Chinese 2

World Languages Department

(Mr. Fairfield)

Classroom 105, x257

Course Syllabus

v  This form should be placed in the front of the student’s binder for reference throughout the year.

Overview

The study of the Chinese Language will provide students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes essential to becoming an effective participant in an increasingly diverse society.

This course continues to develop the four basic skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing in Chinese. The student improves his mastery of the phonetic system and his ability to sustain coherent structures in short and basic communicative situations. Students become more aware of the cultural differences between China and America, one example of which will be to correctly use “polite words” in appropriate situations.

Course Materials

Text: Learn Chinese with Me, Student Book 1, People’s Education Press

*At no point will students be allowed to write in the textbook, as they are in limited supply and must be used by next year’s students! You must come up with the answers yourselves, so allow others the privilege of doing the same.

Recommended but optional:

Dictionary:

Oxford Chinese Dictionary. Manser, Martin H. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.

ABC Chinese-English Comprehensive Dictionary. DeFrancis, John, ed. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2003.

Commonly-used Chinese Proverbs:

ABC Dictionary of Chinese Proverbs. Rohsenow, John D. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2002.

Web Resources:

NCIKU: www.nciku.com

MDBG: www.mdbg.net

Zhongwen: www.zhongwen.com

Skritter: www.skritter.com

Growing up with Chinese: http://cctv.cntv.cn/lm/learningchinese/program/index.shtml


Course Content

In the second year of Chinese, students learn to communicate orally through selected functions and topics. The students learn to communicate through the three modes of communication: Interpersonal, Interpretive, and Presentational modes. Students learn to apply grammatical principles of the language to form new sentences in meaningful exchanges and real world situations. Cultural information about China is integrated through various language-based activities focusing on the perspective, practices, and products of the Chinese language.

Specific Content Skills: Chinese level 2

Communicate orally on selected topics related to self, family, seasons, food, clothing, and health

Adequately prepare for the STAMP test (www.stamptest.net)

Listen to the target language using the interpretive and interpersonal mode of communication

Interpret text and conversation while responding orally with proper pronunciation in Chinese to: teacher or recorded questions based on text, curriculum topics, themes, authentic materials, and interactions initiated in the classroom relating to everyday situations in the foreign culture

Read with understanding materials in selected text, dialogues, magazines, selected poems and poetry, reading selections, as well as those reading s created by the teachers using familiar vocabulary and grammar

Recognize the meaning of some new words in reading passages through context as found in beginning level magazines, poems, and selected reading passages

Write sentences from oral practice, dictation, selected real-life scenarios using Chinese characters and correct spelling, including accent marks

Write several sentences giving information about oneself or a friend using Chinese characters

Describe oneself and your family with regard to seasons, food, clothing, sports, and health

Discuss in Chinese similarities and differences between American and the foreign culture with respect to customs, holidays, foods, education, etc

Use discussion and authentic materials to help students refine their perspective on the target culture and to interpret meaning of current events, historical moments, cultural practices and products

Distinguish parts of speech in Chinese

Demonstrate a working knowledge of Chinese characters, components and radicals

Be able use a Chinese dictionary without difficulty to look up unknown words

Understand frequently used vocabulary and word order patterns in simple sentences.

Recognize future and past references whether by time words or particles. Have both general and detailed understanding of short, discrete expressions

Use word order accurately in simple sentences

Read specially prepared paragraphs containing sentences that use low level, high frequency sentence patters. To begin to comprehend more complicated sentence structure and high frequency connectors forming complex sentences.

Write simple sentences describing situations in pictures, using elementary vocabulary and commonly encountered structures

Describe briefly one’s feelings, opinions, temporal relationships, spatial relationships and consequential relationships

General Academic Skills:

Reinforce note-taking skills and keeping an organized, systematic notebook

Become attentive to diction

Learn to incorporate review of notes and vocabulary into daily study routine

Use cooperative learning techniques as an academic resource

Introduce use of library and media resources for research assignments

Critical Thinking Skills:

Can identify central issues or problems

Can identify similarities and differences

Can recognize simple inconsistencies and contradictions

Can identify reasonable alternatives

Can predict possible consequences

Can reason hypothetically

Can recognize immediate implications


Grading

The foreign language grading policy for the Charles H. Flowers High School is as follows:

100-90 A

89-80 B

79-70 C

69-60 D

59-below E

Breakdown of Final Grade

Grading in this class will be broken down into three sections: Assessment (45%), Class Work (35%) and Homework (20%). Warm-ups will fall under the Class Work section. The final exam at the end of the year is 100 points, but entered twice into School Max, so it will have double the impact on a student’s grade. This is a mandate for all World Language courses.

The World Languages Department asks its teachers to use what we call the 5 C’s when creating or grading any assignment. While these categories do not affect a student’s grades directly, it is important to understand what is looked for by the instructor.

Communication

The Communication portion encompasses any activity having solely to do with speaking the language. For example: oral presentations, discussions, conversations, etc.

Cultures

The Cultures portion encompasses any activity whose primary concern is with the target country’s food, music, celebrations, art, etc.

Connection

The Connection portion encompasses current events, geography, mathematics, biographies, history, etc.

Comparisons

The Comparisons portion encompasses any and all comparisons made between our own culture and China’s culture, including foods, vocabulary, holidays, etc.

Communities

The Communities portion encompasses surveys, videos, simulated community activities, etc.

Special Days

If the class continues on schedule, there will be special days incorporated to enhance the course curriculum. These may include, but are not limited to: course-related films, picture slides and film clips, guest speakers, mini-lessons on Chinese painting and/or calligraphy, an exploration of Chinese music and musical instruments, the celebration of Chinese holidays, and a day for Chinese snacks and games.