Course Title: Chinese Language in Context

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Chinese Language in Context

Credit Points: 12.00

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
LANG1247	City Campus	Undergraduate	365H Global, Urban and Social Studies	Face-to-Face	Sem 2 2011, Sem 2 2012, Sem 2 2013, Sem 2 2014, Sem 2 2015, Sem 2 2016
LANG1248	City Campus	Postgraduate	365H Global, Urban and Social Studies	Face-to-Face	Sem 2 2011, Sem 2 2012, Sem 2 2013, Sem 2 2014, Sem 2 2015, Sem 2 2016

Course Coordinator: Dr Lynne Li

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 3749

Course Coordinator Email: lynne.li@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: Level 5 Building 37 (411 Swanston St. Melbourne)

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Chinese 5 or equivalent with coordinator approval.

It is a condition of enrolment at RMIT that you accept responsibility for ensuring that you have completed the prerequisite before enrolling in a course. For your information the RMIT Course Requisites policy can be found at: www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=twx09y07zi1c

Course Description

Chinese Language in Context (LANG1080) builds communicative competence of Chinese language at near-native level around topics of vocational and professional interest. Based on the knowledge and skills acquired in Chinese 1 – 6,  Chinese Language in Society or through similar learning experience, it provides students with skills in oral and written communication through Chinese language and popular culture through different learning, teaching and research strategies through further training in language translation and interpreting skills.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

This course aims at further enhancing students’ skills of the Chinese language in four modes of skills for vocational and professional purposes, particularly around news and media. Students will obtain an understanding of the contemporary Chinese society through learning experience of translation and interpreting skills on the basis of the skills obtained in Chinese 7.

This course is more than just about listening, speaking, reading and writing the Chinese language; it also involves learning a second culture. Knowledge in cross-cultural communication and research skills in building up that knowledge are an integral and essential part of the course.
By the completion of the course students will be able to:
- Communicate in both oral and written Chinese fluently and effectively for vocational and professional needs;
- Recognize and reproduce characters which are more vocationally and professionally orientated;
- Discuss on issues, through using the Chinese language translation and interpreting skills, around history, social, economic and political aspects of China with native-Chinese speakers;
- Express one’s opinions and wishes using appropriate and accurate expressions;
- Conduct various situational conversations proficiently at near-native level;
- Read and appreciate Chinese modern and classic literature;
- Understand the knowledge and industry of translation and interpreting;
- Conduct translation and interpreting activities for daily-life and vocational situations;

Cultural Knowledge and Research Skills:
The capability on research in areas of cultural values and norms, in connection with those of the other cultures, is interwoven with the language teaching and learning. The learning outcome is achieved through course materials and learning experiences, including class activities, watching Chinese movies, field excursions, etc.

Overview of Learning Activities

Classes are conducted in a tutorial-seminar type format. Cultural understanding is used to further enhance the ideas of language and behaviour and their interrelationship as expressed in the aims of the course. Various role-plays, exercises, games and translating and interpreting activities are employed for students to enhance cross-cultural communication skills.

Overview of Learning Resources

References and resources will be accessible through the RMIT library. Other resources such as videos, guest speakers, and excursions are sought as appropriate.

Overview of Assessment

Assessment for this course will be set around the learning outcomes as set for the course either in oral presentation and written formats.
Weighting on the assessment tasks for postgraduate students will vary with an additional assessment task.