University Bulletin
Undergraduate Degree Programs
CHNS 110
(IL)
Conversation, Reading, and Composition (3) Readings in selected modern Chinese literature (short stories, plays, essays, poems) and other texts; practice in conversation and simple composition.
CHNS 110 Conversation, Reading, and Composition (4)
(IL)
(BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements.
As the fourth course in the Chinese language series, CHNS 110 continues to focus on the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. It intends to introduce students to frequently-used grammatical constructions in the Chinese language and to give students an active vocabulary of about 800 words.
Building on the skills students acquired in Chinese 001 to 003 (the prerequisites to Chinese 110), this course expands their knowledge of the language and cultures of the Chinese-speaking peoples in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and around the world. To that end, there are both language-learning objectives and socio-cultural ones in this course. About 85% of the class time will be spent in language learning and about 15% in cultural issues. Research indicates that the more knowledge students have about the context in which the target language is used, the higher their overall linguistic proficiency level will be. To facilitate students' learning of Chinese culture, CHNS 110 also incorporate into the curriculum a variety of culture-related activities, including interviewing native speakers, film screening, calligraphy workshops…etc.
Class activities include group discussion, mini-presentations, and in-class conversation practice. Evaluation will be through means such as vocabulary and sentence pattern quizzes, weekly journals and reaction papers, chapter exams, in-class oral presentations, writing assignments, and a final oral interview with instructor.
Chinese 110 counts towards the Chinese minor and may also fulfill other requirements, such as providing credits towards the major in Comparative Literature or the major in Asian Studies—check with advisors in those majors.
Note : Class size, frequency of offering, and evaluation methods will vary by location and instructor. For these details check the specific course syllabus.