Chinese 5H

Course Description

Students will study Chinese literature and history through the analysis of literary texts from a variety of time periods and genres. Students will work on reading and analyzing literary works, writing formal essays, listening to the news, and communicating effectively in various situations, such as speech and news reports. They will also continue to use authentic audio and video materials from Chinese resources. They will give various types of oral presentations based on their reading and cultural activities. In addition, students will learn how to conduct close readings of texts and analyze literature. Topics such as tone, voice, satire, irony, parody, symbolism, motifs, and character analysis will be discussed. Students will also practice the process of writing short descriptive, reflective, and interpretive essays.

Course Objectives

Chinese 5H provides opportunities for students to interact and exchange information in culturally and socially authentic and/or simulated situations to demonstrate integration of language skills with understanding of the Chinese-speaking culture. This course emphasizes the use of appropriate formats, varied vocabulary, and complex language structures within student communication, both oral and written as well as the opportunity to produce and present creative material using the language. Additionally, students will continue to develop an understanding of the Chinese-speaking culture through investigating the origin and impact of significant events and contributions unique to the target culture, comparing and contrasting elements that shape cultural identity in the target culture and the student’s own culture, and explaining how the target language and culture have impacted other communities. This course further emphasizes the integration of concepts and skills from other content areas with the Chinese language and cultural understanding as well as the exploration of community resources.

Student Can Do Statements:

• Students can continue to practice their Chinese listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills to the fifth year level.

• Students can read about a variety of nonfiction texts.

• Students can conduct research and write about a variety of topics, such as current events and book reports.

• Students can listen and exchange ideas in class discussions about the various topics covered in class.

• Students can understand the different aspects of the Chinese language, such as pinyin, radicals, pronunciation, etymology, semantic elements and phonetic elements, idioms, and proverbs.

• Students can compare and contrast high school life and the college application process between American and Chinese education systems.

• Students can discuss about various aspects of the Chinese culture, such as holidays, food, customs, religion, geography, education, family, geography, traditional values, and travel.