This is an advanced Standard Modern Chinese language course, designed for students who have successfully completed Modern Chinese 6, or have achieved the equivalence approved to enroll by placement test.
The course places special emphasis on reading comprehension of texts on issues concerning contemporary China. It will be taught mainly in Chinese. It relies heavily on students' self-study and pre-class preparation. Students will be required to give oral presentations in Chinese, engage in real-issue debates and conduct real time interviews as part of the course assessment. They will also write a research-based essay in Chinese by utilizing primary sources on an approved self-chosen topic. The lectures will focus on facilitating students' learning and oral development.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Understand and analyse with confidence real-world Chinese news media to demonstrate knowledge of the major issues in present-day Chinese society.
- Communicate confidently in writing and speaking, and in groups, on topics drawn from a variety of up-to-date authentic media, TV, film, podcasts, websites and print media.
- Demonstrate appropriate listening, speech-making and presentation skills, to present academic arguments fluently and clearly.
- Demonstrate the ability to compose academic essays on complex subjects such as Chinese people, culture, and politics in contemporary Chinese society.
Research-Led Teaching
This Advanced Chinese A is a research-informed and multi-disciplinary orientated course. It utilizes the expertise of the lecturer who specializes in sociolinguistics and Chinese political discourse studies. The course combines language learning with hand-on research by the students who will have an opportunity to investigate in the target language the deep connection between language, culture, and particularly politics in China. In the process students will not only gain linguistic competency and deeper understanding of Chinese society but also analytical skills.
Required Resources
There is no designated textbook for this course. All the reading material will be made available on Wattle before the start of the course.
Staff Feedback
Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:- Written comments
- Verbal comments
- Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals, focus groups
Student Feedback
ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.Class Schedule
Week/Session | Summary of Activities | Assessment |
---|---|---|
1 | Lecture 1 - Course introduction: objectives, learning outcomes, assessment. genres in Chinese; Intensive and Extensive Reading; Reading 1A | Tutorials start from Friday of this week. Students self-introduction in Chinese; Reading 1B |
2 | Lecture 2 - Informal/oral Chinese vs formal/written Chinese; Individual styles; In-class quiz 1 starts; Reading 2A | Quiz 1 feedback. (10 quizzes, total 20%, each worth 2%) News report starts from this week. Reading 2B |
3 | Lecture 3 - Internet Chinese; duanzi' (1); In-class quiz 2; Reading 3A. | Quiz 2 feedback; News report; Reading 3B |
4 | Lecture 4 - Narratives and structures; In-class quiz 3; Reading 4A | Quiz 3 feedback; News report; Reading 4B |
5 | Lecture 5 - 'Party talk'', News, formal speech, editorial, Report, legal terms. Public signage, slogans, duanzi (2); In-class quiz 4; Reading 5A | Quiz 4 feedback; News report; Reading 5B Essay proposal with reference due on Fri. 29 March (5%) |
6 | Lecture 6 - Reading about economics and related topics In-class quiz 5; Reading 6A | Quiz 5 feedback; News report; Reading 6B |
7 | Lecture 7 - Short stories and prose (1); In-class quiz 6; Reading 7A | Group project proposal due on Friday, 12 April. (5%) Quiz 6 feedback; News report; Reading 7B |
8 | Lecture 8 - Short stories and prose (2); In-class quiz 7; Reading 8A | Quiz 7 feedback; News report; Reading 8B |
9 | Lecture 9 Short stories and prose (3); In-class quiz 8; Reading 9A | Group project oral presentation week (15%). It will be held at tutorial time this week (Fri. 26 April). Venue to be advised. No news report and tutorial reading (9B) for this week. |
10 | Lecture 10 - Literary writing from the Republican era (1); In-class quiz 9; Reading 10A | Group project self-evaluation due on Friday, 10 May (5%) Quiz 9 feedback; News report; Reading 10B |
11 | Lecture 11- Literary writing from the Republican era (2); Lu Xun In-class Quiz 10; Reading 11A | Research essay due on Friday, 17 May (15%) Quiz 10 feedback, News report; Reading 11B |
12 | Week 12: Revision and preparation for final exam | This week's tutorial is for students' Q & A Group project oral presentation feedback available |
13 | Final exam period: 6 -22 June. | The final exam covers everything that's taught in the course. It will be conducted during the university exam period. |
Tutorial Registration
No need to register
Assessment Summary
Assessment task | Value | Due Date | Return of assessment | Learning Outcomes |
---|---|---|---|---|
10 Weekly in-class Quiz (2% each, total 20%) | 20 % | 05/03/2019 | 26/05/2019 | 1, 2 |
Tutorial news report (5%) | 5 % | 05/03/2019 | 26/05/2019 | 1, 2, 3 |
Written proposal with references in Chinese (5%) | 5 % | 29/03/2019 | 12/04/2019 | 1, 4 |
Oral presentation for the group project (15%) | 15 % | 26/04/2019 | 17/05/2019 | 1, 3 |
Written self reflection on the project (5%) | 5 % | 13/05/2019 | 31/05/2019 | 1, 2, 3 |
Research essay in Chinese (20%) | 20 % | 18/05/2019 | 05/06/2019 | 1 ,4 |
Final Written Exam | 30 % | 06/06/2019 | 04/07/2019 | 1, 2, 4 |
* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details
Policies
ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:- Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
- Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
- Student Surveys and Evaluations
- Deferred Examinations
- Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
Assessment Requirements
The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.Moderation of Assessment
Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.Participation
Effective language learning depends on students' active participation in the class activities, both oral and written. Students are expected to preview the texts before coming to the classes so as to do well in the weekly quizzes. They are also expected to put in good effort in the group tasks as well as completing the written assignments on time. Students must inform the lecturer in advance if she or he is unable to attend classes or tutorials. If a student failed to attend already scheduled oral presentation or news report without a warranted reason, she or he may not be allowed to re-schedule the activity.
Assessment Task 1
Learning Outcomes: 1, 2
10 Weekly in-class Quiz (2% each, total 20%)
This refers to a 5-min long quiz at the beginning of each lecture. It aims at practicing fast reading skills and the ability to guess/identify the main idea of the text. There are 10 such quizzes starting from week 2.
Assessment Task 2
Learning Outcomes: 1, 2, 3
Tutorial news report (5%)
From week 2, each student needs to make at least one oral report to the class in Chinese based on the headlines from either Chinese official news sources or the Chinese channel of BBC. The report will be followed by questions from the class and the tutor. Reading from notes or cue-card will result in deduction of the marks.
Assessment Task 3
Learning Outcomes: 1, 4
Written proposal with references in Chinese (5%)
The group research-based project needs to be carried out by collaboration of THREE people. It consists of three parts: 1) A clearly-structured written proposal for the project (400 Chinese characters) with at least 5 references/bibliography in Chinese, which is not included in the 400 word count. The topic that the team chooses must be closely related to the topics covered by the course. Marking of the proposal will be based on the TEAM submission, not individual members' contributions.
Assessment Task 4
Learning Outcomes: 1, 3
Oral presentation for the group project (15%)
The oral presentation must be carried out by a team of three participants, though they could divide the task into three equal part with one does each . The length of the presentation for all three participants is 10-12 minutes. The time for the presentation is week 9 at the tutorial time on Friday. You must upload your PPT on Wattle on the day BEFORE the presentation at the very latest. Marking will be based on the TEAM performance, not individual members. Venue for the presentation will be advised later.
Assessment Task 5
Learning Outcomes: 1, 2, 3
Written self reflection on the project (5%)
The 'self-reflection' should be written in English (350-400 words, A4, ft12, typed). It must include 1) Describe your personal contribution to the project in terms of its goals and final production and give an estimated personal contribution in percentage (i.e. 30%); 2) State the most challenging part of the project to you, and how you managed to overcome the difficulties; 3) Describe what the most rewarding part of this research was to you and what lessons you have learned from it.
This self-reflection report will be marked individually.
Assessment Task 6
Learning Outcomes: 1 ,4
Research essay in Chinese (20%)
Essay writing in Chinese aims at assessing students’ overall achievement in language application, research skills and their analytical as well as organizational skills. Essay topics will be available on Wattle and students can choose one topic from the given list. The length of the essay is 1000-characters, not including references or footnotes.
The format of the essay must conform to the standard Chinese academic convention.
Assessment Task 7
Learning Outcomes: 1, 2, 4
Final Written Exam
The final exam is will cover everything taught in this course. It's a 2-hour exam and will be held during the exam period.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.Online Submission
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.Hardcopy Submission
For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.Late Submission
Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.
Referencing Requirements
Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.Extensions and Penalties
Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.Privacy Notice
The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.Distribution of grades policy
Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.Support for students
The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).- ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
- ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
- ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
- ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
- ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
- ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
- PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students
Convener
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Research InterestsDr. Fengyuan Ji is the course convener. Her research covers the areas of Chinese social and political discourse studies, relationship between language and thought, and China's language policy. |
Dr Fengyuan Ji
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Instructor
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Research Interests |
Dr Fengyuan Ji
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Tutor
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Research Interests |
Dr Fengyuan Ji
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