Course Description

       This multimedia-enhanced course employs a multiple-skill approach to expand your knowledge of the language and cultures of the Chinese-speaking communities (including China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong). You will develop oral communication skills and tactical reading skills that enable you to read various materials with the greatest possible efficiency and comprehension. Students will also be introduced to various genres of practical writing in modern Chinese, such as personal and business correspondence, short notes, and resumes. Authentic materials, including newspaper articles, radio and TV broadcasts, films, and literary works will be incorporated to facilitate our discussion of cultural topics.

Course Goals

      Building on the skills you acquired in Chinese 001, 002, 003, and 110, this course expands your knowledge of the Chinese language and cultures. About 80% of our time will be spent in language learning and about 20% in cultural issues. Research indicates that the more knowledge you have about the context in which the target language is used, the higher your overall linguistic proficiency level will be.

        As an advanced course in the Chinese language series, this course is directed toward bringing you substantially closer to meeting the proficiency rating of Intermediate-High / Advanced-Low on a scale formulated by a professional language teaching organization. It also intends to introduce you to advanced grammatical constructions in the Chinese language.

Gallery of Students' Works

        Some works completed by past 400-level students are featured on the Students' Works page of the Chinese Program website.

Academic Integrity

        Dishonesty of any kind will not be tolerated in this course. Dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, some common types of plagiarism such as cheating, plagiarizing, fabricating information, facilitating acts of academic dishonesty by others, or submitting work of another person or work previously used without informing the instructor.

        Students who are found to be dishonest will receive academic sanctions and will be reported to the University’s Judicial Affairs office for possible further disciplinary sanctions (Faculty Senate Policy 49-20). Some useful websites are: Common Excuses for Plagiarism, College of Liberal Arts Academic Integrity Resources for Students, Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism, and Statement by the Council of Academic Deans. For more information, see College of Liberal Arts academic integrity resource page.

Required Texts

Note: Combination of Texts May Vary from Year to Year

	Official course website on ANGEL. Password required to access audio & video clips, assignments, and reference works online, free to all registered students.
	Resources for the Course on the Penn State Chinese Program website

	Chinese Link: Zhongwen Tiandi, Intermediate Chinese, Level 2/Part 2. Prentice Hall, 2007. ISBN: 0132409313
	Concise English-Chinese Chinese-English Dictionary (3rd Edition). The Commercial Press & Oxford University Press, 2004. ISBN: 7100039339
	The Yellow Earth: A Film by Chen Kaige with a Complete Translation of the Filmscript By Bonnie S. McDougall ISBN: 962-201-499-2 The Chinese University Press of Hong Kong Bilingual Series on Modern Chinese Literature
	Camel Xiangzi Written by Lao She, Translated by Shi Xiaojing ISBN: 962-996-197-0 The Chinese University Press of Hong Kong Bilingual Series on Modern Chinese Literature
	Taipei People (Chinese-English Bilingual Edition) Chinese Text by Pai Hsien-Yung; Translated by the Author and Patia Yasin; Edited by George Kao ISBN: 962-201-859-9 The Chinese University Press of Hong Kong Bilingual Series on Modern Chinese Literature
	Memories of Peking: South Side Stories (Chinese-English Bilingual Edition) by Lin Hai-yin; Translated by Nancy C. Ing and Chi Pang-yuan ISBN: 962-996-012-5 The Chinese University Press of Hong Kong Bilingual Series on Modern Chinese Literature
	From A Cottager's Sketchbook, vol. 1 by Liang Shih-chiu; Translated by Ta-tsun Chen ISBN: 962-996-218-7 The Chinese University Press of Hong Kong Bilingual Series on Modern Chinese Literature
	Selected Short Stories of Shen Congwen (Chinese-English Bilingual Edition); Written by Shen Congwen; Translated by Jeffrey C. Kinkley ISBN: 962-996-110-5 The Chinese University Press of Hong Kong Bilingual Series on Modern Chinese Literature
	The True Story of Ah Q (Chinese-English Bilingual Edition) Written by Lu Xun, Translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang ISBN: 962-996-044-3 The Chinese University Press of Hong Kong Bilingual Series on Modern Chinese Literature

Gallery of Students' Works

Some works completed by students in CHNS 401:

1. "My Childhood," an essay by Joyce Shih [PDF file]

2. "The History and Culture of Hong Kong, Past & Present," a group project by Andrea, Tiffany, and Edwina [PowerPoint file]

3. "Traveling in Taiwan," a group project by Nancy and Cynthia [PowerPoint file]

For more examples, visit the Students' Works page of the Chinese Program website.