Chinese Language Program: Syllabus

EALC 204 (Chinese IV)

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Instructor: Tin-Yu Tseng
Office: THH 356H; THH 356 (mailbox)
Phone: (213) 740-3715
E-mail: tinyutse@usc.edu
Class Meetings: 11-11:50 M-F, VKC254
Office Hours: MW 1:30 -2 pm, TTH 12-1:20 pm, and by appointment

Program director: Dr. Audrey Li
Office: THH 356M; THH 356 (mailbox)
Phone: (213) 740-3717
E-mail: audreyli@usc.edu
Office Hours: by appointment

Texts:
1. Liu, Yao, Shi, & Bi. 1997. Integrated Chinese, Level 2: Textbook. Boston, MA: Cheng & Tsui Company.
2. Liu, Yao, Shi, & Bi. 1997. Integrated Chinese, Level 2: Workbook. Boston, MA: Cheng & Tsui Company.

Course Objectives:
To build on the foundation established in Chinese I, II and III and to expand on language and cultural studies development. At the end of the semester, students are expected to be competent in the following areas:

a) Listening and speaking:
To be able to comfortably converse with a Mandarin speaker on simple topics of daily life, and to formulate and understand more structurally complex sentences; to be able to understand and communicate about topics those are outside of daily life.

b) Reading and writing:
To be able to read and understand short essays, and to write compositions on specifically assigned topics.

Class Meetings:
It is essential to prepare for each class in advance, to ensure the most beneficial and rewarding use of contact time with your instructor and classmates, and to establish proper habits for effective language learning. Accordingly, preview of new lessons before coming to the lecture is required. In class, students are expected to have already studied the new vocabulary and understood the general idea of the relevant text. Please note that your class performance, which includes attendance, preparation, and class participation, will be part of your course grade.

Attendance is an essential course requirement. Active participation in classroom activities is expected. In addition to the discussion of sections from the textbook, classroom activities include practice of vocabulary and patterns, simulated activities and group-based tasks.
Please come to class on time. Arriving 10 minutes late or leaving 10 minutes early will be considered as an absence.
Absences and lack of preparation and participation in classroom activities will definitely affect the final grade.
Course syllabus, Weekly Schedule, all announcements and handouts will be posted at http://totale.usc.edu . The instructor is not responsible for students not being informed of homework or not receiving the handouts due to absence from checking the website.
Please turn off your cellular phones and/or pagers in the classroom.

Quizzes and tests:

There are two pre-unit quizzes and one post-unit test for each unit. Pre-unit quizzes are short quizzes on vocabulary, which will be administered at the beginning of the first-half unit and the second-half unit. The post-unit test is a review test following completion of each unit.
Be sure to be on time for the quizzes/tests. The missed ones will be graded as zero point. If any students miss the listening comprehension part in the beginning of a test, it will not be repeated.
The pre-unit quizzes and post-unit tests not taken at the scheduled time may be made up if advance arrangement has been made with your instructor with legitimate reasons, or if a documented emergence is received. Please note make-ups will have 20% taken off the initial marks for pre-unit quizzes and 10% off for post-unit tests. Make-ups must be completed within a week.

Oral Evaluation:

One oral evaluation (before the mid-term) and one final presentation (before the final exam) are required.
The mid-term oral evaluation involves answering questions and carrying out a dialogue with another student. Several topics will be given one week before the mid-term. Students will be evaluated based on the performance of the required task.
The final presentation will be done individually in a speech format. The script for the presentation should be typed and submitted one week before the scheduled presentation time. Discussion of the script with the instructor is required before the oral presentation. Time for each presentation is around 3-5 minutes per person. The presentation should be accompanied by effective use of visual aids (photographs, video, drawings, maps, etc.). Students will be evaluated on command of the sentence patterns and vocabulary taught during the semester, as well as on the originality of their presentations. After the presentation, the student will also lead a short discussion on the topic presented (such as asking the audience relevant questions).
Conversation lab: some students may be required to meet with the instructor regularly for oral practices.

Mid-term and final examinations:

One mid-term and one final exam.
Documented emergencies qualify for make-ups for mid-term and final exams with 10% off the initial marks awarded.

Assignments:

Regular short assignments
1. Character writing practice: Students are required to write each character or phrase in the vocabulary list at least 5 times and also mark down each word’s pinyin and English meaning once.
2. Homework from the workbook. Please note:
  1. The exercises must be completed in Chinese characters.
  2. The listening sections require audiotapes/CD that can be ordered on-line at http://www.usc.edu/go/language. The audio files are also accessible on-line at the same web site, free of charge.
Homework will be graded based on a 10-point scale. Late assignments (Character writing and homework) turned in by next class session will be accepted with 10% taken off the initial points awarded; all homework turned in afterward will be graded with maximum of 5 points. Sloppily written assignment, incomplete assignment or assignment with too many errors will be returned without any points.

The Language Center and useful web resources:

Students are expected to listen to the recording of the workbook in the language lab (or at home) on Fridays.
There are textbook/workbook CD’s and audiotapes, videotapes, and computer software in the Language Center (THH 3rd floor). Serious efforts should be made to take full advantage of the available audio/video materials and computer software.
Chinese IV students enjoy first priority in use of the computers in the Language Center. Students who use the computers at the Language Center to type their assignments should bring their own zip disks. Files saved in the hard disks at the center will be deleted and lost.
Students are strongly encouraged and occasionally required to visit our web site at http://www.usc.edu/dept/ealc/chinese, which contains valuable learning materials (such as progressive reading projects) and provides links to other related web sites.

More fun projects:
1. Extra credit: A student can create a Chinese book or write about a Chinese movie (at least 350 characters) for an extra credit of 0.5%-2%. Detailed requirements will be given later. It is due on the final exam day.
2. Field trip: A field trip may be organized (details to be provided later in class).

Addendum

* Academic Integrity and Plagiarism: University policies concerning academic dishonesty will be strictly enforced, and students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with these policies. Plagiarism and/or cheating on exams is subject to the sanctions set forth in the Student Conduct Code and may include expulsion or suspension from the university. For a detailed description of plagiarism and other types of academic dishonesty and the sanctions pertaining thereto, the student is referred to the 2005 Scampus. The student publication, "Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism" (http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/student-conduct/ug_plag.htm) may also prove helpful.

* Accommodation for students with disabilities: Students who need to request accommodations based on a disability are required to register each semester with the Disability Services and Programs (DSP) office (Student Union, Room 301.) In addition, a letter of verification to the course instructor, from the Disability Services and Programs office is needed for the semester in which you are enrolled for this course. If you have questions concerning this procedure, please contact both the instructor of the course, and the Disability Services and Programs office at (213) 740-0776.

* The final exam date CANNOT be changed without first obtaining approval from the Provost's office, even if the entire class agrees to a new time or date. The students are not allowed to take final exams prior to or after the exam date, except in the case of an emergency. A student's desire to return home a few days early does not constitute an emergency.

Grading

1. Homework 15%
2. Post-unit tests 25%
3. Pre-unit quizzes 15%
4. Oral performance 10%
5. Final 20%
6. Attendance and class participation 15%

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Total 100%
A    94-100                  A- 90-93
B+ 87-89                    B 84-86                      B- 80-83
C+ 77-79                    C 74-76                      C- 70-73
D+ 60-69                    Pass: C- or above         F    below 60

Final exam will be held on Wednesday, December 6, from 11 – 1 p.m. at VKC 254