Course Title: Mandarin 1

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2010

Course Code: LANG5489

Course Title: Mandarin 1

School: 365T Global Studies, Soc Sci & Plng

Campus: City Campus

Program: C1050 - Certificate I in Language (Mandarin)

Course Contact : Ms. Xiaowen Fan

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 4402

Course Contact Email:xiaowen.fan@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Nominal Hours: 180

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

None

Course Description

This course makes up the year-long Certificate I in Language (Mandarin). Through closed and then open-ended learning activities, students will develop communication skills in the basic spoken and written Chinese language, as well as practical knowledge of Chinese culture in a range of personal and social contexts.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

LOTE571 Mandarin1


Learning Outcomes


1. Participate in a short, basic conversational exchange
2. Provide basic personal information and elicit similar information from others
3. Participate in a simple transactional exchange to provide or obtain a product or service
4. Give spoken information about a person, place, product or service
5. Demonstrate understanding of spoken information
6. Complete a simple form
7. Write a short note or message
8. Identify key information on common signs or simple notices
9. Read a short, simple information text


Details of Learning Activities

Classes are conducted in a lecture-tutorial format and emphasize developing language communication skills through a variety of learner-centred activities, including warm ups, discussion starters, games, quizzes, group and pair work, role plays, guided conversations and natural conversations in hypothetical situations and workplace. Multi-media teaching and learning resources are also used to assist language learning.

Most of rote work necessary to language learning is assigned as homework. Cultural understanding is not introduced in isolation, but linked with language and language behavior studies.

There is a monthly course evaluation and student feedback and suggestions are incorporated into the remainder of the course, wherever possible. University Course Experience Questionnaires are distributed to students in the final stage of the course.

Class exercises and assignments are applied in the process of teaching and learning. Your regular and active participation in class learning and commitment to the completion of assignments are essential for a successful completion of the course.


Teaching Schedule

Week 1
- Course Introduction
- Diagnostic Assessment
- Pinyin ((phonetics)
- Chinese Characters & Strokes

Week 2
- Pinyin practice
- Lesson 1
- Listening & speaking practice
- Reading & writing exercises

Week 3
- Pinyin practice
- Lesson 2
- Listening & speaking practice
- Reading & writing exercises
- Initial course evaluation

Week 4
- Pinyin practice
- Revision (Lessons 1-2)
- Listening & speaking practice
- Reading & writing exercises

Week 5
- Pinyin practice
- Lesson 3
- Listening & speaking practice
- Reading & writing exercises

Week 6
- Pinyin practice
- Lesson 4
- Listening & speaking practice
- Reading & writing exercises

Week 7
- Pinyin practice
- Revision (Lessons 3-4)
- Mid-semester Aural/Oral tests

Week 8
- Pinyin practice
- Revision (Lessons 3-4)
- Mid-semester Written test

Week 9
- Feedback on mid-semester tests
- Pinyin practice
- Lesson 5
- Listening & speaking practice
- Reading & writing exercises
- Mid-point course evaluation

Week 10
- Pinyin practice
- Lesson 6
- Listening & speaking practice
- Reading & writing exercises

Week 11
- Pinyin practice
- Revision (Lessons 5-6)
- Listening & speaking practice
- Reading & writing exercises

Week 12
- Pinyin practice
- Lesson 7
- Listening & speaking practice
- Reading & writing exercises

Week 13
- Pinyin practice
- Lesson 8
- Listening & speaking practice
- Reading & writing exercises

Week 14
- Pinyin practice
- Revision (Lessons 7-8)
- Listening & speaking practice
- Reading & writing exercises

Week 15
- Final Aural/Oral Exams
- Final Written Exam
- Summative course evaluation





Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts

Text book: Liu Xun (2003) New Practical Chinese Reader Textbook 1 (新实用汉语课本)
                   Beijing Language & Culture University Press.

Workbook: Liu Xun (2003) New Practical Chinese Reader Workbook 1
                     Beijing Language & Culture University Press.

Dictionary: English-Chinese and Chinese-English Dictionary


References


Other Resources

Details are published on Blackboard (RMIT Learning Hub)


Overview of Assessment

Your language skills will be assessed in a number of ways, including completion of in class and out of class tasks, participation in different learning activities and self-evaluation, the mid-semester tests and tfinal semester exams.

The final result is obtained by combining the results of all progressive assessment tasks with the semester final examination marks for both Semester 1 and Semester 2.


Assessment Tasks

The assessment of this course consists of three major components as follows. Details will be announced in class.

1. Active Participation in Class Activities (10%)

2. Progressive Assessment (45%)
- On-line Self Assessment (5%)
- Mid-semester Listening Test (10%)
- Mid-semester Speaking Test (10%)
- Mid-semester Written Test (20%)

3. Final Exams (45%)
- Final Aural Exam (10%)
- Final Oral Exam (15%)
- Final Written Exam (20%)


Assessment Criteria
Oral tasks are graded according to the following six criteria, each given equal weight.
1. grammatical accuracy
2. adequacy of vocabulary for purpose
3. intelligibility
4. fluency
5. relevance and adequacy of content
6. interactive skills

Written tasks are graded according to the following six criteria, each given equal weight.
1. relevance and adequacy of content
2. organisation
3. cohesion
4. adequacy of vocabulary for purpose
5. grammatical accuracy
6. script

Assessment Grading
0 - 49% NN (Fail)
50 - 59% PA (Pass)
60 - 69% CR (Credit)
70 - 79% DI (Disctinction)
80 - 100% HD (High Distinction)

Policies Regarding the Assessment
Students are expected to attend all of the major assessments. Students who could not attend
must produce a valid reason (eg. medical certificate) in order to arrange a supplementary work. Students are required to keep copies of all of their works submitted.

Application for Extensions
Applications for extensions must be made in writing and granted by the course co-ordinator at least the day before the work is due. Applications for special consideration may be made on the University form at any time (and not only at the time of final assessment) and should be supported by documentation (eg. medical certificate).

Penalties for Late Submission
Work submitted late without an extension or grounds for special consideration may not be accepted. If accepted, it will be penalised at the rate of 5 per cent per working day of the total marks available for the piece of work.

Collection of Student’s Assignments
Student works will be available for collection from the teachers in the class. Further information will be distributed in class during the semester.

Plagiarism
Plagiarism may occur in oral or written presentations. It is the presentation of the work, idea or creation of another person, without appropriate referencing, as though it is one’s own. Plagiarism is not acceptable. The use of another person’s work or ideas must be acknowledged.

All cases of suspected plagiarism in this course will be referred to the Course Co-ordinator who will decide on the action to be taken. Plagiarism may result in charges of academic misconduct, which carry a range of penalties including cancellation of results and exclusion from your course.



Assessment Matrix

Other Information

Please check your RMIT student email and Blackboard regularly for important course information.

Course Overview: Access Course Overview