Conversation 0(CV0)- A beginning course in Mandarin Chinese for adults who have little or no previous experience in learning this language.

Description

CV0 is a two-semester foundation-building course that focuses on Chinese pronunciation (Pinyin) training, understanding of basic Chinese language structures, and application of these elements in day-to-day conversation.

Instructor Jenwei Kuo creates a proven effective technique 'the JWK Method' (see textbook below) that helps students use English to learn Chinese in a fun and unique learning environment.

Course Objective

At the end of the instruction year the students would be able to achieve the following:

●       Proficiency in Chinese pronunciation system (Pinyin)

●       Proficiency in basic Chinese language structures

●       Proficiency in simple Chinese conversations

An end-of-class Skit Presentation will be performed by all students to demonstrate their level of fluency. Learning of Chinese characters will not be included in this course.

Material

Class will use as textbook New Method Chinese (Level I textbook). Students can order it at www.lulu.com, search book title.

Expectation

As class time is only two hours per week, students should practice regularly after class in order to make sufficient progress toward acquiring competence in Mandarin conversation.

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Conversation 1 (CV1) Continuation of Conversation 0(CV0) with introduction to Chinese characters.

Description

CV1 is a two-semester continuation of CV0, building on the basic foundation of Chinese language structures to expand students' abilities in Mandarin conversation. CV1 uses the same textbook as CV0, while also using a supplementary textbook to introduce the study of Chinese characters.

Course Objective

Upon completion, students should be able to:

●       Be more proficient at starting and participating in conversations

●       Understand more complex Chinese language structures

●       Recognize and write some commonly used characters

●       Read textbook dialogues written in Chinese characters

Prerequisite

Knowledge of Pinyin and basic Chinese language structures from Conversation 0 (CV0)

Materials

This class will use the New Method Chinese (Level I textbook) as the main textbook. Students can order it at www.lulu.com, search book title.

Supplementary: Speaking Mandarin in 500 Words, free download from http://edu.ocac.gov.tw/interact/ebook/digitalPublish/MContent.asp?Lang=C

Expectations

Students should establish a regular routine for practicing conversation and character recognition. Practicing a little every day will be more beneficial than spending a long time just once a week.

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Conversation 2 (CV2) - Chinese reading and writing, with conversation

Description:

CV2 is a two-semester course of Chinese reading and writing for students who can already recognize and write some commonly used characters. Students will learn how to determine word divisions in Chinese writing, and practice using Chinese/English dictionaries to look up unfamiliar characters. Continued practice of Mandarin conversation will be included as part of the course.

Course Objective

Upon completion, students should be able to:

●       Read dialogues and short prose passages

●       Write high-frequency characters in proper stroke order

●       Understand how to use Chinese dictionaries

●       Use Mandarin to talk about readings

Prerequisite

●       Knowledge of Pinyin and basic Chinese language structures

●       Introductory knowledge of Chinese characters

Material

Textbooks will be introduced at the first class.

Expectation

Students should be prepared to participate in class, and should practice reading Chinese characters and also speaking and listening to Mandarin outside of class.