Elementary Chinese I
Fall 2002 Syllabus

Instructor: Gloria Bien e-mail: gbien@mail.colgate.edu
Office: 102 Lawrence web site:people.colgate.edu/gbien
Office Hours: MTW 1:30 & by appointment, 228 -7731.

This course offers an introduction to modern standard Chinese. We begin with the basic sound system and the pinyin spelling system, then proceed to short dialogues and pattern sentences in order to build a structural foundation for future learning. Reading and writing are introduced incrementally through a separate set of texts. We will focus on the simplified characters used in mainland China, but supplementary materials are available for those who wish to learn the traditional complex forms still used in Taiwan. Audio exercises in QuickTime format accompany each lesson, and are available at the Keck Center.  Be sure to make listening a part of your study routine. 

Learning any foreign language means acquiring a new set of skills and habits. Each day's lesson builds on the one before. Take time to "overlearn" at the beginning; it will save you a lot of time later. If you are unsure about any part of the work, please ask immediately.

Textbooks to be purchased at the Book Store:

Beginning Chinese by John DeFrancis, Second Revised Edition. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1976. abbrev. BC
Elementary Chinese Readers, Book I. Revised edition. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 1994. abbrev. ECR
Chinese Character Exercise Book, I. Revised edition. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 1994. abbrev. WB
Electronic media assigned in the Ho Reading Room and the Keck Center:
Pinyin Master (CD-ROM) abbrev. PM
Wenlin Software for Learning Chinese (CD-ROM) abbrev. WL

GENERAL PROCEDURES:

Attendance at all class sessions is essential for oral practice.
Homework assignments should be done neatly and on time.
Written Evaluation is scheduled at the end of each week. Your lowest score on one quiz will be dropped from your average. The mid-term and final examinations will be cumulative.

Grading: Here is a rough guide used in grading:

Distribution     Correlation  
Daily work 30% 90%-100% A
Quiz average 30% 80%-89% B
Midterm Examination 15% 70%-79% C
Final Examination 25% 60%-69% D

For the S/U option, you must achieve a 65% average, and 65% on the final examination for a grade of S.

Fall 2002 Semester at a glance

Week: Lesson: Week: Lesson:
I. Sept. 2 - 6 Introduction,
Pronunciation & pinyin		 IX .Oct.28 - Nov. 1 BC 8, ECR 9 (WB 9)
II. Sept. 9 - 13 BC 1-2, ECR 1 X. Nov. 4 - 8 BC 9, ECR 9 (WB 10)
III. Sept. 16 - 20 BC 2-3, ECR 2-3 XI. Nov. 11 - 15 BC 10, ECR 10 (WB 11)
IV. Sept. 23 - 27 BC 4, ECR 4 XII. Nov.18 - 22 BC 11, ECR 11 (WB 12)
V. Sept. 30 - Oct. 4 BC 5, ECR 5 XIII. Nov. 25 - 29 BC 12 , ECR 12 (WB 13)
Thanksgiving
VI. Oct. 7 - 11 BC 6, ECR 6
Midterm Exam		 XIV. Dec. 2 - 6 BC 13a, ECR 12 (WB 14)
VII. Oct. 14 - 18 M-Tu Midterm Recess
BC 7a; ECR 7		 XV. Dec. 9 - 13 BC 13b, ECR 13 (WB 15)
VIII. Oct. 21 - 25 BC 7b; ECR 8 Dec.11-20 Review & Final exams

 

Tentative Daily Schedule

Date Class work Due Lab Home work

Week I. Sept. 2 - 6

M 2 Introduction A, PM Read BC xv-xxvii, 443-463
T  3 Pronunciation & pinyin I-IV A, PM Read BC xxv-xxxi, Handout
W 4 Pronunciation & pinyin V- VIII Exercise A, PM Read BC xxxi-xxxiv, Handout
F 6 Pronunciation & pinyin IX - X
Quiz 1 (pinyin). Intro. WB		 A, PM, 1 BC 1 Learn vocabulary, dialogue
Read notes.  Write WB 1

WEEK II Sept. 9 - 13

M  9 BC 1 patterns, dialogue WB 1 A, PM, 1 BC 1 memorize dialogue p. 461
T  10 BC 1 memorization.  BC 2 vocab mem 1,2, PM BC 2 learn vocab, study notes
W  11 BC 2 patterns, dialogue 2, PM BC 2 learn patterns, memorization
F  13 Quiz 2 (BC 1, 2); BC 2 mem.
Introduce ECR 2-3; WB 2-3		 mem 3, PM BC 3 Learn vocabulary, dialogue
Read notes.  Write WB 2-3  Exercise distributed in class.

WEEK III Sept. 16 - 20

M 16 BC 3 patterns, dialogue WB 2-3 3, PM BC 3 study notes, write exercise
T 17 BC 3 patterns ECR ex 3, PM BC 3 memorization, exercise
W 18 BC 3 memorizaton; writing BC 3 ex. 3, PM BC 1-3; ECR 1-3 review
F  20 Quiz 3 (BC 1-3; ECR 1-3).
Introduce BC4; ECR, WB 4		 4 BC 4 Learn vocabulary, dialogue
Read notes.  Write WB 4

Week IV. Sept. 23 - 27

M 23 BC 4 patterns, dialogue WB 4 4 BC4 memorization; write exercise
T   24 BC 4 memorization ECR ex 4 BC 4 exercise p. 43; dialogue
W 25 BC 4 exercise; writing BC 4 ex. 4 BC 1-4; ECR 1-4 review
F  27 Quiz 4 (BC 1-4; ECR 1-4).
Introduce BC5; ECR, WB 5		 4 BC 5 Learn vocabulary, dialogue
Read notes.  Write WB 5

Week V. Sept. 30 - Oct. 4

M  30 BC 5 patterns, dialogue WB 5 5 BC 5 memorization; write exercise
T   1 BC 5 memorization ECR ex 5 BC 5 patterns; write translation
W 2 BC 5 exercises; writing BC 5 ex. 5 BC 1-5; ECR 1-5 review
F    4 Quiz 5 (BC 1-5; ECR 1-5).
Introduce BC6; ECR, WB 6		 5 BC 6 review lesson
Write WB 6

WEEK VI. Oct. 7 - 11

M  7 BC 6 review.  ECR reading WB 6 6 BC 6 review, writing exercises
T  8 BC 6 review.  ECR review Review ex 6 BC 6 review, writing exercises
W 9 BC 6 review.  ECR review + 7 Review ex 6 BC 1-6; ECR 1-6 review
F  11 Midterm Examination
(BC 1-6; ECR 1-6)		 Write WB 7

WEEK VII Oct. 14 - 18

M  14 Midterm Recess
T   15 Midterm Recess
W 16 Introduce BC 7a WB 7 7 BC 7 learn vocabulary, patterns
F  18 Quizlet (BC 7a)
Introduce BC 7b; ECR 7-8		 7 BC 7 learn vocabulary, read notes
Write WB 8

Week VIII. Oct. 21 - 25

M 21 BC 7b patterns, dialogue WB 8 7 BC 7 pattern, writing exercise
T  22 BC 7 exercises; writing ECR ex. 7 BC 7 exercises; dialogue
W 23 BC 7 dialogues; writing BC 7 ex. 7 BC 1-7; ECR 1-8 review
F  25 Quiz 6 (BC 1-7; ECR 1-8)
Introduce BC 8; ECR 9		 8 BC 8 learn vocabulary; read notes
Write: WB 9

Week IX. Oct. 28 - Nov. 1

M  28 BC 8 patterns, dialogue WB 9 8 BC 8 study notes; write exercise
T   29 BC 8 patterns ECR ex. 8 BC 8 memorization, translation
W 30 BC 8 memorizaiton; ex., writing BC 8 ex. 8 BC 1-8; ECR 1-9 review
F  1 Quiz 7 (BC 1-8; ECR 1-9a)
Introduce BC9; WB 10		 5 BC 9 learn vocabulary; read notes
Write: WB 10

WEEK X. Nov. 4 - 8

M  4 BC 9 patterns, dialogue WB 10 9 BC 9 exercises; write exercise
T   5 BC 9 exercises ECR ex. 9 BC 9 memorization, translation
W 6 BC 9 memorization; ECR reading mem 9 BC 1-9; ECR 1-9 review
F  8 Quiz 8 (BC 1-9; ECR 1-9)
Introduce BC10; ECR 10		 10 BC 10 learn vocabulary; read notes
Write: WB 11

WEEK XI. Nov. 11 - 15

M   11 BC 10 patterns, dialogue WB 11 10 BC 10 patterns; write exercise
T    12 BC 10 patterns ECR ex. 10 BC 10 memorization, translation
W 13 BC 10 memorizaiton; ex., writing mem., ex. 10 BC 1-10; ECR 1-10 review
F  15 Quiz 9 (BC 1-10; ECR 1-10)
Introduce BC11; ECR 11, WB 12		 11 BC 11 learn vocabulary; read notes
Write: WB 12

Week XII. Nov. 18 - 22

M 18 BC 11 patterns, dialogue WB 12 11 BC 11 patterns; write exercise
T  19 BC 11 exercises ECR ex. 11 BC 11 exercise; dialogue
W 20 BC 11 dialogues; writing ex., dialog 11 BC 1-11; ECR 1-11 review
F 22 Quiz 10 (BC 1-11; ECR 1-11)
Introduce ECR 12, WB 13		 11 BC 12 review
Write: WB 13

WEEK XIII. Nov. 25 - 29

M  25 BC 12 review.  ECR reading WB 13 12 BC 12 review, writing exercises
T   26 BC 12 review.  ECR review Review ex. 12 BC 12 review
W 27 Thanksgiving Recess
F  20 Thanksgiving Recess Write WB 14

WEEK XIV Dec. 2 - 6

M 27 BC 13a patterns, ECR 12 read WB 14 13 BC 13a patterns, writing exercises
T  28 BC 13a exercises; writing exercises 13 BC 13a exercises
W  29 BC 13a exercises exercises 13 BC 1-13; ECR 1-12 review
F   1 Quiz 10 (BC 1-13a; ECR 1-12)
Introduce BC13b; ECR 13; WB 15		 13 BC 13b exercises
Write: WB 15

Week XV. Dec. 9 - 13

M 4 BC 13b exercises WB 15 13 BC 13 patterns; write exercises
T  5 BC 13 dialogue ECR ex. 13 BC 13 exercises; dialogue
W 6 BC 13 dialogues; writing BC 13 ex. 13 BC 1-13; ECR 1-13 Review
F8 Quiz 11 (BC 1-13; ECR 1-12)
General review		 Review

 

December 11 - 20 Review & Final Examination Period.