Chinese 101-102 is a beginning level course. It is assumed the students have no previous knowledge of spoken or written Chinese. If you can already speak Chinese but want to learn how to read and write, please take Intensive Reading and Writing (Chinese 121) offered in the Spring semester. That course is designed especially for you.
Chinese 101-102 Section 70 is a Distance Learning class taught simultaneously on the Rutgers New Brunswick and Newark campuses via live video. Students in Newark and New Brunswick are in class together over the Rutgers Distance Learning Network. The instruction originates from New Brunswick, though the instructors also make occasional visits to the Newark classroom. In course content, classroom drills and interaction, and all homework and exam requirements, Section 70 is 100% identical to Sections 1 and 2.
Instructors
R. VanNess Simmons
Yvette Hsieh
1. REQUIRED: Practical Chinese Reader--Elementary Course (Traditional Character Edition), Book One, by Beijing Language Institute, published by Cheng & Tsui Co. [referred to in the syllabus as PCR]
2.REQUIRED: Practical Chinese Reader Companion (Traditional Character Edition), Volume A--Lessons 1-20 by Yihua Wang, published by Cheng & Tsui Co. [referred to in the syllabus as CP]
3. REQUIRED: Practical Chinese Reader I: Patterns and Exercises (Traditional Character Edition), by Madeline Men-li Chu, published by Cheng & Tsui Co. [referred to in the syllabus as P&E]
4. REQUIRED: Practical Chinese Reader I & II: Writing Workbook (Traditional Character Edition), edited by Shou-hsin Teng, published by Cheng & Tsui Co.[referred to in the syllabus as WW]
5. OPTIONAL: Audio Tapes for Practical Chinese Reader, Book One, Beijing Language Institute.
6. OPTIONAL: Practical Chinese Reader (Simplified Character Edition), Book One, Beijing Language Institute.
7. OPTIONAL: Practical Chinese Reader I: Patterns and Exercises (Simplified Character Edition), by Madeline Men-li Chu, published by Cheng & Tsui Co.
8. OPTIONAL: Practical Chinese Reader Chinese Character Exercises, Book One (Simplified Character Edition), Beijing Language Institute.
9. OPTIONAL: Read and Write Chinese, by Rita Mei-Wah Choy, published by China West Books.
10. OPTIONAL: Oxford Concise English-Chinese/Chinese-English Dictionary; published by Oxford University Press.
11. OPTIONAL: Pinyin Chinese-English Dictionary, published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
All the above materials are available from the University Bookstore at One Penn Plaza, opposite the New Brunswick train station, and probably also from New Jersey Books, 108 Somerset St. You are ALSO REQUIRED to get a copy of the COURSE PACKET--available from Pequod Printing, 119 Somerset Street--which we will use right away.
While purchase of the audio tapes for the text is optional, you are still ALSO REQUIRED to work with the audio tapes of the lessons. If you do not purchase them, you may work with the tapes in the Language Lab--we receive a record of your attendance there. The Language Lab is also authorized to make personal copies of a current lesson if you do not purchase the tapes but still wish to work with them at home.
To supplement your work in the Language Lab and with the textbook the Rutgers Department of Asian Languages and Cultures has developed the Rutgers Multimedia Chinese Teaching System (RMCTS). It is now on-line and ready for your use at http://chinese.rutgers.edu. This site contains extensive text and audio practice designed to parallel the class text and to enrich and supplement the vocabulary you are learning. The lesson numbers of the RMCTS system match the Chinese 101 and 102 syllabus. For example, for the on-line material for the lesson we begin with this semester, Lessons 1-3, simply go to Lessons 1-3 in RMCTS.
Note: While you can access the site from any computer connected to the Internet, if the computer is not set up to display Chinese characters, you might only be able to view the English and pinyin on the site and the Chinese will appear as nonsense text. However you can easliy view the Chinese on the computers in the Rutgers Asian Languages and Cultures Computer Lab in 340 Scott Hall and in the Rutgers New Brunswick Language Labs, all of which are set up to display Chinese. Some of the more recent versions of MS Internet Explorer might automatically enable Chinese display. If not, to learn how to set up your own computer to display and type Chinese, you may follow the links under http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~rsimmon/#Learning Chinese.
NEW: In addition to RMCTS, the Chinese language program also participates in the Rutgers Digiclass language site at http://fas-digiclass.rutgers.edu/. Beginning Fall 2001 we will begin to put up interactive exercises on the Chinese section of this site. These exercises will be geared to the RMCTS lessons and will include vocabulary, reading and listening drills and practice.
Please explore RMCTS and the Chinese Digiclass and visit them often
this semester. We urge you to come to us anytime with questions,
comments, and criticism regarding the RMCTS and Digiclass sites.
Learning a language, especially one as difficult as Chinese, is a very demanding task. You are required to attend every class, including video classes, and to regularly attend the Language Lab. You must also complete and turn in on time all assigned homework.
Note: If you have tapes made for work at home, you must still sign the attendance sheet each time you pick up a tape and indicate you are taking a tape for work at home; if you purchase the tapes, you should let us know so that you are not penalized for not attending the Language Lab.
The "Language Lab & RMCTS/Digiclass Assignments" are listed on the syllabus according to the day you should try to begin the work for a given lesson in the Language Lab and in RMCTS & Digiclass. In fact, you should not try to finish the Language Lab and RMCTS/Digiclass work in one sitting. Instead, you should make regular daily visits (including on the weekends!) to the the Language Lab and the RMCTS/Digiclass sites, pacing your work in increments timed to finish one lesson before you begin work on the next.
In addition to regular classroom work, we will have a video and/or computer
drill class about once each week. There will be weekly Tests, a Midterm,
and a Final. There may also be spot quizzes given without notice. All tests
and exams are cumulative.
1. Absolutely NO make-ups will be given for tests or quizzes. If you are ill (and present a note from your doctor) or observing a religious holiday, you will be excused from that test or quiz.
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 threepercentage 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 drill or answering your questions regarding missed lesson in class.
4. All assignments should be 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:
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 Chinese
and discovering the world that the language opens up for you.
BOOK ONE