Beginning Chinese I is designed for Chinese language beginners. Students will: (i) build a solid foundation of methods for learning Chinese, (ii) develop language skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, (iii) focus specifically on pronunciation, colloquial communication, and character recognition, (iv) gain an understanding of Chinese culture through the study of the language. Upon completion of this course, students will reach the Novice level on the American Council on the Teaching Foreign Languages (ACTFL). This course aims to help students become cross-cultural communicators and meet SUU’s curriculum goals.

This course consists of four class meetings every week. Class time will mainly be used for lectures and relevant activities to ensure that students produce grammatically correct and socio-culturally appropriate Chinese.

This course is designed for beginners with no previous knowledge of Chinese. If you have taken Chinese in high school or at another college (or anywhere else) or if you have other experience speaking or reading Chinese (e.g., family background, etc.), you must inform the instructor at the beginning of the semester so that you can find the class that is most appropriate for you. If you deliberately conceal or fail to inform the instructor of previous experience in Chinese, you may be subject to sanction under SUU’s academic integrity policies, including referral to the Office of Student Conduct.

• Yuehua Liu and Tao-Chung Yao. 2017. Integrated Chinese: Textbook 1, Simplified Characters, 4th Edition. Boston: Cheng & Tsui Company.
• . 2017. Integrated Chinese: Workbook 1, Simplified Characters, 4th Edition. Boston: Cheng & Tsui Company.
• . 2017. Integrated Chinese: Character Workbook 1, Simplified and Traditional Characters, 4th Edition. Boston: Cheng & Tsui Company.

All books are available for purchase at the SUU bookstore.

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Pronunciation: Master Hanyu Pinyin, the romanization system used for standard Mandarin Chinese, especially mastering the lexical tones (the pitch variations used to distinguish word meanings).
• Conversation: Converse in Mandarin on subject matters covered in course content.
• Listening: Understand classroom Chinese and everyday Chinese on the topics covered in and relevant to the textbook.
• Reading: Understand and read aloud correctly texts in both Pinyin and Mandarin characters covered in the course content.
• Orthography (Chinese characters 汉字): Describe the basics of the Chinese writing system, including the “radical” components in the classification of Chinese characters. Correctly recognize 250 Chinese characters and accurately write 50 characters with correct stroke order from memory.
• Grammar: Correctly use all grammatical patterns taught this semester.
• Writing: Use basic grammar and sentence patterns in short written compositions in Chinese characters.
• Cultural proficiency: Demonstrate basic understanding of Chinese culture, including Chinese greetings, family construction and development, Chinese names and kinship terms, Chinese calendar, and selected Chinese etiquette.

In addition, students will meet the following SUU learning outcomes:

• Communication: Develop and express ideas in a variety of ways, including writing, speaking, visually, kinesthetically, through design, or aurally.
• Intercultural Knowledge and Competence: Demonstrate a set of cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills and characteristics that support effective and appropriate interaction in a variety of cultural contexts.

USHE Humanities Breadth General Education Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the General Education Humanities requirement, students will be able to:

1. Examine: Examine how humanities artifacts (such as oral narratives, literature, philosophy, media, and artworks) express the human condition.
2. Explain: Explain how humanities artifacts take on meaning within networks or systems (such as languages, cultures, values, and worldviews) that account for the complexities and uncertainties of the human condition.
3. Analyze: Analyze humanities artifacts according to humanities methodologies, such as close analysis, questioning, reasoning, interpretation, and critical thinking.
4. Compare and Contrast: Compare and contrast diverse humanistic perspectives across cultures, communities, and/or time periods to explain how people make meaning of their lives.
5. Apply: Using humanities perspectives, reflect on big questions related to aesthetics, values, meaning, and ethics and how those apply to their own lives.

Doing well in a language class requires consistent, but not exhausting, effort. If you budget your time outside of class to make sure you practice regularly, you will succeed. Because of the nature of the subject, cramming at the last minute will almost surely lead to unsatisfactory performance in Chinese—don’t fall behind.

Culture Activity

We have three extracurricular cultural activities scheduled for this semester. These activities are considered part of the course. Students are expected to attend all of them, as they will take place in place of regular class sessions. Students can also earn extra credit by participating in these activities.

Participation (15%)

Students are expected to actively participate in all in-class activities in every session. In addition to doing homework, students should expect to spend up to four hours outside of class each week to prepare for and review class sessions.

Character Copy (9%)

Copy Chinese characters in the character workbook. Students need to hand in the assigned character workbook homework on the due date in class. Students can use the character workbook for reference in writing assignments and chapter tests.

Homework Sheets and Workbook (8%)

Students must submit the assigned workbook homework on the due date at the beginning of class.

Chinese Language Clinics (5%)

Language clinics take place on a weekly basis. Students are required to attend language clinics at least 5 times during the semester. Tutors help students review the class content and prepare for the chapter oral test. Please schedule with the tutors before attending the required weekly language clinic. Students are welcome to attend extra meetings with the tutors. Students will earn one extra credit point for each additional meeting with the tutors, up to a maximum of five extra credit points.

Vocabulary Quizzes (18%)

These quizzes test students’ character recognition and writing. There are no makeups for the quizzes, but you can take them earlier if needed.

Chapter Tests (20%)

There will be four chapter tests. The tests include listening and reading comprehension, grammar, and Chinese characters. You may use the character workbook for reference while writing the tests. You are highly encouraged to remember how to write the characters. If you don’t use the character workbook, you’ll get 10 extra scores on top of your grade.

Projects (20%)

There will be two projects. Students are obliged to attend both sessions for each project. Rubrics for each project will be given in advance. Pay attention to further announcements for details.

Grading Breakdown

Students will be graded on a 100-point scale. All the items add up to 100 points. The instructor will assign final letter grades according to the scale below:

• A: 93–100
• A-: 90–92.99
• B+: 87–89
• B: 83–86
• B-: 80–82
• C+: 77–79
• C: 73–76
• C-: 70–72
• D+: 67–69
• D: 63–65
• D-: 60–62
• F: < 60

Schedule (This syllabus is subject to change. Updates will be announced and posted to Canvas if changes occur.)

L = Lesson; D = Dialogue; N = Narrative; WB = Workbook; CC = Character Copy.

Note: Homecoming Parade SAT, Oct 24, 9:30–10:30 — Class Replacement.

No Final Exam! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Homework and Assignment Deadlines

• Homework, including workbook and character copy, is assigned on a daily basis and should be turned in immediately upon arrival at the classroom on the due date.
• Homework turned in more than 24 hours late will receive 75% of the total grade.
• Homework turned in later than 48 hours will be corrected but receive no grade.
• Late homework due to medical reasons will be accepted as on time only when accompanied by a physician’s note.
• Computer problems will not be accepted as a reason for late homework.
• Homework missed due to an excused absence must be made up within one week of the absence.

Make-Up Policy for Tests and Quizzes

• There are no makeup quizzes, but you may take a quiz early if needed.
• All students are expected to take tests and quizzes as they are scheduled. No makeup test is allowed unless a physician’s note certifies that the student cannot take the test at the scheduled time.
• A late test with excused absence must be made up within one week from the absence date, or it will be corrected but not graded.

Classroom Technology Policy

No cell phone, laptop, tablet, or any other technical devices are allowed to be used in class unless required by the instructor.

Use of AI/ChatGPT/Translation Tools

This language course is designed to enhance your language proficiency. The use of AI (such as ChatGPT) or any form of translation tools for completing homework or projects is prohibited. Using such tools violates academic integrity. The most effective way to find answers to homework questions is to consult your textbook first. You may also seek guidance from tutors, but they will not provide direct answers.

Extra Credit Opportunities

• Attend every class session during the semester to receive extra credit.
• Attend additional language clinic meetings beyond the required five; earn 1 extra credit point per additional meeting, up to 5 points.
• Participation in designated cultural activities may provide extra credit opportunities.

Students are expected to attend all class sessions and actively participate in all hours of language instruction. Attendance will be taken on a daily basis.

You are allowed six (6) unexcused absences during the entire semester (10% of total class meetings) without affecting your grade. Additional absences (beyond six) are considered excessive and will be penalized by deducting 1 percentage point per additional absence from your final grade. For example, if you finish the course with a 90% but have missed class seven times, your final grade will be 89%.

If you have a family, medical, or personal emergency that makes completing an assignment by the due date and time impossible, please reach out to the instructor via email as soon as you are able. While documentation is not required to excuse the first four absences, documentation is required if, due to your absence, you have missed an assignment deadline (this especially applies to non-Connect assignments).

Arriving more than 10 minutes late or leaving early will be defined as being absent.

Extra credit: You will receive extra credit if you attend every session during the semester.

• Chinese Program at SUU: https://www.suu.edu/hss/languages/chinese/
• Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1989125181445299