Chinese Language Courses

• Course Code: 01:165:108
• Course Title: Basic Spoken Chinese
• Semester(s) Offered: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer
• Credits: 4

01:165:108 Basic Spoken Chinese

This course is designed for the students who would like to develop their skills in Basic Spoken Standard Chinese. Students are prepared for daily use of Spoken Chinese.

Course Materials: Colloquial Chinese. By P.C. T’ung and D.E. Pollard, New York: Routledge & K. Paul in association with Methuen, 1982.

Grading: Effort 10%, Daily dictation/homework/assignments 10%, Tests/quizzes 20%, Midterm 30%, Final 30%

The "effort" grade will be based on regular attendance, preparation, and class participation. Students will lose points for unexcused absences, tardiness, leaving class early, and poor classroom attitude. In this semester, we will cover lessons 9-17. Each lesson will have three or four class meetings. For each class, you are expected to review the materials we covered in the class, and preview the materials we will cover in the following class.

Please feel free to come to my office hours or contact me by Email/Phone when you have any questions that cannot be satisfactorily solved during class time, or simply when you need help. I will do everything that I can to help.

• Course Code: 01:165:121
• Course Title: Beginning Chinese Reading and Writing for Mandarin Speakers
• Semester(s) Offered: Fall, Spring
• Credits: 3

01:165:121 Beginning Chinese Reading and Writing for Mandarin Speakers

This course meets the needs of advanced beginners or "heritage learners" who can understand and speak conversational Chinese related to daily life situations but have not learned to read/write Chinese characters. The course goes over the basics of standard Mandarin pronunciation and introduces students to Chinese characters. This course aims to develop students' correct pronunciation, grammatical accuracy, and overall competence in reading and writing.

This course consists of the following: Lectures /Presentations /Quizzes /Unit tests /Cumulative Final

Course Material: Oh, China! Elementary Reader of Modern Chinese for Advanced Beginners By Chih-p’ing Chou, Perry Link and Xuedong Wang. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1997. ( ISBN-13: 978-0691058788; ISBN-1 0: 0691058784 )

By fully participating in this course, you will be able to perform at novice-high proficiency level in reading and writing in Mandarin Chinese by the end of the course. More specifically you will build up:

• Chinese reading and writing skills at the sentence level
• Standard Mandarin pronunciation
• Understanding of basic Mandarin grammatical structures
• Correction of your grammatical irregularities, if any.

You are expected to come to class well prepared. Proper preparation for each class will take you a minimum of one to two hours. Please arrange your schedule so that you have enough time to prepare for this class. Language learning is a cumulative process and requires continuous, steady effort.

Homework assignments will be available on canvas. Please submit your homework on time to receive full credit. Late submissions will receive reduced credit, but I would still be happy to review your work.

There will be quizzes either on vocabulary, sentence patterns, or the lesson text. All unit tests and exams are cumulative. Therefore, review earlier material frequently. Make-ups will be given for unit tests & exams only for officially excused absences or conflicts. It is your responsibility to get in touch with the instructor and schedule a make-up.

Classes meet two times a week and you are expected to be in class on time every day. Please inform the instructor of your absence in advance via Rutgers Online Absences Report System at https://sims.rutgers.edu/ssra/. (Please note: Reporting your absence does not "excuse" you). Absences can be excused only for religious reasons or by presentation of official documents explaining your absence (e.g., doctor’s notes). If you miss class for more than 30 minutes, your lateness will be counted as a half absence. More than 3 (including 3) unexcused absences will lead automatically to an “F”. Final grades will be lowered by 3% for each day of class missed.

• Course Code: 01:165:201
• Course Title: Intermediate Chinese
• Semester(s) Offered: Fall, Spring
• Credits: 4

01:165:201 Intermediate Chinese 

This intermediate level course on Modern Mandarin Chinese places equal emphasis on speaking, listening, reading and writing to further develop the student’s ability to communicate effectively and appropriately in the language. Through a wide variety of classroom activities, daily quizzes, and homework and writing assignments, you will build up a more comprehensive understanding of the fundamental grammar of the language, and expand your knowledge of its core vocabulary and commonly used phrases. By the end of the course, you will be able to converse in Chinese beyond the sentence level on topics related to daily life, academic life and some aspects of the Chinese culture. In addition to improving the students’ fluency in the “spoken style,” the course also begins to introduce students to some basic “written style” expressions. The course is conducted in Chinese.

Skills trained: Speaking, listening, reading, writing (handwriting and typing Chinese characters in simplified 简体字 or traditional 繁體字)

Proficiency Level: Third semester of Modern Mandarin Chinese at the college level (101, 102, 201, 202, 301, 302, 401, 402); HSK 汉语⽔平测验 Level 3, ACTFL novice-high ~ intermediate mid New vocabulary: approximately 500 Contact hours: 80 minutes x 42 meetings = 56 hours.

This course is designed for students who have completed 01:165:102 Elementary Chinese II or placed into the course via the Rutgers Chinese placement test (https://placement.elearning.rutgers.edu)

Course Materials: Integrated Chinese 中⽂听说读写/中⽂聽說讀寫, Volume 3, 4th edition Textbook, ISBN 9781622911561, required Workbook, ISBN 9781622911578, required (In this semester, Lessons 1~8 of Integrated Chinese will be covered)

By fully participating in this course, you will be able to perform at intermediate-low proficiency level in speaking, listening, reading, and writing in Mandarin Chinese by the end of the course. More specifically:

• Through engaging course materials, in-class activities, and homework assignments, you will build up fundamental vocabulary, learn essential sentence structures, and gain the practical skills to express your ideas both orally and in writing.
• Through authentic multimedia course materials and frequent classroom discussions in the target language, you will be able to participate in conversations about daily life and school life, and to gain a better understanding of the Chinese language and culture.
• By completing weekly oral assignments and two oral presentations, you will demonstrate that you can present your ideas orally on both informal and formal topics with some degree of fluency and clarity.
• By completing weekly writing assignments and two short essays, you will demonstrate that you can present your ideas in writing with fundamental structures

This is a language class, which means class time is crucial to your learning. You are expected to come to every class on time and actively participate in class activities and discussions. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class. Three late arrivals to class will count as one absence. You are allowed only two unexcused absences. Your final grade will be reduced by one full point for each unexcused absence beyond the first two. More than 7 unexcused absences will lead automatically to an “F” in your final grade. Absences can be excused only for religious reasons (must be reported in advance), or documented emergencies (official documents must be provided). If you expect to miss a class, please use the university absence reporting website (https://sims.rutgers.edu/ssra/) to indicate the date and reason for your absence.

Learning a foreign language is an exciting but also demanding endeavor. Make sure your schedule allows you to commit to spending a minimum of one to two hours to prepare for each class. In this semester, we will cover Lessons 1~8 of Integrated Chinese. For each class, you are expected to review the materials we covered in class and complete the assignments. A short quiz will be given at the beginning of each class. If you are late to class, you will miss the quiz, and there are absolutely no make-ups for the quizzes.

Homework assignments consist of exercises from either the Integrated Chinese Workbook or worksheets given by the instructor. The due date of each assignment will be clearly specified when assigned and will be your responsibility to pay close attention to. Late submissions within one week of the due date will be docked by 50%; assignments submitted one week after the due date will not be accepted.

The first Oral Presentation is an individual interview with the instructor. For the second Oral Presentation, you will be paired with one partner. You will have an opportunity to rehearse your oral presentation #2 and after the rehearsal, you will receive feedback from the instructor and your peers. The feedback will be a great way for you to learn how to make improvements on your presentation.

• Course Code: 01:165:202
• Course Title: Intermediate Chinese
• Semester(s) Offered: Spring, Summer
• Credits: 4
• SAS Core Certified: AHq

01:165:202 Intermediate Chinese 

This course is a continuation of Intermediate Chinese 201 and the fourth semester in the Modern Mandarin Chinese sequence. The course places equal emphasis on speaking, listening, reading, and writing to further develop the student’s ability to communicate effectively and appropriately in the language. Through a wide range of classroom activities, homework and writing assignments, and quizzes and unit tests, students will build up a more comprehensive understanding of the fundamental grammar of the language and expand their knowledge of its core vocabulary and commonly used phrases. In addition to improving the students’ fluency in the spoken style, the course continues to introduce students to basic written style expressions. The course is conducted in Chinese.

Skills trained: Speaking, listening, reading, writing (handwriting and typing Chinese characters in simplified 简体字 or traditional 繁體字)

Proficiency Level: Fourth semester of Modern Mandarin Chinese at the college level (101, 102, 201, 202,301, 302, 401, 402); HSK 汉语水平测验 Level 3-4; ACTFL intermediate mid ~ intermediate high

New vocabulary: Approximately 500 words

Contact hours: 80 minutes x 42 meetings = 56 hours

Course Materials: We will cover Lessons 9~10 in Integrated Chinese Volume 3 in addition to Lessons 11~16 in Volume 4, Integrated Chinese 中文听说读写/中文聽說讀寫, Volume 4, 4th edition Textbook, ISBN 978-1-62291-151-6, required, Workbook, ISBN 978-1-62291-152-3, required

By fully participating in this course, you will be able to perform at intermediate-mid ~ intermediate-high proficiency level in speaking, listening, reading, and writing in Mandarin Chinese by the end of the course. More specifically:

Through engaging course materials, in-class activities, and homework assignments, you will build up fundamental vocabulary, learn essential sentence structures, and gain the practical skills to express your ideas both orally and in writing.
Through authentic multimedia course materials and frequent classroom discussions in the target language, you will be able to participate in conversations about daily life and school life, and to gain a better understanding of the Chinese language and culture.
By completing weekly oral assignments and two oral presentations, you will demonstrate that you can present your ideas orally on both informal and formal topics with some degree of fluency and clarity.
By completing weekly writing assignments and two short essays, you will demonstrate that you can present your ideas in writing with fundamental structures.

This is a language class, which means class time is crucial to your learning. You are expected to come to every class on time and actively participate in class activities and discussions. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class. Three late arrivals to class will count as one absence. You are allowed only two unexcused absences. Your final grade will be reduced by one full point for each unexcused absence beyond the first two. More than 7 unexcused absences will lead automatically to an “F” in your final grade. Absences can be excused only for religious reasons (must be reported in advance), or documented emergencies (official documents must be provided). If you expect to miss a class, please use the university absence reporting website (https://sims.rutgers.edu/ssra/) to indicate the date and reason for your absence.

Learning a foreign language is an exciting but also demanding endeavor. Make sure your schedule allows you to commit to spending a minimum of one to two hours to prepare for each class. For each class, you are expected to review the materials we covered in class and complete the assignments. A short quiz will be given at the beginning of each class. If you are late to class, you will miss the quiz, and there are absolutely no make-ups for the quizzes.

Homework assignments consist of exercises from either the Integrated Chinese Workbook or worksheets given by the instructor. The due date of each assignment will be clearly specified when assigned and will be your responsibility to pay close attention to. Late submissions within one week of the due date will be docked by 50%; assignments submitted one week after the due date will not be accepted.

Unit tests are cumulative. Rescheduling of a unit test is only possible for officially excused absences or conflicts (official documents must be provided). You can only reschedule a unit test if you notify the instructor in advance.

This is an interactive class. You are expected to actively participate in all class, pair, and group work, both as in-class activities and as homework assignments. The class fosters a nurturing and inclusive environment to promote open and respectful dialogue. In all discussions, be mindful that your classmates may come from a diverse background with different learning experiences and beliefs. The course may include topics that some students may find sensitive. Please reach out to the instructor if you feel uncomfortable engaging with certain course content or discussion.

Lectures and materials utilized in this course, including but not limited to videocasts, podcasts, visual presentations, assessments, and assignments, are protected by United States copyright laws as well as Rutgers University policy. As the instructor of this course, I possess sole copyright ownership. You are permitted to take notes for personal use or to provide to a classmate also currently enrolled in this course. Under no other circumstances is distribution of recorded or written materials associated with this course permitted to any internet site or similar information-sharing platform. Doing so is a violation of the university’s Academic Integrity Policy.