Courses

CHINESE 101: Beginning Chinese 1

This course is for students with little or no knowledge of the Chinese language, and is designed for building basic communicative proficiency in Mandarin Chinese. The course teaches speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills, but it places special emphasis on the oral communication skills needed for daily life interactions in Chinese, and students will be required to practice using Chinese for daily life tasks outside class. Students will begin learning to read basic high-frequency characters, and learn how to write characters properly with correct stroke order. Additionally students will learn about Chinese culture, especially as it relates to managing the daily tasks of life in China.

This course is normally taken in Year 1. This course is required for students in the CSL track who have not previously studied Chinese; there is no prerequisite.

CHINESE 131: First Year Chinese for Heritage Learners 1

This course is designed for CSL track students who learned to speak Chinese at home but have little or no ability to read or write in Chinese. This course introduces basic Chinese reading and writing skills.

This course is normally taken in Year 1. There is no prerequisite. This course is only offered if there is adequate demand.

CHINESE 201: Intermediate Chinese 1

This course is designed to help students continue building communicative proficiency in Mandarin Chinese. The primary emphasis is on oral communication skills, with a focus on conversations in Chinese, and students will be expected to find opportunities outside class to practice using their Chinese for social interaction. Students will also learn to read dialogues that provide good models of social interaction in Chinese, and will practice writing simple texts. Additionally students will learn about Chinese culture, especially as it relates to Chinese life and society.

This course is for CSL track students. The prerequisite is CHINESE 102 or equivalent.

CHINESE 301: Advanced Intermediate Chinese 1

This course reinforces what students have learned in the Intermediate Chinese courses, and continues to expand and refine their skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing by learning a variety of texts that are written with advanced vocabulary (including academic vocabulary and vocabulary denoting abstract concepts), complex grammatical structures, and formal language uses. In addition, students will be introduced to current social issues in China (such as parenting, demographics, marriage, etc.) and different aspects of Chinese culture (such as courtesy, family relationships, ethics, etc.). Through learning and discussing these social and cultural issues, students are expected to deepen their understanding of Chinese society and culture. Students will further practice their spoken Chinese outside class by conversing with Chinese speakers about the topics studied in class.

This course is for CSL track students. The prerequisite is CHINESE 202 or equivalent.

CHINESE 401: Advanced Chinese 1 – Issues in Modern China (4 credits)

In this course students will learn about social and cultural issues in China through study of authentic texts in Chinese and authentic media resources (e.g. television programs, documentaries, etc.). Oral skills will be built through discussion of these topics, and students will also be expected to practice their spoken Chinese outside class by talking with Chinese speakers about the topics studied in class. Students will also continue to build their writing skills by writing short papers in Chinese relating to the topics studied.

This course is for CSL track students. The prerequisite is CHINESE 302 or equivalent.

EAP101: Writing about Language Learning

This is a content-based academic English skills course focused on writing, designed for first semester EAP-track students. In this course students will study one or more issues related to language learning (e.g. how to sustain motivation); then they will write course papers presenting their views on these issues. Students will learn how to research an issue, and how to appropriately quote and/or cite sources. They will learn how to plan and write course papers that summarize the views of others, state clear positions in response, and make cases for those positions. Students will also practice making short presentations. Additionally, students will design and carry out plans to improve the accuracy of their written English.

This course, required for EAP-track students, is normally taken Year 1, Semester 1. There is no prerequisite.

GS721K: Oral Communication

The global nature of our work and the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration highlight the need for strong language skills, advanced intercultural competence and professionalism. This course seeks to stay abreast of the practices common to the student’s discipline and teach the communication skills needed for success in those field-specific practices.

CHINESE 102: Beginning Chinese 2

This course continues teaching basic communicative proficiency in Mandarin Chinese. As with CHINESE 101, the course teaches speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. Special emphasis will be placed on learning the oral communication skills needed for daily life interactions in Chinese, and students will be expected to practice using Chinese for daily life tasks outside class. Students will learn to read high-frequency characters and learn how to write characters properly with correct stroke order. Additionally students will learn about Chinese culture, especially as it relates to managing the daily tasks of life in China.

This course is for CSL track students. The prerequisite is CHINESE 101 or the equivalent.

CHINESE 132: First Year Chinese for Heritage Learners 2

This course, a continuation of CHINESE 131, is designed for CSL track students who speak Chinese but do not read or write it, and continues building basic reading and writing skills.

The prerequisite is CHINESE 131 or equivalent. This course is only offered if there is adequate demand.

CHINESE 202: Intermediate Chinese 2

This course is designed to help students continue building basic communicative proficiency in Mandarin Chinese. The primary emphasis is on oral communication skills, with a focus on social conversations in Chinese, and the course includes assignments in which students will find opportunities outside class to practice using their Chinese for social interaction. Students will also continue building their ability to read dialogues that provide good models of social interaction in Chinese, and practice writing simple texts. Additionally students will learn about Chinese culture, especially as it relates to Chinese life and society.

This course is for CSL track students. The prerequisite is CHINESE 201 or equivalent.

CHINESE 302: Advanced Intermediate Chinese 2

This course transitions students toward reading authentic texts relating to Chinese society (e.g. newspaper and magazine articles), with emphasis on learning relevant vocabulary. It also builds students’ ability to comprehend authentic media resources (e.g. television programs, documentaries, etc.) on similar topics. Oral skills will be built through discussion of these topics, and students will also be expected to practice their spoken Chinese outside class by conversing with Chinese speakers about the topics studied in class. Students will also continue to build their writing skills by writing short papers in Chinese relating to the topics studied.

This course is for CSL track students. The prerequisite is CHINESE 301 or equivalent.

CHINESE 402: Advanced Chinese 2 – Issues in Modern China (4 credits)

This is the second course in the 401-402 Advanced Chinese course sequence. In this course, students continue learning about social and cultural issues in China through study of authentic texts in Chinese and authentic media resources (e.g. television programs, documentaries, etc.). Oral skills will be built through discussion of these topics, and students will also be expected to practice their spoken Chinese outside class by talking with Chinese speakers about the topics studied in class. Students will also continue to build their writing skills by writing short papers in Chinese relating to the topics studied.

This course is for CSL track students. The prerequisite is CHINESE 401 or equivalent.

EAP102: Writing about Culture Learning

This is a content-based academic writing course for EAP-track students that further builds written and oral communication skills introduced in EAP101. In this course students will study generalizations that are often made about significant aspects of a Western culture (e.g. the idea that U.S. culture is relatively individualistic); then they will write papers in which they analyze and critically examine these generalizations. Students will practice researching issues and appropriately making use of resource materials. They will practice planning and writing course papers in which they take a stand on an issue and then make a case for their position. Students will also share ideas by making presentations.

This course, required for EAP-track students, is normally taken Year 1, Semester 2. The prerequisite is EAP101.

GS720K: Academic Writing

This course builds academic writing skills through a field-specific examination of the literacy practices common to DKU graduate school programs. Students learn useful organizational structures and functions and improve their ability to write clear and concise texts. They build vocabulary and learn to use high frequency academic collocations. Individualized instruction enables students to identify their strengths and limitations and make improvements in their writing.