinese 201 Final Written Test

Week 2 漫谈表达感情
Monday (March 5):                漫谈表达感情 (L1)   
Wednesday (March 7):          漫谈表达感情 (L2) 
Thursday (March 8):              漫谈表达感情 (Oral)  
Friday (March 9):                   漫谈表达感情 (Exercise)

Week 3 漫谈表达感情
Monday (March12):               漫谈表达感情 (L3)               
Wednesday (March 14):        漫谈表达感情 (L4)
Thursday (March 15):            漫谈表达感情 (Oral)
Friday (March 16):                 漫谈表达感情 (Exercise)

Week 4 饮食养生
Monday (March 19):              饮食养生 (L1)
Wednesday (March 21):        饮食养生 (L2)                                                                       
Thursday (March 22):            饮食养生 (Oral)
Friday (March 23):                 饮食养生 (Exercise)

Week 5 饮食养生
Monday (March 26):              饮食养生 (L3)
Wednesday (March 28):        饮食养生 (L4)
Thursday (March 29):            饮食养生 (Oral)
Friday (March 30):                 Easter Friday

Mid-semester break/Easter - Monday 2 April – Saturday 14 April 2018

Week 6 环境污染
Monday (April 16):                环境污染 (L1)
Wednesday (April 18):          环境污染 (L2)
Thursday (April 19):              Oral Test
Friday (April 20):                   环境污染 (Exercise)

Week 7环境污染
Monday April 23):                 环境污染 (L3)
Wednesday (April 25):          ANZAC Day
Thursday (April 26):              环境污染 (Oral)
Friday (April 27):                   环境污染 (Exercise)

Week 8 中西文化差异
Monday (April 30):                Computer based Mid-Semester Test 6:00-7:00, HSB 201E-151
Wednesday (May 2):             中西文化差异 (L1)
Thursday (May 3):                 中西文化差异 (Oral)
Friday (May 4):                      中西文化差异(Exercise)

Week 9 中西文化差异
Monday (May 7):                   中西文化差异(L3)
Wednesday (May 9):             中西文化差异(L4)
Thursday (May 10):               中西文化差异(Oral)
Friday (May 11):                    中西文化差异(Exercise)

Week 10中国哲学
Monday (May 14):                 中国哲学(L1)
Wednesday (May 16):           中国哲学(L2)                                    
Thursday (May 17):               中国哲学 (Oral)
Friday (May 18):                    中国哲学(Exercise)

Week 11中国哲学
Monday (May 21):                 中国哲学(L3)
Wednesday (May 23):            中国哲学 (L4)
Thursday (May 24):               中国哲学 (Oral)
Friday (May 25):                    中国哲学 (Exercise)

Week 12 Revision
Monday (May 28):                 Revision
Wednesday (May 30):           Revision
Thursday (May 31 ):              Oral Presentation (group 1)
Friday (June 1):                     Oral Presentation (group 2)

Prescribed Texts:
Margaret Lee & Robert Sanders. Transitional Chinese: From the Wading Pool to the Swimming Pool. This free reader can be collected from the Arts 1 Reception on Level 3, room 206-307.  You must present your ID card. 

Workload and deadlines for submission of coursework:           

The University of Auckland's expectation is that students spend 10 hours per week on a 15-point course, including time in class and personal study. Students should manage their academic workload and other commitments accordingly. Deadlines for coursework are set by course convenors and will be advertised in course material. You should submit your work on time. In extreme circumstances, such as illness, you may seek an extension but you may be required to provide supporting information before the assignment is due. Late assignments without a pre-approved extension may be penalised by loss of marks – check course information for details.