MOLLOY COLLEGE

Department of Modern Languages

Beginning Mandarin Chinese I
CHI 101 -- Fall, 2012
Prof. Marisa Fang
(516) 808-8811 (cell)
Office Hours: by appointment

Section(s): Monday/Wednesday
E-mail: mfang@molloy.edu

Course Description
CHI 101 is the introductory course that focuses on the development of communicative competence in
modern spoken and written Chinese. This course affords students the opportunities to practice listening,
speaking, reading and writing skills in Chinese, as well as to gain knowledge and understanding of the
culture. Tones, standard accents and pronunciation are stressed at the early stage. Particular emphasis is
placed on the systematic mastery of vocabulary and conversational skills. CHI 101 is intended for students
with little or no previous experience in the language.
Goal
This course will begin with introducing Pinyin, the phonetic system of Mandarin Chinese. By the end of the
semester, students are expected to be able to read Chinese characters with correct tones; to understand by
listening simple conversations conducted in Mandarin; to write characters (both simplified and traditional)
in correct stroke order; to use correctly certain basic Chinese grammar and sentence structures; to conduct
conversations and express themselves in speaking and writing on certain simple topics; and to become
acquainted with aspects of Chinese culture and society related to the course materials.
Learning Outcomes Objectives
By developing the four linguistic skills and the understanding of the Chinese culture, the following
objectives describe the range of tasks and functions that the student will be able to perform in Mandarin
Chinese by the end of the course:
Listening

Respond to spoken basic questions and other oral messages.

Derive essential information from conversations, statements, announcements and oral narratives
based on a variety of everyday topics such as greetings, family, dates and time, hobbies, visiting
friends, making appointments, school life, etc.

Speaking

Ask and answer questions to obtain and provide basic information.

Talk about simple everyday activities and be able to handle simple survival situations (initiating
conversations, shopping, etc.);
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Use appropriate strategies to initiate and engage in simple conversations.

Express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions relevant to personal themes at a basic level.
Demonstrate a command of a basic range of vocabulary, pronunciation skills, idiomatic expressions
and simple language structures.

Reading

Extract information from a variety of written materials.

Identify main ideas in different types of texts.

Read with sufficient understanding to follow sequence of events.

Writing

Write phonetic symbols (pinyin) and some basic Chinese characters associated with common objects,
names, numbers, dates, their own nationality, hobbies, feelings and other simple autobiographical
information as well as some short phrases.
Compose short, informal notes and messages using pinyin as well as some basic Chinese characters;
Write coherently short simple narratives including descriptions and summaries.
Present information and ideas to readers.

Culture

Interact and perform appropriately in different cultural and linguistic environments.

Acquire and use information on the Chinese speaking world.
Demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons of the Chinese culture and
their own.

Life-long objectives
Participate in multilingual communities by using the language both within and beyond the classroom
setting.
Show evidence of becoming life-long learners by using the language for professional motives and,
most importantly, for personal enrichment and enjoyment.
Course Procedures
In order to fulfill the above objectives, the course is framed in an integral approach for the acquisition of a
second language. Active, regular use of the language is the key to reach competence and to enjoy learning
another language; hence:
a. Chinese will be spoken most of the time during the class;
b. Class-time will be devoted to the practice of speaking, listening, writing and reading Chinese;
c. it cannot be sufficiently emphasized that the practice of the target language, and, therefore, active
participation in the classroom, is fundamental for enhancing the students language skills.

1. Assignments
The student is expected to:
* before coming to class, do the homework ( zu y) assigned by the instructor and be familiar
with the vocabulary in order to devote most of the class time to communicative tasks and
activities.
* The daily homework ( zu y) will involve vocabulary, listening comprehension, reading
comprehension, and grammatical structure exercises from the workbook.
* Homework: all homework assignments should be submitted by the due date. At the end of
semester, the lowest grade for your homework assignments and the lowest grade in your quizzes
will be dropped.
participate in at least two Speaking Tasks throughout the semester. The instructor will hand out
specific instructions.
2. Assessment
There will be few short quizzes ( c yn) throughout the semester to check on comprehension of
grammatical structures and vocabulary; Two tests ( ko sh ) during the semester and a final exam
( q m ko). Two Tests will assess reading, writing and listening skills as well as vocabulary,
grammatical structures and cultural knowledge. Oral skills will be assessed by at least two Speaking
Tasks (oral presentations, one-on-one interviews between the instructor and the student, or role playing
between two or more students). The final exam is cumulative, will follow the same format as the tests,
and will have an oral skill component, such as a one-on-one interview between the instructor and the
student (worth 10% of the final exam grade).
Final Grade Breakdown:
Quizzes ( xio c yn)
Two Tests ( ko sh )
Final Exam ( q m ko).
Homework
Speaking Tasks
Class Participation

10%
20%
30%
20%
10%
10%

3. Attendance

Since oral practice is crucial for learning a language, you are expected to attend class regularly. If absent
for a class, you are responsible for all class work and homework assignments. A third class absence will
result in the lowering of the final course grade by half a letter grade and progressively thereafter. Three
late arrivals will constitute 1 absence. More than six (6) absences may be considered grounds for
expulsion from the course.
4. Make-ups
There will be no make up quizzes or exams (extreme emergency cases will be considered on an individual
basis).
5. Academic Integrity
Students are governed by the academic integrity policy (see the Student Handbook).
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6. Communicating Across the Curriculum

Percentage of course grade involving evaluation of writing, speaking and/or critical thinking skills: 100%
7. Disabilities: Students with documented disabilities who need accommodations in this class should
contact the Disabilities Support Service Office, Casey Bldg. Rm 11, tel 678-5000 ext 6381 for appropriate
accommodations.

Text Required
The course requirements include attendance, active participation in class activities, homework, one quiz for each lesson
covered, one oral presentation, and one final written examination.
Required textbook & workbooks
1. Integrated Chinese, Textbook, Level One, Part One, 3rd edition. By Yuehua Liu, Tao-chung Yao, et al. Cheng &
Tsui Company.
2. Integrated Chinese, Workbook, Level One, Part One, 3rd edition. By Yuehua Liu, Tao-chung Yao, et al. Cheng &
Tsui Company.
3. Integrated Chinese, Character Workbook, Level One, Part One, 3rd edition. By Yuehua Liu, Tao-chung Yao, et al.
Cheng & Tsui Company.

Recommended

Dictionary: http://www.zhongwen.com/ or

Far East Pinyin Chinese-English Dictionary www.usipusa.com

or any good college English-English dictionary.