Seminar on Methodology and Materials for Advanced Chinese

In our work as language instructors, we often employ terms like “advanced” and “high level”. But what do we really mean by these terms? And how does the content and learning/teaching of “advanced” or “high-level” Chinese differ from that of “intermediate” or “beginning” Chinese? After discussing these questions in light of the ILR and ACTFL proficiency guidelines and exploring the related factors of high vs. low frequency, colloquial vs. formal register, professional vs. lay usage, and accuracy vs. fluency vs. stamina, we will take up in this course the teaching of, and preparation of Chinese language materials on, the following topics: comprehension of radio, television, films, xiangsheng, and accented Mandarin; conversation involving formal vocabulary and grammar; word study; public speaking; error correction; interpreting; language for special purposes; reading of newspapers, correspondence, cursive script, modern literature, and Classical Chinese; composition; translation; and testing at the advanced levels. Readings in English and Chinese, with class discussion in Chinese.


A course pack will be provided.