Mandarin Chinese 2 is a continuation of the level 1 course. The program emphasizes the use of the essential elements of understanding, speaking, reading and writing Mandarin Chinese. Significant emphasis is placed on developing good pronunciation skills, acquiring a basic vocabulary related to the topics covered, and speaking and writing in grammatically correct forms.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• What is the purpose of language?
• How is the structure of a language related to its function?
• What kinds of beauty does language create?
• How do we express our values and beliefs through language?
• How do culture and language interact?
• How does language influence who I am?
• How does language influence perception and understanding of diverse cultures?
• How does competency in language empower us in decision-making?
• How does language influence the development and interaction of civilizations?

FOCUS QUESTIONS

• How do we introduce ourselves, greet people, say good-bye and ask where someone lives?
• How to understand the classroom expressions in Chinese?
• How to expressing one’s plans in Chinese?
• How to borrowing things from others?
• How do we describing locations and surroundings?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

INITIAL UNDERSTANDING The student will . . .

• understand the basic structure of the Chinese language.
• introduce yourself to a fellow classmate or teacher.
• use the subject pronouns nǐ 你, wǒ 我 and tā 他/她/它 correctly.
• ask/answer simple information questions.
• state their name and introduce themselves to someone.
• use the respect form of greeting.
• understand Chinese character’s stroke order.
• write and Identify 40 Chinese characters.
• list similarities and differences culture between US and Chinese schools.
• understand classroom expressions in Chinese.
• know how to plan their class’s schedule in Chinese.
• learn how to borrow things from others.

DEVELOPING AN INTERPRETATION The student will . . .

• decide the gender of listed nouns.
• state the Chinese equivalent of their name in Chinese.
• translate Chinese subject pronouns into English, such as wǒ 我is I, nǐ 你is you, etc.
• explain the usage of schools in China.
• identify the significance of names in China society.
• extend their comparisons of Chinese and US school system.
• compare and contrast a typical examination / extra-curricular activities between the US and China.
• make a plan of the school schedule.

MAKING CONNECTIONS The student will . . .

• extend this comparison to include relationship between classmates and friends in the two cultures.
• categorize the Mandarin Chinese speaking countries by similarities and differences.
• contrast the information obtained on Mandarin Chinese speaking countries to the U.S.
• compare the information obtained on the Mandarin Chinese speaking countries to the U.S.
• compare and contrast greeting and farewell in Chinese-speaking countries.
• use subject personal pronouns in sentences.
• personalize the reading selection and act out a scene from their experiences.

SKILLS

READING COMPREHENSION The student will . . .

• read in Chinese information regarding greetings and sentences of an introductory level.
• read and understand dialogue in Chinese characters and pinyin that use the vocabulary of this unit.
• understand text relating to the topics of this unit.

WRITING The student will . . .

• write forty Chinese characters.
• spell vocabulary words correctly.
• write short dialogues involving vocabulary from this unit.
• use appropriate vocabulary in conversation.
• students will describe themselves or a classmate using words learned in this topic in simple sentences.

ORAL PRESENTATION The student will . . .

• ask and answer questions relating to objects in a classroom and commands.
• ask and answer questions relating to whom, what and where.
• recites short conversations both from the text and original.
• use appropriate forms in speaking to friends and teachers.
• use correct pronunciation and intonation in all oral work.

FOCUS QUESTIONS

• How does one share information about oneself and others?
• How do you congratulate someone?
• How do you describe your friend?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

INITIAL UNDERSTANDING The student will . . .

• offer and accept gifts.
• give more information about their likes and dislikes.
• ask/tell what someone does or doesn't, did or didn't do.
• state where someone lives and their nationality.
• make New Year's card or birthday card.
• write and identify 40 Chinese characters.
• describe their friends, classmates and school activities.
• state who is their new friend.
• read and understand paragraphs despite not having all the vocabulary.
• define new vocabulary based on context of written text.
• use that/his/which in question and statement.

DEVELOPING AN INTERPRETATION The student will . . .

• apply the vocabulary and cultural information learned to prepare a chart of activities and pastimes.
• develop a brief composition about a the things you do on a typical Saturday with family and friends.
• respond to inquires about what they like to do.
• state why they like/dislike a specific activity.

MAKING CONNECTIONS The student will . . .

• summarize youth activities in China compared to those in the U.S.
• research famous Chinese athlete - Yaoming, Wang Jianming, Michelle Gwen..etc

SKILLS

READING COMPREHENSION The student will . . .

• read and understand dialogue in Chinese characters and pinyin that use the vocabulary of this unit.
• understand text relating to the topics of this unit.

WRITING The student will . . .

• write forty Chinese characters.
• spell vocabulary words correctly.
• write short dialogues involving vocabulary from this unit.
• use appropriate vocabulary in conversation.
• write a short essay about his / her friend.
• students will describe themselves or a friend using words learned in this topic in simple sentences.

ORAL PRESENTATION The student will . . .

• ask and answer questions about others hobby.
• ask and answer questions relating to whom, what and where.
• recite short conversations both from the text and original.
• use appropriate forms in speaking to friends and teachers.
• use correct pronunciation and intonation in all oral work.
• describe their friends, family members and classmates’ favorite hobby.
• use the word “My favorite” -最喜欢的zuì xǐhuān de.
• interview a classmate on the topic of his/her hobby and ask why.

FOCUS QUESTIONS

• How do you congratulate someone?
• How does one talk about past activities and make future plans in Chinese?
• What is the importance of the family in Chinese society?
• What are the characteristics of Chinese manners that distinguish this culture from our own?
• How does one share information about oneself and others?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

INITIAL UNDERSTANDING The student will . . .

• write and identify 40 Chinese characters.
• write and Identify Chinese characters for family members.
• identify relatives in Chinese.
• describe the composition of their own family.
• talk about other people's families.
• recognize common manners in Chinese culture.
• list words for family members, including grandparents, aunts, and uncles, older and younger siblings, etc.
• read several paragraphs of Chinese family descriptions.
• state someone's profession.
• state your future plan.
• identify measure words ge 个and wèi 位.
• identify adverbs yě 也.
• state what they have and what they do not have.
• read and understand paragraphs despite not having all the vocabulary.
• define new vocabulary based on context of written text.

DEVELOPING AN INTERPRETATION The student will . . .

• construct a family tree.
• illustrate the various professions named in Chinese.
• compare family traditional Chinese family structure with the present day Chinese structure as well as US family structure.
• classify characteristics of animals.
• describe the relationship of Chinese calendar and traditional festivals.
• comparison of lunar and western calendars.
• use the appropriate measure for different animals.

MAKING CONNECTIONS The student will . . .

• imagine that they would get a job position and indicate what it is and the reason for the preference.

TAKING A CRITICAL STANCE The student will . . .

• evaluate the difference calendar and traditional festivals between China and U.S.

SKILLS

READING COMPREHENSION The student will . . .

• understand text relating to the topics of this unit.
• read and understand dialogues in Chinese pinyin and characters that use the vocabulary of this unit.

WRITING The student will . . .

• write forty Chinese characters.
• write Chinese characters for family and members of the family.
• spell vocabulary words correctly.
• write short dialogues involving vocabulary from this unit.
• use appropriate measure words in sentence.

ORAL PRESENTATION The student will . . .

• prepare about 20 sentences about yourself and your family and present it to the class.
• with a partner create a dialogue about family members. Practice the dialogue for five minutes and present to the class.

FOCUS QUESTIONS

• What does one count in Chinese using different counters?
• How does one talk about past activities and make future plans in Chinese?
• How does one talk about the weather in Chinese?
• How is nature and weather an integral part of Chinese culture?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

INITIAL UNDERSTANDING The student will . . .

• describe the weather.
• ask/tell the weather in the future using “jiang1”.
• ask why.
• give reasons.
• make plans to meet someone.
• list the Chinese seasons.
• show different climates on a map of China.
• list adjectives for temperatures.
• list several Chinese holidays or festivals that center on nature.
• ask/state the days of the week.
• compute simple addition, subtraction, multiplication and division problems in Chinese.
• ask/tell the time.
• talk about daily plans.
• make suggestions for an activity to do with a friend.

DEVELOPING AN INTERPRETATION The student will . . .

• give evidence for the important of nature and weather in Chinese culture.
• explain how important time is in China.
• explain the image of luck associated with certain numbers
• compare house numbering systems in China with the U.S.

SKILLS

READING COMPREHENSION The student will . . .

• read and understand dialogue in Chinese characters and pinyin that use the vocabulary of this unit.
• understand text relating to the topics of this unit.

WRITING The student will . . .

• write forty Chinese characters.
• write Chinese characters for weather, spring, summer, fall, winter, flower, rain, snow, sun.
• spell vocabulary words correctly.
• write short dialogues involving vocabulary from this unit.
• use appropriate measure words in sentence.
• write a short paragraph describing their day, week, or their daily schedule.

ORAL PRESENTATION The student will . . .

• give a short presentation on their school schedule, or their daily or weekly activities.
• ask and answer questions relating to weather and their plans.
• ask and answer questions relating to who, what and where.
• recite the short conversation both from the text and original.
• use correct pronunciation and intonation in all oral work.

FOCUS QUESTIONS

• What is the role of clothes in China and other Chinese speaking countries?
• What do you talk about clothes, shopping for the clothes and express likes and dislikes?
• What are the cultural differences in outfit in China and the U.S.?
• How do you make suggestions and choices about clothing?
• How is the structure of choice-type question / comparison / similarity?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

INITIAL UNDERSTANDING The student will . . .

• write and identify 40 Chinese characters.
• order something from menu
• express food likes and dislikes.
• make a request.
• use three usage of "xiǎng 想".
• use conjunctions words - suīrán 虽然, kěshì 可是, dànshì 但是.
• describe what someone is wearing.
• ask how much a clothing item costs.
• make suggestions about clothing choices.
• tell the color they like or dislike.
• understand the shopping and money unit in China.

DEVELOPING AN INTERPRETATION The student will . . .

• create a shopping list for a specific Chinese speaking country using unit vocabulary.
• give advice/ recommendations about certain clothes.
• describe a clothes preference.
• bargain the price of clothing in different stores.
• predict that a certain article of clothing will be too small.
• discuss with a friend what you are going to wear for a party.
• illustrate several clothing items and use the correct measure words for each of them.

TAKING A CRITICAL STANCE The student will . . .

• evaluate the proposed school meal plan for the week and determine if it is a healthy plan for youth, according to the FDA food group ruling.

SKILLS

READING COMPREHENSION The student will . . .

• read and understand dialogue in Chinese characters and pinyin that use the vocabulary of this unit.
• understand text relating to the topics of this unit.

WRITING The student will . . .

• write forty Chinese characters.
• spell vocabulary words correctly.
• write short dialogues involving vocabulary from this unit.
• use three usage of "xiǎng 想".
• use conjunctions words - suīrán 虽然, kěshì 可是, dànshì 但是.
• Write a paragraph about a planned or imaginary trip. Include where, when, how long, with whom and what clothing is required.
• use appropriate particle and measure words in sentence.

ORAL PRESENTATION The student will . . .

• interview a classmate about clothes in general and shopping in a store.
• make a two minutes presentation in Chinese on about clothes in a specific Chinese speaking country, using vocabulary taught in this unit.
• tell the class about three clothing items in your closet and describe them with color, whether you like them or not, and why.

FOCUS QUESTIONS

• How does one describe the environment to someone who speaks Spanish?
• How is the model verbs used in Chinese and what is its purpose?
• How does one talk about the environment?
• What does one talk about what is going to happen?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

INITIAL UNDERSTANDING The student will . . .

• describe people, places and things giving location.
• identify rooms in a house.
• match activities to their descriptions.
• express prohibition.
• offer assistance.
• request cooperation.
• express plans.

DEVELOPING AN INTERPRETATION The student will . . .

• explain the use of model verbs: neng2, ke3yi3, hui4, yao4, xiang3.
• cluster furniture in the appropriate room in the house.
• examine and interpret the sign of symbol.

MAKING CONNECTIONS The student will . . .

• discuss the influences that Chinese speaking immigrants have made on the culture of the U.S.
• use the model verbs: neng2, ke3yi3, hui4, yao4, xiang3.
• compare typical US house designs to the design of a house in China.
• students will design a house with Chinese label.

SKILLS

READING COMPREHENSION The student will . . .

• read and understand dialogue in Chinese characters and pinyin that use the vocabulary of this unit.
• understand text relating to the topics of this unit.

WRITING The student will . . .

• write forty Chinese characters.
• spell vocabulary words correctly.
• write one short paragraph about their environment.
• use appropriate model verbs: neng2, ke3yi3, hui4, yao4, xiang3 in sentence.
• create and label maps in Chinese.

ORAL PRESENTATION The student will . . .

• recite short conversations both from the text and original.
• use correct pronunciation and intonation in all oral work.
• ask for and give directions.
• tell what is going to happen.
• describe personal possessions and locations.