Intermediate Chinese I is designed for students, who have completed Beginning Chinese II or an equivalent course, (i) to further develop Chinese language skills through the acquisition of the vocabulary and grammar knowledge and subsequent expansion, (ii) to build a solid foundation of oral communication skills in Chinese, (iii) to develop writing ability and speaking skill simultaneously, and (iv) to understand Chinese culture through learning Chinese language.

Upon completion of this course, students will reach the Novice Mid-level on the American Council on Teaching Foreign Languages (ACTFL). This course transitions from traditional, entirely handwritten work to digital methods of Chinese instruction to help students learn colloquial language more efficiently.

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 required for the Chinese minor at SUU.

• Required: Yuehua Liu and Tao-Chung Yao. 2018. Integrated Chinese 1: Textbook Simplified Characters 2, 4th Edition. Boston: Cheng & Tsui Company.
• Required: . 2018. Integrated Chinese: Workbook Simplified Characters 2, 4th Edition. Boston: Cheng & Tsui Company.

As this course transitions from traditional, entirely handwritten work to digital methods of Chinese instruction, students are required to bring both their textbooks and a laptop to class. If you do not have access to a laptop, please inform the instructor at the very beginning of class.

Upon successful completion of CHIN2010, students will be able to:

• Orthography (Chinese characters 汉字): Ability to recognize correctly 300 Chinese characters.
• Listening: Ability to understand classroom Chinese and everyday Chinese on the topics covered in and relevant to the textbook.
• Grammar: Correct use of grammatical patterns introduced in Integrated Chinese 1.
• Reading: Ability to understand and read aloud correctly texts in both Pinyin and Mandarin characters covered in Integrated Chinese Volume 1 part II.
• Conversation: Ability to converse in Mandarin on subject matters covered in Integrated Chinese Volume 1 part II.
• Writing: Use basic grammar and sentence patterns in short written compositions.
• Cultural proficiency: Demonstrate basic understanding of Chinese culture, including making appointments, studying Chinese, school life, shopping, and transportation.

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

• Communication: Students develop and express ideas and will be able to do so in a variety of ways, namely in writing, by speaking, visually, kinesthetically, through design or aurally.
• Intercultural Knowledge and Competence: Students demonstrate that they possess a set of cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills and characteristics that support effective and appropriate interaction in a variety of cultural contexts.

CHIN 2010 satisfies the Humanities breadth designation specifically by using Chinese language, texts, communication, and cultural practices to help students understand how people express, interpret, and create meaning within a particular cultural context. The course learning outcomes directly support the Humanities breadth outcomes by connecting language development with cultural understanding, interpretation, cross-cultural comparison, and reflection on values and everyday human experiences.

Alignment with USHE Board Policy R470, Social and Behavioral Sciences Essential Learning Outcomes

Grades are determined by demonstrated achievement of the Course Learning Outcomes above. Each major assignment maps to at least one CLO, and rubrics (distributed in Canvas) make the connection between assignment criteria and outcomes explicit to students.

Grading Rationale

The grading structure for CHIN 2010 emphasizes active language use, communication, cultural proficiency, and continuous practice rather than memorization alone. Because language acquisition requires sustained engagement and repeated opportunities to apply knowledge, the largest portion of the grade is devoted to participation (30%), while chapter tests (15%), projects (10%), and vocabulary quizzes (18%) assess students’ ability to integrate listening, speaking, reading, writing, grammar, and character recognition.

Homework (8%) and language clinics (5%) provide lower-stakes opportunities for practice, formative feedback, and improvement before higher-stakes assessments. Attendance is also emphasized because consistent participation in four class meetings per week is essential for developing oral communication and interpersonal skills. Together, these components align with SUU’s General Education emphasis on critical thinking, communication, intercultural competence, lifelong learning, and integrative application of knowledge. The grading system therefore assesses not only what students know about Chinese, but also their ability to use the language appropriately, interpret cultural meaning, communicate with others, and apply linguistic and cultural knowledge in new contexts.

Homework including workbook, review sheet, and the manuscript for the final project should be turned in immediately upon arrival at the classroom of 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 because of medical reasons, only when accompanied by a physician’s note, will be accepted as homework finished on time. 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.

Students are expected to attend all class sessions and actively participate in all hours of language instruction. For that reason, attendance will be taken on a daily basis. You are allowed FIVE unexcused absences during the entire semester (10% of total class meetings) without affecting your grade. Additional absences (beyond five) are considered excessive and will be penalized by deducting 1% point per additional absence from your final grade. For example, if you finish the course with a 90% but have missed class six 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 be sure to reach out to the instructor via email as soon as you are able. While I do not require documentation to excuse the first four absences, I do ask for documentation 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. You will receive extra credit if you attend every session during the semester.

CHIN 2010 intentionally develops durable skills and incorporates high-impact learning practices that support SUU’s General Education mission of preparing adaptable, thoughtful, and skilled professionals. Through language learning, cultural exploration, collaborative activities, and applied communication, students develop skills that extend beyond the classroom and support intercultural competence, lifelong learning, and engaged citizenship.

• Critical Thinking — Students interpret Chinese language and cultural practices within their social and cultural contexts, recognizing how language choices communicate meaning and reflect different values and worldviews. Classroom activities, reading, and cultural discussions require students to analyze and apply grammatical and sociocultural knowledge rather than simply memorize language forms.
• Communication — Students develop written, oral, listening, and interpersonal communication skills through conversations, short compositions, reading aloud, listening activities, and classroom interactions. These activities require students to adapt their communication to different audiences, purposes, and sociocultural situations, directly supporting SUU’s emphasis on effective written and oral communication.
• Intercultural Competence — Students engage with Chinese cultural practices related to everyday life, including making appointments, school life, shopping, and transportation. By comparing these practices with their own cultural experiences, students develop the ability to recognize diverse perspectives, communicate respectfully across cultures, and navigate an increasingly interconnected world.
• Collaboration and Problem Solving — Frequent class meetings and relevant interactive activities provide opportunities for students to work with peers to solve communication problems, practice conversations, interpret meaning, and apply language in realistic situations. Students must draw on vocabulary, grammar, cultural knowledge, and contextual clues to successfully communicate.
• High-Impact Practice — Collaborative and Experiential Learning — CHIN 2010 uses frequent active-learning activities in which students practice and apply Chinese in authentic or simulated real-world situations. Role-plays, conversational activities, peer interaction, and culturally contextualized tasks provide repeated opportunities for practice, feedback, revision, and reflection. These experiences move learning beyond memorization by requiring students to demonstrate their knowledge through meaningful communication and interaction.
• Lifelong Learning and Adaptability — Because students learn to communicate in another language and interpret unfamiliar cultural practices, CHIN 2010 develops flexibility, persistence, and the ability to learn from contexts different from their own. The transition to digital methods of Chinese instruction also helps students adapt to contemporary tools and technologies for language learning and communication.