N.B. The course schedule will be available in May of 2012. Course descriptions and required texts are subject to change.
Courses
Courses offered in the past four years.
▲ indicates offered in the current term
▹ indicates offered in the upcoming term[s]
CHNS 6501 - Tchng Chinese as For Lang
Principles and Practices of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language
This is a foundational course for teachers of Chinese as a foreign language. Through assigned readings, lectures, student-teacher activities, small-group discussions, individual research reports (oral and written), and other methods, students gain mastery of basic theories of TCFL, progressively form their own educational philosophies. In order to guide the future of their work in the TCFL profession, students will build upon their abilities to teach and research. This course is divided into four units: 1. basic theories of TCFL (language education, language acquisition, cultural communication); 2. an analysis of schools of thought in foreign language teaching; 3. special characteristics and philosophies in teaching Chinese; and 4.Chinese teacher development.
Required Text: Brown, H. D. Teaching by principles: an interactive approach to language pedagogy. White Plains, NY: Longman, 2007. ISBN 978-0-13-612711-6.
Liú Xún. Duì Wài Hànyu Jiàoyù Yinlùn. Beijing Languages University Press, 2000. ISBN 978- 7-5619-0874-7.
PedagogySummer 2009, Summer 2010, Summer 2011
CHNS 6503 - Pedagogical Issues Teach Chns ▲
Bridging Theory and Practice: Pedagogical Issues in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language
This course introduces students to the principles of second language acquisition (SLA), a field of study that investigates how people learn a second language (The term second includes "foreign" and "third", "fourth", etc.) and provides a basis for understanding the SLA research related to learning and teaching Chinese as a second language. Theoretical issues to be covered include what it means to know a language and how one becomes proficient in a foreign language, factors that affect the learning process, and the role of one’s native language in the process of second language acquisition. We will also examine what SLA research has discovered about teaching grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary and writing. The goal of this course is to explore ways in which SLA theories can be applied to facilitate acquisition of Chinese as a second language both in terms of classroom teaching and syllabus design. Readings will be in both English and Chinese; classes will be conducted in Chinese.
Format: lecture/discussion. Evaluation will be based on class participation, short papers (3-5 pages), oral presentations, and a final research project.
H.D. Brown (2006) Principles of Language Learning and Teaching (5th edition)
White Plains, NY: Longman
Summer 2008, Summer 2012
CHNS 6504 - Chinese Pedagogical Grammar ▲
This course stems from practical applications, leading students to a full understanding of the fundamentals of Chinese grammar, as well as the principles and methods of teaching Chinese grammar. Through lectures, discussions, and micro teaching activities, students will take the first steps towards using theory in the practical application of teaching Chinese grammar. Equipped with a higher level of active knowledge of grammar, students will enhance their abilities to predict and avoid grammatical errors, resolve grammatical problems, and put together grammar-teaching exercises.
The main content of this course can be separated into three units. The first unit will introduce the basic principles of teaching grammar. The second unit will cover the basic content of Chinese grammar to be taught. The third unit will focus on honing students’ skills and methods for teaching Chinese grammar. The second unit is the centerpiece of the course; it is not a comprehensive overview of modern Chinese grammar, but rather, was developed based upon the actual needs and requirements of teaching. For this unit, the instructor has chosen difficult grammar points, and will specifically discuss and analyze Chinese content words, words with grammatical meaning only, complements, sentence patterns, word order, compound phrases, and other such important, difficult, or easily mistaken points and educational tactics for overcoming them. Through microteaching activities, students will connect theoretical knowledge with the actual practice of teaching. Instructors will analyze, explain, and comment upon students’ recording teaching practice sessions to guide them toward improvement in their grammar-teaching practice.
Required Text: Yáng Yùlíng. Hànyu Guójì Jiàoyù Xuě Bóshì Zhuanyòng, Hànyu Yufa Zhīshì Qiānwèn. (Vol. 1 & 2) Lù Jianmíng, editor. (handout)
PedagogySummer 2010, Summer 2011, Summer 2012
CHNS 6509 - Language Testing & Assessment
CHNS 6510 - Introduction to Chinese Lings ▲
Introduction to Linguistics
Introduction to Linguistics is the foundational theory class for the linguistics student. Through lectures and discussions, students will gain an understanding of the basic theories and concepts of linguistics, forming a base of knowledge to aid them in further study in each linguistics course. Through interpreting the basic theories of linguistics, this course will enable students to conduct real and integrated analysis of English and Chinese, thus encouraging students to involve perceptual awareness of linguistic phenomena in the theoretical level of their studies. Important units and content include: language and its characteristics, the subjects of linguistic research, roles and functions of linguistics, phonetics, grammar, the relationship and systematic nature of semantics and writing systems, language’s development and language contact, etc.
Goals of the course: a synthesis of standard linguistics theory and specific linguistic analysis, the material covered in this course will be connected and integrated with later coursework, allowing students to better understand complex theories with more clarity; the instructor strives to use lively examples to push forth students’ understanding and encourage participatory discussion.
Xú Tōngqiāng and Yè Fēishēng. Wáng Hóngjūn and Li Juān, editors. Yuyánxué Gāngyào. Peking University Press, 2010. ISBN: 9787301163108 .
LinguisticsSummer 2008, Summer 2009, Summer 2010, Summer 2011, Summer 2012
CHNS 6605 - Chinese Grammatical Structures
CHNS 6607 - Phonetics
Chinese Phonetics
This class uses the actual phonetic situation of Mandarin Chinese to explore basic concepts and research methods in phonetics.
The specific content in this course includes the biology of phonetics, the physics of phonetics, psychological foundations, an introduction to the real manifestations of Chinese phonetics’ syllabic structure, tones, vowels, consonants, rhythm and intonation. The instructor will detail the procedures for using phonetic experiments to analyze tones, vowels, consonants and intonation. In addition, the course will also cover the process of acquisition of Chinese phonetics for both first- and second-language learners, contact and development between languages and dialects, and other topics, building extensions upon the foundation of basic research.
If prerequisites are met, students may choose one to two themes and undertake an experiment and analysis. This will give students the opportunity to gain real experience with phonetic research, and through involving themselves in the process, they will gain enthusiasm about the topic, and will also develop and strengthen their academic research abilities.
LinguisticsSummer 2009, Summer 2011
CHNS 6608 - Chinese Semantics ▲
The studies of semantics, grammar and phonetics are the three main branches of the study of modern linguistics. Semantics studies the meaning of language, encompassing and touching upon philosophy, logic, psychology, anthropology and semiology. This course focuses on the semantic subdivision of linguistics, with an emphasis on combining practical Chinese from the cognitional and functional aspects, explaining and discussing the various characteristics, types, structures and functions of semantics of words and expressions, as well as the formation, development and evolution of semantics. The course will also discuss the semantic structure of sentences, the aggregate relationship of semantics of words and expressions, the combined relationship in sentence semantics, the relationship in the meaning between sentences, and related issues.
LinguisticsSummer 2010, Summer 2012
CHNS 6610 - Chinese Pragmatics
Through lectures and language practice investigation, this course gives students an understanding of basic theories and methods raised by renowned western scholars in the field of pragmatics and some new theories, principles or criteria raised by Chinese pragmatists. Students will master certain rules in Chinese pragmatics and use them to observe, analyze certain pragmatics phenomenon in Chinese; this course also trains students to use basic theories, principles and methods to observe, analyze, study and explain certain pragmatics phenomenon, characteristics and patterns in Chinese; lays foundation for future study and discovering pragmatics rules in Chinese.
This course gives a relatively more comprehensive introduction to the following content: basic theories and methods of pragmatics, main schools of thoughts and theories raised by prominent scholars, and based on which concrete examples will be analyzed; basic theories of context including the definition, classification, characteristics and function of context, and the meaning and value of studying context; phenomenon of indicatives, words and expressions, including the meaning and information of indicatives and all kinds of usages plus all kinds of indicative phenomenon in Chinese and related studies; theory of language behavior and meaning of conversation including principles of conversation and manners, etc.; pre-assumption, information, focus and related theories, analytic techniques, conducting case studies combined with Chinese; conversation structures, etc.
Instruction style: a combination of lecturing, discussion, investigation of language applications, and reading relevant literature.
Summer 2010
CHNS 6615 - CHNS Thought & Culture
Chinese Thought and Culture: Traditional Patterns, Modern Manifestations
This course seeks to explore the influence exerted on modern Chinese society by the traditional philosophies of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. Specifically, we will explore how these philosophies are manifested in such cultural forms as aesthetics and art, family dynamics and social structure, politics and economics, and language and communication. We will find that understanding the philosophical foundation of these modern cultural practices reveals continuities of thought and habits of thinking that help us understand why the Chinese act and think the way they do. Through this course students will gain a solid understanding of the main lines of thought of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. Students will be able to discuss these concepts in Chinese, and be able to read selected short but foundational passages in classical Chinese and discuss them in modern Chinese. Students will learn to recognize the manifestation of these
philosophies in important modern cultural forms. The course requirements include two short papers, one long paper, and a reading log.
Slingerland, Edward G., trans. Confucius Analects, with Selections From Traditional Commentaries. Indianapolis: Hackett Company, 2003. ISBN 0872206351, paper back.
Gao, Ge, and Stella Ting-Toomey. Communicating Effectively with the Chinese. London: Sage Publications, 1998. ISBN 0-8039-7003-X, paperback.
Ames, Roger, and David Hall. Dao De Jing: a Philosophical Translation. Ballantine Books, 2003. ISBN 0345444191.
A course pack will also be provided.
Summer 2008
CHNS 6618 - Sociolinguistics
Sociolinguistics
The object of sociolinguistic research is language in society. Language’s history, language’s current situation and language’s development are all inseparable from groups of people who use language, and all of these have an intimate relationship with humanity and society. Language is the tool of communication for people. Language exists only within society; once one leaves society, there is no language. In both studying and researching language, one cannot leave societal life aside.
The content of sociolinguistics includes hierarchies in language and society, ethnic communities and languages, gender differences in language, linguistic and speech situations, communication and interaction between language and society, language’s ethnic variants, and geographic conditions and language. Sociolinguistics is a branch of linguistics, yet it is also its origin. This course gives an account of sociolinguistic theory and research methods, and through case study analysis, allows students to design their own research proposals, engage in real linguistic studies, and connect theory with reality.
Civ Cul & SocSummer 2011
CHNS 6619 - Discourse Analysis of Chinese
CHNS 6620 - Methodlgy & Materials Adv Chns
Seminar on Methodology and Materials for Advanced Chinese
In our work as language instructors, we often employ terms like “advanced” and “high level”. But what do we really mean by these terms? And how does the content and learning/teaching of “advanced” or “high-level” Chinese differ from that of “intermediate” or “beginning” Chinese? After discussing these questions in light of the ILR and ACTFL proficiency guidelines and exploring the related factors of high vs. low frequency, colloquial vs. formal register, professional vs. lay usage, and accuracy vs. fluency vs. stamina, we will take up in this course the teaching of, and preparation of Chinese language materials on, the following topics: comprehension of radio, television, films, xiangsheng, and accented Mandarin; conversation involving formal vocabulary and grammar; word study; public speaking; error correction; interpreting; language for special purposes; reading of newspapers, correspondence, cursive script, modern literature, and Classical Chinese; composition; translation; and testing at the advanced levels. Readings in English and Chinese, with class discussion in Chinese.
A course pack will be provided.
Summer 2008
CHNS 6622 - Methods & Material Devel TCSL
Methods and Material Development in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language
This is an advanced course in teaching Chinese as a foreign language. The main content includes:
1. The theory and application of language teaching: listening and speaking instruction, task instruction, communication instruction and multi-intelligence instruction.
2. Textbook assessment and writing/editing: instruction selections for different age groups and levels.
3. Instruction implementation: instruction analysis and drills of language elements (phonetics, grammar, vocabulary, characters) and skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing)
4. Instruction research: class behavior research and design.
Summer 2010
CHNS 6625 - Teaching Chinese Vocabulary ▲
CHNS 6629 - Material Development in TCSL
Methods and Material Development in TCFL
This course will give students the opportunity to compare and discuss different tactics, methods and skills of teaching Chinese in a classroom, as well as the ways to select, use, and supplement course materials for a Chinese class. Through assigned readings, lectures, classroom observation, case study analyses, teaching activity designs, and analysis of Chinese teaching materials, students will improve their abilities to teach in the classroom and to select and use proper teaching materials.
This course is separated into four units: 1. Classroom teaching principles and methods, as well as classroom management; 2. the applications of theory for teaching listening, speaking, reading, and writing abilities in the Chinese-teaching classroom, 3. development and creativity with Chinese teaching materials, and 4. using,analyzing and evaluating Chinese teaching materials.
Brown, H. D. Teaching by principles: an interactive approach to language pedagogy. White Plains, NY: Longman, 2007. ISBN 978-0-13-612711-6.
Xú Ziliàng and Wú Rénfu. Shíyòng Duìwài Hànyu Jiàoxuéfa. Peking University Press, 2005. ISBN 7-301-08092-1.
Liú Xún. Duì Wài Hànyu Jiàoyù Yinlùn. Beijing Languages University Press, 2000. ISBN 978- 7-5619-0874-7.
PedagogySummer 2011
CHNS 6635 - Social Change Contemp Chns Lit
Social Changes Reflected in Contemporary Chinese Literature
The mission of the novel, a genre of narrative art, is to depict human life and soul in a specific historical era and social environment. The development of contemporary Chinese literature profoundly represents the changes and progress of Chinese society. Since the implementation of social reforms and open-door policies starting 30 years ago, Chinese society and the people’s lives and spirit have undergone great changes, which are presented colorfully and vividly in contemporary Chinese novels. This course will analyze and discuss crucial issues in the process of social reform and modernization through the reading and analyses of literary works published during the New Era and in recent years. It will also discuss the Chinese people’s life style, cultural psychology, ethics, customs and habits, and language and diction revealed in novels. The combination of social criticism and literary appreciation will enhance the students’ understanding of Chinese society and culture, and improve their mastery of Chinese language and teaching. Reading and class discussion will be in Chinese. Course requirements include two short papers, and one final paper.
A course pack will be available.
Summer 2008
CHNS 6638 - Chinese Literary Tradition
This course serves as an introduction to Chinese literary tradition that spans from the first millennium B.C. to 1911. Readings include the most beloved literary texts that unify Chinese civilization through its long history, such as Confucian and Daoist classics, historical narratives, tales of the strange, Tang Dynasty poetry, short stories, vernacular plays, and novels. The discussion-based seminar aims to explore how Chinese literature, seen as one of the three ways of achieving immortality along with virtue and deed, confirms social values or challenges them, and how it articulates the place of individual in a thoroughly Confucian and patriarchal society. While the emphasis is on traditional Chinese literature, we will also consider a wide range of modern cultural products, such as operas, films, and popular songs, to investigate how Chinese literary tradition has shaped Chinese people’s imagination and sensibilities, thus remaining relevant and significant in modern society. The course is taught in Chinese, with readings in both Chinese and English.
Cao Xiaoyīn. Zhōngguó Gudài Wénxuépin xuanzhù. Peiking University Press. ISBN 9788301053409
LiteratureSummer 2011
CHNS 6640 - Modern Chinese Cult &the Novel
Modern Chinese Novel and Culture
Chinese culture is often most clearly revealed in novels. We will read portions of the most representative novels of Cao Xueqin, Wu Jingzi, Ba Jin, Bai Xianyong, and Wang Anyi as we trace the transition of cultural values from traditional Confucian lyricism to contemporary socialist realism. The vehicle of the novel also provides an effective entry into many aspects of contemporary society, such as class, gender, family dynamics, education, poverty, and power. We will focus on the transitional periods of late imperial and modern China as the Qing dynasty gave way to the Republic, and as the Republic yielded to the People's Republic when Chinese on both sides of the straits had to adjust to new political, social, and cultural realities. In terms of literary criticism, we will discuss such aspects as genre, intertextuality, symbolism, narrative structure, characterization, lyricism, and realism. Students will encounter new types of language in the novel, both the highly refined discourse of the literati and the wealthy as well as the slang expressions of the uneducated and the poor, and of course will learn to appreciate and criticize literature in Chinese. Course requirements include two short papers, one long paper, reading reports, and individual and group presentations.
David Hawkes, trans. Cao Xueqin. The Story of the Stone, also known as The Dream of the Red Chamber, vol. 1: The Golden Days. Penguin Books, 1974. ISBN 0140442936, paperback.
Gladys Yang, Hsieh-yi Yang, trans. The Scholars, .Foreign Language Press,. ISBN 9780835124072, paperback.
Pa Chin, Family. Cheng & Tsui, 1979. ISBN 091705640X, paperback.
Michael Berry and Susan Chan Egan, trans. The Song of Everlasting Sorrow. Columbia University Press, 2008. ISBN ISBN-10: 0231143427, hardcover.
A course packet will also be provided.
Summer 2008
CHNS 6642 - Cultural Topics Contemp China
CHNS 6645 - Masterpieces of Chinese Lit
CHNS 6648 - Women in Chinese Soc & Lit ▲
Women in Chinese Society and Literature
The course examines roles, images and writings of women in ancient and modern China. Integration of gender relations into cosmological and socio-political patterns sets the tone for the representation of women in Chinese literature, theatre, film, and religious texts, but the notion that women were oppressed and silenced throughout the imperial China needs to be re-examined and complicated. Our discussion will focus on three key themes: 1) the gap between Confucian ideals of womanhood and dynamic complexity of female social roles under actual circumstances, 2) the construction of female voices by both male authors (writing as a woman in the process of writing about her) and women writers, 3) varied forms of female agency within and beyond the domestic context. The course is conducted in Chinese and combines lecture, discussion, and students’ presentations. Readings include English and Chinese publications.
Civ Cul & SocSummer 2012
CHNS 6650 - Chinese Cinema ▲
This course examines the cinemas of mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Chinese Diaspora, with a focus on how social, political and cultural changes of modern and contemporary China find their expressions in films. Background readings provide historical narratives. Selections of films and class discussions center on key issues, such as birth of nation-state, social realism and socialist realism, gender and transgender, modernity and cultural identity, history and memory, urban culture, relocation and social migration. Students will learn to use and analyze film language, and to develop a critical understanding of Chinese society and culture through film. The course is conducted in Chinese and combines lecture, discussion, and students’ presentations. Readings include English and Chinese publications.
Civ Cul & SocSummer 2009, Summer 2010, Summer 2011, Summer 2012
CHNS 6670 - Reading Development in CSL ▲
Reading Development in Chinese as a Second Language
This course aims at providing a systematic account of the development of reading ability by students learning Chinese as a second language. The course’s ultimate goal is to foster principled research and effective instruction in Chinese literacy. Towards that end, the course materials will cover general topics, including different theories of reading development and cross-linguistic influences on L2 reading, as well as issues specific to developing reading ability in Chinese, both at the levels of decoding and of comprehension. In addition to gaining insights into the factors that affect reading in a second language, students will engage in critical analysis of some prevailing practices in Chinese reading instruction through examination of textbooks, classroom observation, and personal experiences.
Readings in both English and Chinese while classes will be conducted in Chinese.
PedagogySummer 2012
CHNS 6690 - Language Teaching Practicum ▲
This course is designed for students in their last summer session of the Master’s program. In this course, students will have the opportunity to reflect upon the theories of Chinese teaching that they have already learned, improving their ability to design and effectively implement classroom teaching practices. Students’ assignments will include: readings on TCFL, reflections on the questions and problems brought up in readings, classroom observation, directed course design, class preparation, microteaching activities, and others.
Kubler, Cornelius. Pathways V. 03 NFLC Guide for Basic Chinese Language Programs (2nd Edition). Columbus, OH: Ohio State University Press. ISBN: 978-0-87415-071-1 <http://flpubs.osu.edu/catalog_details.cfm?PubKey=155>
PedagogySummer 2008, Summer 2009, Summer 2010, Summer 2011, Summer 2012
