AP Chinese Language and Culture Course Overview AP Chinese Language and Culture course will bring the students an opportunity to further develop their four language proficiency skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing in the intermediate to Advanced-level range across the three communicative modes (interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational) and the five Cs (communication, culture, connections, comparisons and communities) as defined in the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century. The AP Chinese Language and Culture course provides the students an opportunity to totally immerse in the richness of Chinese Language and Culture by introducing varied aspects of both contemporary and historical Chinese culture. The course is conducted in almost exclusively in Mandarin Chinese and the students are required to speak in Chinese as much as possible. Program This is a two-semester year-long course, which meets 2-3 times a week that depends on the odd/even day block schedule. In our school, admission to AP Chinese is based on successful completion of level 3 Chinese. A student may also gain admission by taking a placement test and oral interview. All students who take the AP Chinese class will sit for the AP exam. During the three year of study, students learn a thorough review of grammar and receive an introduction to Chinese literature. Level four students, exactly like their AP counterparts, also present current events/news articles and teach to use all three modes of communication skills. This is designed to increase their confidence in speaking Chinese in public as well as to acquaint them with integrated skill activity. Therefore, the vast majority of students entering the AP course have had previous experience with reading authentic literature, skill integration, and they have reviewed all major grammatical topics necessary for advanced proficiency in the language. Objectives Upon the completion of the course, students will:
have grasped all the basic structures of Chinese grammar and have the ability to expand their knowledge through reading and listening activities have expanded and have the ability to increase their Chinese vocabulary through reading and listening activities
have improved their reading comprehension ability by reading from articles and authentic reading materials, such as advertisements, signs, newspaper, internet material, movie subtitle, etc. have further developed their Chinese handwriting skills through daily assignments and class work. have improved writing skills by demonstrating an ability to write on selected topics of general interest and in response to reading selections have improved listening comprehension skills through daily instruction and discussion in Chinese through the use of audios, videos, websites, etc. have improved speaking ability through daily discussions and other speaking activities, such as debates, skits, interpersonal Q-A activities, etc. have improved problem-solving skills and social skills through pairs and group activities have expanded their knowledge and understanding of Chinese culture through reading, discussion, activities, music, art, computer programs, movies, etc
Instructional Strategies In addition to lectures, a range of instructional strategies are employed. Multimedia such as PowerPoint, video clips, audio clips, etc. is used to meet the diverse needs of the learners. Within each topic, tasks are designed for all students to use all three modes of communication. Students are assigned in groups of various sizes and different levels of proficiency. A positive and dynamic environment is created to encourage students to participate. The activities listed below are frequently used. More activities are listed in the course planner. Games- Games, such as bingo, jeopardy, vocabulary cooperation contest, etc., are used to help students develop their visual, auditory, and social problem-solving skills TPRS – Unlike TPR which used more in the lower levels, the Total Physical Response Storytelling strategy helps students, through cooperation, develop their oral composing and describing abilities and extend the abilities further to their writing tasks Other Activities – KWL, Information gap, inside-outside circles, jigsaw, etc. As for reading, the activities include: •
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Pre-reading- Activities include activating prior knowledge about the topic as well as identifying new vocabulary and predicting the contents of the text. Students are given a few minutes to brainstorm ideas in small groups for prediction. Reading – Scanning: students interact with the text by quickly reading through scanning for specific information; Looking for cognates: students identify key vocabulary, predict
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meanings, and look for words that are similar to words they already know in Chinese and English; Careful reading: With all the previous steps that equip the students for better understanding, they start to pick out main ideas and the supporting details, analyze text structure, find comparisons, and understand the cause and the effect. Post-reading - Exercises consist of a more detailed oral and written analysis of the plot or the characters and their development.
Assessments Pre-assessment – used often to make diagnostic decisions about students’ strengths and needs; no grade or judgment are given •
students brainstorming, questioning, survey
Formative Assessments – used daily to adjust the instruction and pace. •
students’ work, daily homework assignment in handwriting, daily Q-A assessments, teacher’s observation
Summative Assessment – at the end of each unit, two units, and the end of the semester/ year Individual – interpersonal oral tasks, oral presentation, major writing assignments in handwriting or in typing, chapter tests, simulated AP tests, final exams. Group –
projects, performance-based presentation, film-making
Guidelines and rubrics are given to students when writing assignments, projects, and presentations, are assigned. The guidelines include scenario, due time, explanation of the task, requirements, model and the accountability. For rubrics, please see two sample rubrics below.
Sample Rubrics for Assessment Interpersonal Oral Communication 5-4.5 Excellent Question/Response demonstrates superior competence o Completes the task o Demonstrates ease of expression
o Demonstrates wide range of vocabulary, as appropriate to the level o Is mostly free of errors in structure, as appropriate to the level o Pronunciation is comprehensible 4
Good Questions/Response demonstrates competence o o o o o
3.5
Completes the task Demonstrates considerable ease of expression Demonstrates good range of vocabulary, as appropriate to the level Is mostly free of errors in structure, as appropriate to the level Pronunciation is comprehensible Satisfactory Question/Response demonstrates some competence
o o o o 3
Completes the task Demonstrates adequate vocabulary, as appropriate to the level Has errors in structure that do not interfere with communication Pronunciation may interfere with communication Toward Satisfactory Question/Response demonstrates minimal competence
o o o o o
Completes the task inadequately and/or incompletely Does not demonstrate ease of expression Contains minimal vocabulary, as appropriate to the level Has many errors in structure that interfere with communication Pronunciation interferes with communication
2.5-0 Unacceptable Question/Response is inappropriate or incomprehensible o o o o
Does not complete the task Is extremely labored and incomplete Demonstrates almost no vocabulary or structures Pronunciation prevents communication
Presentational Written Communication 5
Excellent demonstrates superior competence in written communication o o o o
Excellent completion of task at level of instruction Extensive and mostly accurate use of structures appropriate to the task and level Rich variety of vocabulary and/or idioms, as appropriate to the task and level Few or no grammar and/or spelling errors
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Good demonstrates competence in written expression o o o o
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Good completion of task at level of instruction Frequent and mostly accurate use of structures appropriate to the task and level Good variety of vocabulary/idioms, as appropriate to the task and level Some grammar and/or spelling errors Satisfactory demonstrates some competence in written expression
o o o o
Partial completion of task at level of instruction Somewhat accurate use of structures appropriate to the task and level Basic to limited variety of vocabulary and/or idioms, as appropriate to the task and level Grammar and/or spelling errors that occasionally interfere with communication
Materials Textbook: 1. Integrated Chinese, Level 2 Part 1 & Part 2 Textbook, 3rd Edition (Simplified & Traditional) Hardcover by CHENG & TSUI COMPANY (Boston) 2. Integrated Chinese, Level 2 Part 1 & Part 2 Workbook, 3rd Edition (Simplified & Traditional) Level 2 Part 1 & Level 2 Part 2 audio CDs
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Integrated Chinese Internet Website http://eastasia.hawaii.edu/yao/icusers/default.htm 4.
Supplemental Text/Materials: Teacher Resource Books and Reference— • Textbook 1 &2 with Workbook 1 &2 (Jialu XU, Beijing Normal University Publishing Group) • (Compiled by QinHong Anderson) •
(by Qingsheng Ma, Chinese Bridge Publishing Ltd)
(by Regina Hsueh & WenBin Wu, Chinese Bridge Publishing Ltd.) •
(Jian Zhu, Chinese Bridge Publishing Ltd.) •
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World Daily News (local Chinese newspaper)
• Supplementary authentic materials from magazines, flyers and advertisements 2.
Internet Major online resources: http://eastasia.hawaii.edu/yao/icusers/icweb.htm www.usc.edu/dept/ealc/chinese/newweb/reading_page.htm http://faculty.virginia.edu/cll/chinese_reading/ www.zhongwen.com www.wellesley.edu/Chinese/Chinese _Fables/title/title_page.html www.echineselearning.com
Video Clips—
走進中國百姓生活(Reality ChineseA Multiskill Chinese Course for
Intermediate and Advanced Students, by Yehau Liu, Xianmin Liu & Jinyu Li, International Publishing in Beijing) Exploring Chinese Culture Volume 1 & 2(Multimedia Press china Central Radio & TV University) Journey Through China I(Multimedia Press china Central Radio & TV University) Magical Chinese Culture (Better Chinese LTD.)
Course Planner Week 1 •
Orientation and Preview (Students have learned > Level 2 Part 1 Lesson 1-5 in Chinese 3 classes)
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Students introduce themselves and talk about what they did in the summer. (Before the talk, review greeting strategies, phrases for personal information, and possible expressions for describing the vacation.) Review communication strategies in face-to face conversations, such as clarifying, (e.g., rephrasing, paraphrasing, restating), “time-buying,” self-correcting, showing with body language, etc. Week 2 & 3 •
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L6 Boyfriend/Girlfriend
Daily Q-A Chinese idioms Read personal ad clips from Chinese newspaper. Write a personal ad of “徵婚/交友啓事＂ Quiz Supplementary reading “我爱爱娘＂ Movie：我的父爱母爱 Movie discussion Culture Highlights: PPT introduction of “七夕” (Chinese Valentine’s Day, on July 7 of lunar calendar) CompositionFrom Valentine’s Day to “七夕” (Chinese equivalent of Valentine’s Day) compare and contrast the general ideas about “boyfriend and girlfriend” between the two cultures and talk about the changes due to the cultural influences. Give some examples from some couples you know. 300 words Chapter test – listening comprehension, reading comprehension, grammar usage, and fourpicture story narration.
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L7 Computer and Internet
Daily Q-A Chinese idioms Group Activity: Make a list of what you do online; Order them in the frequency that you do each activity, with #1 as the most frequent. Then, list the things you never do online at
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the bottom. Compare your list with a partner’s list, and see how similar or different your lists are. Finally, report back to the class on the similarities and/or differences between your lists. Discuss the pros and cons of using the internet. Pen pal Project: Cooperative learning with an English class of a high school in Taiwan or China – Each of the students gets a pen pal to write emails with in their target language. Within 3 weeks, the Chinese language students should at least get the information from their pen pals: name, age, school, family, whether they live at home, dorm, or elsewhere, whether they like where they live, what their rooms look like, their shopping habit/criteria, their preference about dinning, and what sports they like. (Give your teacher a copy of your email correspondence) * This is the end of the 1st stage of the pen pal project. However, students are encouraged to keep writing to their pen pal and discuss about the topics we will be learning in the spring semester.) 3-minute Presentation: Talk about your pen pal (followed with a two-minute Q-A session).
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L8 Working Part-Time
Daily Q-A Chinese idioms Read job ad clips from Chinese newspaper. Work vs. Study – Discuss with a partner the good and the bad aspects of working while studying in school, and list them on a piece of paper. Based on the list, compose a short report. Try to make it as smoothly connected as you can. Know yourself – Write a paragraph assessing your personality, education, interests, preferences, expertise, strengths, and weaknesses. Then conclude what type of job may be a good fit for you. Semester review Final Exam End of first semester Two weeks of winter break
Week 9 & 11 •
L9 Education
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Daily Q-A Culture Highlights: 知音 soul-mate -The friendship between the 琴 virtuoso, 爱子期, and 爱 伯牙, a humble woodcutter. Chinese idioms – “望子成爱，望女成爱” To hope that one’s son will become a dragon; to hope that one’s daughter will become a phoenix. Parents hope their children will rise above the others. Interview - Base on what you know about the Chinese education system and prepare a 10question interview to a Chinese exchange student/teacher or someone who received education both in China/Taiwan and U.S. Your interview should focus on what the Chinese interviewee thinks are the strengths and weaknesses of the Chinese education and American education. If you can get permission from your interviewee, videotape the interview and take good notes. (Turn in your questions as well as the answers.) Quiz Expectations and Accomplishments – Make 3 lists. First, list the things that your parents hope you will have accomplished after completing your education. Second, list the things that you expect yourself to accomplish after graduation. Third, list the things that you hope your future children/nephews/nieces will accomplish when they grow up. Compare these three lists and write down similarities and differences. Then use time phrases and pronouns/nouns as connectors and other conjunctions to build a more cohesive narrative. Present your narrative to your class
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L10 The Geography of China
Daily Q-A Chinese idioms Culture Highlights: video clips of well-known China scenery. Give a brief introduction to the geographic features of China; students locate major Chinese cities, provinces, and rivers on the map. Research: Students go online and find facts of China and a different country of his/her choice on the sizes, populations, capitals, financial centers, cultural centers, and highest mountains, etc. Compare your search results with a partner and then prepare an oral report together. Chapter test: listening comprehension, reading comprehension, and four-picture story narration.
Week 15 & 17
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L11 Chinese Festivals
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Chinese New Year Celebration
Daily Q-A Chinese idioms New Year celebration in class New Year performance for school Quiz Culture Highlights: DVD Introduction of Chinese Holidays How the Chinese people celebrate holidays, what they do, what they eat and why Students take notes and use them in presentational speaking Project: Pick one of the major Chinese holidays (choose from: Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, and Mid-Autumn festival) and do online research on its “when,” “how,” “what,” “why,” and name the food that is most associated with the major traditional Chinese holiday that you chose. Give a five minutes oral presentation on your findings with visual display, such as posters, crafts, slide shows, mini-skits, etc. In your presentation, you need to compare this festival to a similar one in your own culture or the Western culture. Use learned vocabulary/patterns in your oral presentation Chapter test: listening comprehension, reading comprehension, and four-picture story narration.
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Fall Semester Final Exam
Second Semester: Week 19 & 23
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L12 Changes in China
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L13 Travel
Daily Q-A
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Chinese idioms Show video clips (in Chinese) on tourist attractions in China. Present authentic print and web-based travel information, such as authentic visa application forms from Chinese Embassy, post office, and banks; travel itinerary in Chinese characters and travel-related contracts between travelers and travel agents. Oral presentation: Introduce a city that you are familiar with, first in writing, and then by giving a 5-minute power point presentation. (a two-minute Q&A session after the presentation) Quiz Group project: “Travel Agent”- According to the costumer’s (the teacher’s) preference, timing and frame of budget, recommend the best arrangement for traveling to some place in China- including flight ticket, spots, route, schedule, hotel, food recommendation, weather/clothing information, etc. Students will need to search information from internet and through calling Chinese travel agencies in this area.
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L14 Life and Wellness
Daily Q-A Chinese idioms Culture Highlights: video clips of different scenes of morning exercise in China. Reading about China’s rapid economic development and the social problems of the increasingly widening gap between the haves and the have-nots in China and the U.S. Two-minute presentational speaking quiz: Compare and contrast the common social problems of the rich and the poor in China and the U.S. Your presentation will be followed by a Q&A session. Quiz Write a skit and role play it: 你的朋友吃爱西的爱爱很不好，他只在乎好吃不好吃， 不在 乎健康不健康，所以，最近他的身体有各种各爱的爱爱，但是，他爱反正他有医爱保爱， 他爱跟以前一爱大吃大喝，不注意爱爱。 而且不听爱人的建爱。 爱你爱爱一个爱爱， 你爱爱 你 的 朋友要注意健康，可是，他不听你的爱。 Online research about your favorite sportsman or team and make an oral presentation. A 2minute Q & A session will be followed after each presentation. Chapter Test: listening comprehension, reading comprehension, and four-picture story narration.
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L15 Gender Equality
Daily Q-A Chinese idioms Culture Highlights: 相声(xiàngshēng; comic dialogue) ：爱个人的世界 Movie viewing: Raise the Red Lantern “ 大紅燈籠高高掛 (Dahong Denglong Gaogao Gua)” Post- movie discussion Introduce briefly the changes in Chinese women’s social status in the twentieth century Oral presentation: Explain your view on whether men and women are equal in your community. You can include observations you have made in environments such as the family, school, workplace, and other social settings. Chapter Test: listening comprehension, reading comprehension, and four-picture story narration. Week 28 & 30 •
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L16 Environmental Protection and Energy Conservation
Daily Q-A Chinese idioms Culture Highlights: What did Chinese government do for Environmental Protection and Energy Conservation? Web-based materials about China’s environmental issues: Is it possible to keep the balance of economic development and environmental protection? Discuss “Global Warming” issue and list some green energy sources Work with a partner to list the ways that people can reduce pollution and conserve energy. Prepare an oral presentation with some prop promoting conservation in daily life. Chapter Test: listening comprehension, reading comprehension, and four-picture story narration. Week 31 & 32
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L18 Chinese History
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AP Exam review
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AP Exam
Daily Q-A
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Chinese idioms Culture Highlights: watch video clips of “The life of Confucius” and “The Analects” Group Project – each group chooses some of the most important dynasties in Chinese history; each member will describe one major dynasty. The description will include: when the dynasty started and ended, how long the dynasty lasted, its significance, its most important figures, and their achievements. Make the findings into PowerPoint presentation. Practice sample tests in the computer lab Review for AP exam Week 33 & 34 •
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L17 Money Management and Investing
Daily Q-A Chinese idioms Best Ways to Invest – Research and discuss with a partner the best ways to invest. List the profitability and risk factors for each of the methods, Rank them with #1 being the most profitable and least risky. Present your conclusion to the class. Write down your short-term and long-term financial goals. Describe how you can achieve those goals and how long it may take to reach them. Week 35 & 36
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Wrap Up
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Spring Semester Final Exam Review
Culture Highlights: Introduce Beijing Opera and watch a video clip of “三岔口” Write a short essay showing how some of your ideas about Chinese language and culture have changed as a result of taking this course and share your ideas with the class in an oral presentation.
