Chinese Language Courses

• Course Code: 01:165:362
• Course Title: Business Chinese II
• Semester(s) Offered: Spring
• Credits: 3

01:165:362 Business Chinese II 

Description: Continuation of 01:165:361 with emphasis on advanced business correspondence.

Number of Credits: 3 

Prerequisites: 01:165:361 or equivalent

Semesters Offered: Spring

Topics: Procedures of international trade; establishing business relations, enquiry, offer, on price, order, terms of payment, delivery and shipment, insurance, claim, joint venture.

Expected Work: Attendance, participation

Exams: Midterm and Final

Syllabus

• Course Code: 01:165:371
• Course Title: Contemporary Expository Chinese
• Semester(s) Offered: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer
• Credits: 3

01:165:371 Contemporary Expository Chinese 

Description: Reading and discussion of selections from scholarly writings on history, philosophy, and political and social issues in modern Chinese prose. Analysis of structural patterns and practice in writing.

Number of Credits: 3 

Prerequisites: 01:165:301 or 321 or equivalent

Semesters Offered: Irregular

• Course Code: 01:165:401
• Course Title: Advanced Chinese Conversation and Composition
• Semester(s) Offered: Fall
• Credits: 3

01:165:401 Advanced Chinese Conversation and Composition 

Description: Practice of speech conversation, discussion, and composition in Mandarin Chinese; exercises in Chinese grammar and rhetoric.

Number of Credits: 3 

Prerequisites: 01:165:302 or 01:165:322 or equivalent

Semesters Offered: Irregular

Syllabus

• Course Code: 01:165:402
• Course Title: Advanced Chinese Conversation and Composition II
• Semester(s) Offered: Spring
• Credits: 3

01:165:402 Advanced Chinese Conversation and Composition II 

This advanced level course on Modern Mandarin Chinese further develops all four language proficiency skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) by focusing on vocabulary expansion, conversation in formal contexts and essay writing. Through multimedia course materials, task-based classroom activities, oral presentations and written assignments with real-world applications, students will build up a more extensive vocabulary, learn more advanced sentence patterns, and be able to present their ideas at the multi-paragraph level, in both informal and formal contexts. By the end of the course, students will have acquired the linguistic tools to converse and write in Chinese comfortably on most informal topics and engage in discussions in some formal topics. The course is conducted in Chinese.

Skills trained: Speaking, listening, reading, writing (handwriting and typing Chinese characters in simplified 简体字or traditional 繁体字)
Proficiency level: Sixth semester of Modern Mandarin Chinese at the college level (Chinese 101, 102, 201, 202, 301, 302, 401, 402); HSK 汉语水平测验
Levels 6, ACTFL Advanced mid-Advanced high
New vocabulary: Approximately 500 words
Contact hours: 80 minutes x 28 meetings = 38 hours

Course Materials: 事事关心：现代汉语高级读本 All Things Considered: An Advanced Reader of Modern Chinese, revised edition, by Chou, Chih-P’ing, Yan Xia & Meow Hui Goh Publisher: ‎ Princeton University Press, 2011 ISBN: 978-0-691-15310-0

If you do not have the appropriate technology for financial reasons, please email the Dean of Students at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for assistance. If you are facing other financial hardships, please visit the Office of Financial Aid: https://financialaid.rutgers.edu/

By fully participating in this course, you will be able to perform at advanced-mid 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 a more extensive vocabulary, learn more advanced sentence patterns, and gain the practical skills to express your ideas both orally and in writing in idiomatic Chinese at the paragraph level.
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, gain a better understanding of social and cultural issues in China, and engage in basic discussions of these issues
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 essays, you will demonstrate that you can present their ideas in the written format with some structural variety and complexity.
By working on personalized pathway assignments weekly, you will make progress toward your own individual learning goals, be more motivated to continue with your Chinese language studies and become lifelong learners.

Grading: Attendance and Participation 10%, Homework Assignments 20%, Lesson Quizzes 10%, Oral Debate 10%, Writing Assignments 10%, Unit Tests 20%, Final Projects 20%

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 the class activities. All electronic devices must be off while class is in session. 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 two full points for each unexcused absence after the first two. 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.

For each lesson, there will be four small homework assignments, on character practice, speaking, listening or reading. The assignments will be posted in the lesson module on Canvas at least one week in advance of the due date. You are expected to complete two homework assignments after each meeting. Each assignment should take between 15-30 minutes. The assignments should be submitted on Canvas by 11:59pm on the day before the following meeting, unless otherwise stated. Late submissions within one week of the due date will be docked by 10% for each day they are late. Assignments submitted one week after the due date will receive half credit.

Lesson quizzes are given at the beginning of the second meeting of the lesson. They typically consist of vocabulary dictation. There are no makeups for quizzes. If you are excused for class on the day a quiz is given, you will be excused for the quiz. The lowest two quiz scores of the semester will be dropped.

You will give two oral debates, in two groups (one agree with the idea, one disagree). Each presentation is worth 5% of the course grade. Topics and specific instructions will be announced in class one week in advance. You will have opportunities in class activity time to prepare for them.

You will complete two 500-character writing assignments; each assignment is worth 5% of the course grade. Type up your assignment in a Word file and upload it onto Canvas. Topics and specific instructions will be announced one week before the due date. Late submissions within one week of the due date will be docked by 10% for each day they are late. Assignments submitted one week after the due date will receive half credit.

There will be two cumulative unit tests, each contributing 10% to the course grade. Unit Test 1 单元测验一 covers the first 3 lessons (L23-25). Unit Test 2 单元测验二 covers the first 6 lessons (L23-28), with focus on the 3 new lessons (L26-28). 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 receive permission from the instructor in advance.

The final projects consist of an oral component and a written component. There is no final exam. For the Final Oral Project 期末口语报告 (10%), you will work individually to analyze a Chinese social phenomenon or China’s international position on an event, and then present your work to the class on presentation day. The social issue should be related to the topics covered in Chinese 402. For the Final Written Project 期末写作报告 (10%), you will work individually to read a journal article and write a 500-character response to it. Specific instructions will be announced one week 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.