CHINESE 321--FALL 2009
01:165:321
Introduction
to
Literary
Chinese
Course
Information and Syllabus
Texts | Course
Requirements | Weekly Schedule
Instructor: R. VanNess
Simmons [back
to Simmons' main page]
- Office: Scott Hall 330
- Office Phone: (732)
932-5597
/ (732) 932-7605
- Office Hours: W
11:15-12:15
- E-mail: rsimmon@rci.rutgers.edu
Class
meeting times: Mondays and
Thursdays, 3rd period--11:30-12:50 PM
Classroom:
Scott
Hall
206
(College
Avenue)
Course
Assistant: Lihui Zhu
Number of Credits:
3
Prerequisites: 01:165:202 or
222 or placement
Course Description:
This course provides an introduction to literary Chinese, or Classical
Chinese, known in Chinese as 文言文 or 古代汉语. Classical Chinese is a
written form of Chinese that differs substantially from colloquial or
spoken Chinese and which served as the standard for written texts for
most of Chinese history. The grammar, style, and vocabulary of
Classical Chinese still finds influence in formal Chinese writing in
modern times. So even students who only wish to learn modern
Chinese should be familiar with the basics of Classical Chinese.
Course Goals:
This class will introduce the essentials of Classical Chinese
vocabulary and grammar. By the end of the class students will be
able to analyze and read simple texts in literary Chinese. They
will also be able write simple texts in literary Chinese and to recite
selected short passages in the language.
Textbooks
Required:
- John C. Y. Wang, Sue-mei Wu Shaoyu Jiang, Frank F. S. Hsueh. Classical Chinese Primer. Set of 2
volumes—reader (ISBN 978-962-996-339-2) & workbook (ISBN
978-962-996-340-8). The Chinese University Press (Columbia U. Press is
U.S. agent). Paper, 2007. ISBN: 978-962-996-286-9 (This is the ISBN for
Reader + Workbook Combined)
- Kai Li, James Erwin Dew. Classical
Chinese—A
Functional
Approach.
Cheng & Tsui. Paper, 2008. ISBN: 978-088-727-630-9
(simplified characters) or
978-088-727-737-5 (traditional characters)
The above texts should both be available from the University
Bookstore
at One Penn Plaza, opposite the New Brunswick train station, and
possibly from
New
Jersey Books as well.
In the syllabus below, the Classical
Chinese Primer text is referred to as CCP; the workbook is identified as CCW; the other text, Classical
Chinese—A Functional Approach, is identified as Li & Dew.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
The
Classical Chinese Primer
Workbook is the
workbook for this class from which most of the homework assignments
will
be drawn. However, students are required to copy
out
the
homework
assignments by hand on separate sheets of paper before
completing them. DO NOT turn your homework in on pages torn
from this book. The reasons for this are: (1) The
additional
copying required will allow you more practice writing Chinese; (2) some
separate assignments are on the front and back of the same page/sheet
in
the book and if you hand in one side you will not have access to the
other
side for the next assignment; and (3) leaving the exercise book blank
will
allow you to use it to test yourself for review and practice.
|
General
Course
Requirements
COURSE WORK
Learning a language, especially one as difficult as Classical
Chinese, is a
very
demanding task. Attendance is of utmost importance and you are
expected to come to every class. Beginning with the second class you
miss,
your final grade will be lowered by 1/3 of a grade for each day you are
absent without bona fide medical or religious cause.
You must also complete and turn in ALL assigned homework on
time
before
class
begins. Sometime the
homework
assignments will be corrected orally in class to be turned in for
credit;
others will be corrected and graded by the instructors. The
course
instructor
will determine which assignments are to be graded and which are to be
corrected
orally and let you know after the assignment is due.
In addition to homework and regular classroom work, there will be
biweekly tests, a mid-term exam, and a final exam. There may also be
spot
quizzes
given without notice. All tests and exams are cumulative.
GROUND RULES
1. Make-ups will be given
for
tests or quizzes only
if you are ill (and present a note from
your
doctor) or observing a religious holiday. Make-ups will not be
allowed for tests missed due to other circumstances.
2. You are allowed only one free, unexplained or unexcused
absence.
Any further unexcused absences will not be tolerated. We will
make
daily note of your attendance and your final grade will be reduced by three percentage
points for each day you are absent after the first time.
Absences can
be
excused only for religious reasons or by presentation of a note from
your
doctor stating a valid medical cause.
3. If you are tardy more than three times, the instructor will no
longer
be responsible for including you in class exercises or answering your
questions
regarding
missed lesson in class.
4. All homework assignments should be finished and handed in before
the class begins. Exercises handed in on time will be
corrected,
graded, and returned to you promptly. Late assignments will be noted
but
will NOTreceive grades.
5. Your final grade will be calculated as follows:
- Effort 10% (or more)
- Homework/assignments 10%
- Tests/quizzes 20%
- Midterm 30%
- Final 30%
6. The "effort" grade will be based on regular attendance, preparation,
and class participation. Students will loose points for unexcused
absences,
tardiness, leaving class early, poor classroom attitude, and failure to
hand in homework on time.
Remember:
You, the student, are the one who is learning the language; we, the
instructors,
can only provide you with the opportunity to learn.
7. Please feel free to come to our office hours when you have
questions
that cannot be satisfactorily solved during class time, or simply when
you need extra help. But you should not get in the habit of missing
class
and then trying to make up what you missed during our office hours.
Finally: Welcome to class! We hope you enjoy learning Classical
Chinese
and discovering the world that the language opens up for you.
CHINESE 321--FALL 2009
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
Week 1--Th9/3
- Course Introduction and Preliminaries
Week 2--T9/8 (Monday Schedule)
& Th9/10
- For Monday prepare: CCP
1/Fables Part 1:A
- For Thursday prepare: CCP 1/Fables
Part 1:B & CCW 1/Fables
Part 1:A
Week 3--M9/14 & Th9/17
- For Monday prepare: CCP
1/Fables Part 1:C, CCW 1/Fables Part 1:B, Li & Dew 1
- Homework Due: Li &
Dew 1, Exercises 1 & 2
- For Thursday prepare: (CCP 1/Fables
Part 1:D assigned as homework),
review
Week
4--M9/21 & Th9/24
- For Monday prepare: CCP 2/Fables
Part 2:A&B, & CCW 2/Fables
Part
2:A
- Homework due: English
translation of CCP 1/Fables Part 1:D (畫蛇添足)
- For Thursday prepare: CCP 2/Fables
Part 2:C, & CCW 2/Fables
Part
2:B
- Homework due: Li
&
Dew
2,
Exercises 1 & 2, English translation of CCP 2/Fables Part 2:B
(刻舟求剑)
Week
5--M9/28 & Th10/1
- For Monday prepare: CCP 2/Fables
Part 2:D, & CCW 2/Fables
Part
2:C&D
- Homework due: English
translation of last 6 lines (phrases 15 to 19) in CCP 2/Fables Part 2:C (塞翁失马) and English translation
of Li & Dew 1, Exercise 3 (page 6: 郑人买履)
- For Thursday prepare: CCP 3/Lúnyǔ
Part 1:A & B, review by going
over go over Li
& Dew 2, Exercises 1 & 2 and Li & Dew 1, Exercise 3 (page
6: 郑人买履)
Week 6--M10/5 & Th10/8
- For Monday prepare: CCP 3/Lúnyǔ
Part 1:A,B,C&D
- Homework due: English
translation of CCW 2/Fables Part
2:D II (pages 17-18)
- For Thursday prepare: CCP 4/Lúnyǔ
Part
2:A, and CCW 3/Lúnyǔ Part1
- Homework due: English
translation of Li
& Dew 2, Exercise 3a (page 14 曾子杀猪)
Week 7--M10/12 & Th10/15
- For Monday prepare: CCP 4/Lúnyǔ
Part
2:B
- Homework due: Li
& Dew 3, Exercise 1
- Thursday 10/15: Midterm--
CCP Lessons 1 to 4 and Li
& Dew Lessons 1 to 3
- Memorization required for the
midterm: the titles of all the Fables
in CCP 1 & 2, the passages in
CCP 3/Lúnyǔ
Part 1: A & B, and Li & Dew
3, Exercise 1 #6
- Also, to review for the midterm,
do CCW 4/Lúnyǔ
Part2 all & 5/Lúnyǔ Part
3.III
nos.
2,
3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11,
15, 16, 17, 18, 19 (i.e. all but 1, 7, 9, 12, 13, 14, 20); the answers
for all of this are the readings from the text.
- Know the pīnyīn and pronunciation for
everything we covered in class.
Week 8--M10/19 & Th10/22
- For Monday prepare: CCP 5/Lúnyǔ
Part 3:A&B, CCW
5/Lúnyǔ
Part 3.I&II
- For Thursday prepare: CCP 6/Mèngzǐ
Part 1, CCW 6/Mèngzǐ Part 1
- Homework due: English
translation of Li
& Dew 2, Exercise 3b (page 15 杂说四)
Week 9--M10/26 &
Th10/29
- For Monday prepare: CCP 7/Mèngzǐ
Part 2 & Begin CCP 8/Mèngzǐ
Selection, CCW 7/Mèngzǐ Part
2
- Homework due: English
translation of Li
& Dew 4, Exercise 2 (page 33 以五十步笑百步)
- For Thursday prepare: Finish CCP 8/Mèngzǐ Selection
- Go over Li
& Dew 2, Exercise 2 (=CCW 8/Mèngzǐ
Selection Reading Comprehension)
- Test
3: 30 minutes (Lúnyǔ
and Mèngzǐ from CCP 5-7, Li
& Dew p. 15 杂说四, p. 33 以五十步笑百步)
Week 10--M11/2 & Th11/5
- For Monday prepare: CCP 9/Lǐjì
Part A, CCW 8/Mèngzǐ Selection
Grammar Exercise 1 (&
be ready to do CCP 8/Mèngzǐ
Selection in pīnyīn)
- Homework due: English
translation of Li
& Dew 4, Exercise 1 (page 33)
- For Thursday prepare: Finish CCP 9/Lǐjì
Part A
- Go over English
translation of Li
& Dew 4, Exercise 1 (page 33)
- Homework due:
English
translation of Li
& Dew 5, Exercise 1 (page 41)
Week 11--M11/9 & Th11/12
- For Monday prepare: CCP 9/Lǐjì
Part B and begin CCP 10/Lǎozǐ
- Go over English
translation of Li
& Dew 5, Exercise 1 (page 41)
- Go over CCW 9/Lǐjì
- Homework due: CCW 10/Lǎozǐ, Part III
- For Thursday prepare: remainder of CCP 10/Lǎozǐ,
- Go over CCW 10/Lǎozǐ,
Parts I, II, & III
- Do Li
& Dew 5, Exercise 2 (page 41) and Li & Dew 6, Exercise 2A (甲 page 50) in pīnyīn
- Homework
due: English translation of Li & Dew 6, Exercise 2B (乙 page 50)
Week
12--M11/16 & Th11/19
- For Monday prepare to:
- Go over English translation of Li & Dew 6, Exercise 2B (乙 page 50)
- Finish going over CCW 10/Lǎozǐ,
Parts
II
&
III
- Test
4: 30 Minutes (Mèngzǐ, Lǐjì, and Lǎozǐ from CCP 8-10, 也, 乃, 是, 以, 所
from Li & Dew 4, 5, & 6)
- For Thursday prepare: CCP 11/Mòzǐ
and CCW 11/Mòzǐ
- Homework
due: English translation of Li & Dew 7, Exercise 1 (pp.
58-59)
Week 13--M11/23
- For Monday prepare: CCP 12/Zhuāngzǐ
No. 1 and CCW 12/Zhuāngzǐ No.
1
- Go over English translation of Li & Dew 7, Exercise 1 (pp.
58-59)
- Homework
due: English translation of Li & Dew 7, Exercise 2 (page 59)
Week 14--M11/30 & Th12/3
- For Monday prepare: CCP 13/Zhuāngzǐ
No. 2 and CCW 13/Zhuāngzǐ No.
2, part I
- Finish CCP 12/Zhuāngzǐ
No. 1 if necessary
- Go over English translation of Li & Dew 7, Exercise 2 (page
59)
- Thursday prepare to:
- Finish CCP 13/Zhuāngzǐ
No. 2 and English translation of Li & Dew 7, Exercise 2 (page 59)
- Test
5: 30 Minutes (Mòzǐ and
Zhuāngzǐ, 为, 以...为from
Li & Dew 7)
Week 15--M12/7 & Th 12/10
- For Monday prepare: CCP 14/Xúnzǐ
and CCW 14/Xúnzǐ
- Homework
due: English translation of CCW 13/Zhuāngzǐ No. 2, part II
- Thursday prepare to:
- Finish CCP 14/Xúnzǐ if
necessary
- Go over English translation of CCW 13/Zhuāngzǐ No. 2, part II
- Review
- Memorize for final exam:
- CCW 13/Zhuāngzǐ No. 2, part II
- CCP 14/Xúnzǐ first 2
lines ending with 寒於水
- 孟子曰:“水信無分於東西。無分於上下乎?人性之善也,猶水之就下也。人無有不善,水無有不下。
FINAL EXAM: Monday 21-Dec 12:00-3:00
PM
in Scott Hall Room 206
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