Course Overview
This page focuses on the course 21G.107 Chinese I (Streamlined) as it was taught by Min-Min Liang in Fall 2014.
This course, in combination with 21G.108 Chinese II (Streamlined), constitutes the elementary level of the streamlined Chinese sequence. Taught entirely in Chinese, the course is designed for students who have basic Chinese conversational skills, but who lack a corresponding level of literacy. The focus of the course is on learning standard language usage, reading in both full and simplified characters, and writing.
Course Outcomes
Course Goals for Students
- Develop Chinese literacy skills
- Increase Chinese speaking proficiency
Meet the Instructor
In the following video, Min-Min Liang shares her academic background and teaching experience.
Meet the Instructor: Min-Min Liang
Instructor Interview
"When I first started, I knew one [teaching] method. I thought it was best to drill the students… to make them repeat. But throughout the years I realized they could say certain things, but they could not have a conversation… so I think I’ve evolved. Right now, the main [focus] for me is to have a welcoming environment to help students speak the language, not to talk about the language."
In the following videos, Min-Min Liang describes various aspects of how she teaches 21G.107 Chinese I (Streamlined).
Curriculum Information
Prerequisites
Placement test and permission of instructor
Requirements Satisfied
GIR 
Offered
Every fall semester
Assessment
The students’ grades were based on the following activities:
- 30% Class performance (attendance [5%], promptness [3%], preparedness [5%], class report [7%] , and participation [10%])
- 25% Writing (Written assignments [20%] and end-of-term essay [5%])
- 5% Lingt assignments
- 30% Bi-weekly tests
- 10% Vocabulary quizzes and dictations
Instructor Insights on Assessment
Student Information
Enrollment
18 students
Breakdown by Year
Mostly sophomores
Breakdown by Major
Mostly computer science and engineering
Typical Student Background
Students tend to be heritage language learners. Most are advanced-beginners, with a speaking level of intermediate-low. Prior to the course, many cannot read or write Chinese. Some attended “Chinese School” once a week during their childhoods, but most have forgotten what they learned during these experiences. Many students want to learn Chinese in order to be able to converse with family members who do not speak English. They also seem to value the advantage that fluency in multiple languages offers them in a society that is becoming more globalized.
Ideal Class Size
Having fewer than 20 students in the class allows students to have more speaking opportunities. This is important because students tend not to speak Chinese outside of class. To get the most of the course, they need to speak frequently during each class session.
How Student Time Was Spent
During an average week, students were expected to spend 12 hours on the course, roughly divided as follows:
In Class
- Met 3 times per week for 50 minutes per session; 39 sessions total; mandatory attendance.
- Several class sessions were devoted to learning about the sounds of the language and the ways in which these sounds are represented in the pinyin system of transcription. Character writing was also introduced.
- Textbook lessons began during the fifth week of the course.
- Classroom activities included discussing the content of the texts, short reports and performances based on the texts, practicing relevant grammatical patterns, sight reading of supplementary materials, and daily quizzes.
Out of Class
- Written assignments
- Lingt assignments
- Preparation for quizzes and tests
- End-of-term essay
