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General Information

Course ID (CB01A and CB01B)
MANDD052.
Course Title (CB02)
Mandarin Grammar and Composition
Course Credit Status
Credit - Degree Applicable
Effective Term
Fall 2023
Course Description
This course will develop students' reading and writing skills through the process of composition in Mandarin. It will also improve students' writing skills by applying the rules of grammar and orthography reviewed in class.
Faculty Requirements
Course Family
Not Applicable

Course Justification

This course meets a GE requirement of °®¶¹´«Ã½ and CSU Transferable. It belongs to the Certificate of Achievement in Mandarin Translation and Interpretation. This course will develop students' reading and writing skills through the process of composition in Mandarin.

Foothill Equivalency

Does the course have a Foothill equivalent?
No
Foothill Course ID

Course Philosophy

Formerly Statement

Course Development Options

Basic Skill Status (CB08)
Course is not a basic skills course.
Grade Options
  • Letter Grade
  • Pass/No Pass
Repeat Limit
0

Transferability & Gen. Ed. Options

Transferability
Transferable to CSU only
°®¶¹´«Ã½ GEArea(s)StatusDetails
2GC2°®¶¹´«Ã½ GE Area C2 - HumanitiesApproved

Units and Hours

Summary

Minimum Credit Units
4.5
Maximum Credit Units
4.5

Weekly Student Hours

TypeIn ClassOut of Class
Lecture Hours4.59.0
Laboratory Hours0.00.0

Course Student Hours

Course Duration (Weeks)
12.0
Hours per unit divisor
36.0
Course In-Class (Contact) Hours
Lecture
54.0
Laboratory
0.0
Total
54.0
Course Out-of-Class Hours
Lecture
108.0
Laboratory
0.0
NA
0.0
Total
108.0

Prerequisite(s)

Corequisite(s)

Advisory(ies)

ESL D272. and ESL D273., or ESL D472. and ESL D473., or eligibility for EWRT D001A or EWRT D01AH or ESL D005.

Limitation(s) on Enrollment

Entrance Skill(s)

General Course Statement(s)

(See general education pages for the requirements this course meets.)

Methods of Instruction

Lecture and visual aids

Discussion of assigned reading

Discussion and problem solving performed in class

In-class essays

In-class exploration of Internet sites

Quiz and examination review performed in class

Homework and extended projects

Collaborative learning and small group exercises

Collaborative projects

Assignments

  1. Read assigned texts on Mandarin grammar and composition and analyzing different roles as a writer.
  2. Write reflections and conduct rhetorical analysis of different advertisements, commercials and film reviews in Mandarin.
  3. Write in different genres in order to demonstrate techniques learned in class.
  4. Practice writing different short compositions assigned by instructor through using the grammar correctly.
  5. Practice and form debate activities on applying reading strategies to enhancing critical thinking through literary discussions.

Methods of Evaluation

  1. Reading assignments will be evaluated on the basis of comprehending Mandarin grammar and composition structures.
  2. Oral and written chapter tests will be evaluated on the basis of comprehending Mandarin grammar and composition structures.
  3. Mid-term examination: an individual written and oral presentation will be evaluated on the basis of applying it to the composition by using the grammar correctly.
  4. Final examination: an individual written and oral presentation or a group oral presentation or an interview with the instructor will be evaluated on the basis of applying reading strategies to enhancing critical thinking through literary discussions.
  5. Oral presentation will be evaluated on the basis of discussing and analyzing different roles as a writer.
  6. Participation discussion and debating activities in class on issues of Mandarin grammar and composition.

Essential Student Materials/Essential College Facilities

Essential Student Materials: 
  • None.
Essential College Facilities:
  • None.

Examples of Primary Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisherDate/EditionISBN
Ross, Claudia, Sheng Ma, Jing-heng, Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (Modern Grammars) (Volume 2) 2nd Edition, Routledge, 2014.
Ross, Claudia, Sheng Ma, Jing-Heng, He, Baozhang and Chen, Pei-Chia, Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar Workbook (Volume 1) 2nd Edition, Routledge, 2015.
McNaughton, William, Fan, Jiageng (Editor), Reading and Writing Chinese: Third Edition, HSK All Levels (2,349 Chinese Characters and 5,000+ Compounds) 3rd Edition, Tuttle Publishing, 2013.
Teng, Wen-Hua, Yufa! A Practical Guide to Mandarin Chinese Grammar (Routledge Concise Grammars) 2nd Edition, Routledge, 2017.
Lin, Helen. Essential Grammar for Modern Chinese (eBook), Cheng & Tsui, 2005.

Examples of Supporting Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisher
Herzberb, Qin Xue and Herzberg, Larry, Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar: A Student's Guide to Correct Structures and Common Errors Paperback, Stone Bridge Press, 2011.
Inc. BarCharts, Mandarin Grammar (Quick Study Academic), Pamphlet, 2008.
Li, Charles, Mandarin Chinese First Edition, University of California Press, 1981.
Pasden, John and Moser, David, Chinese Grammar Wiki BOOK: Elementary Edition Paperback, AllSet Learning, 2017.
Pasden, John and Moser, David, Chinese Grammar Wiki BOOK: Intermediate, AllSet Learning, 2018.
Lin, Helen. Essential Grammar for Modern Chinese (eBook), Cheng & Tsui, 2005.

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

Course Objectives

  • Identify Pronunciation, Pinyin Romanization and Writing System
  • Recognize Phrase Order in Mandarin Sentence
  • Discuss Nouns and Noun Phrases
  • Explain Numbers and Classifiers
  • Define Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases
  • Explain Adverbs, Conjunctions and The Passive
  • Explain Different Verbs
  • Recognize Situations and Functions in Mandarin Grammar

CSLOs

  • Annotate Mandarin grammar and apply it to the written communication process correctly.

  • Apply reading strategies to enhance critical thinking through literary discussions in Mandarin.

  • Assume different roles as a writer in Mandarin.

Outline

  1. Identify Pronunciation, Pinyin Romanization and Writing System
    1. The Mandarin Syllable
    2. Traditional and Simplified Characters
    3. The structure of Chinese Characters: the Radical and the Phonetic
    4. Character Stroke Order
  2. Recognize Phrase Order in Mandarin Sentence
    1. Basic Phrase order
    2. The Position of Direct and Indirect Objects
    3. The Position of Prepositional Phrases
    4. The Position of Location Phrases
    5. The Position of "Time When" Phrases
    6. The Relative Order of the "Time When" Phrase and the Location Phrase
    7. The Position of Adverbs
    8. The Position of Negation
    9. The Position of Duration Phrases
    10. Order with the Noun Phrase
    11. Phrase Order in Quesetions
  3. Discuss Nouns and Noun Phrases
    1. Common Nouns, Pronouns, and Proper Nouns
    2. Modify a Noun with a Specifier and /or Number
    3. Modify a Noun with all Other Modifiers: Modification with "de"
    4. Noun Modifiers in a Series
    5. Modification with "Zhi1"
  4. Explain Numbers and Classifiers
    1. Mandarin Numbers 0-99 and 100 and higher
    2. Formal Characters for Numbers
    3. Ordinal Numbers and Estimates and Approximations
    4. Fractions, Percentages, Decimals, Half, and multiples
    5. Numbers used in Phrases and Expressions
    6. Yi1 as a Marker of Sequence
    7. The Structure of Phrases involving Classifiers
    8. Omission of the Head Noun
    9. Classifiers that occur without a Noun
    10. Money and Prices
  5. Define Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases
    1. The grammar of the prepositional phrase in the Mandarin sentence
    2. Basic functions of prepositions
    3. Prepositions that also function as verbs
  6. Explain Adverbs, Conjunctions and The Passive
    1. General properties of adverbs and adverbs with logical function: "ye3", "dou1", "hai2", "jiu4", "zhi3", "cai2"
    2. Conjunctions that indicate an "additive" or "and" relationship or a disjunctive or "or" relationship
    3. Differences between the passive markers "bei4", "jiao4", and "rang4" and compare to English passives and their Mandarin equivalents
  7. Explain Different Verbs
    1. Adjectival verbs with comparison structures. linking two adjectival verbs, and expressions that indicate change over time and sentence final "le"
    2. Stative verbs: indicate completion, past time, and change of state and introduce "shi4" (to be), "xing4" (to be family named), "you3" (to have), and "zai4" (to be located at).
    3. Modal Verbs: Express possibility "hui4", ability, permission "ke3yi3", obligations, prohibitions, and discuss grammatical properties
    4. Action Verbs: indicate that an action is completed or past, or has been experienced in the past, explain negating actions, open-ended action verbs, and change-of-state action verbs
  8. Recognize Situations and Functions in Mandarin Grammar
    1. Names, kinship terms, titles, terms of address
    2. Basic strategies for communication
    3. Telecommunications and e-communications: telephones, text messages, and the internet
    4. Express identification, possession, and existence
    5. Describe people, places, and things
    6. Describe how actions are performed and indicate result, conclusion, potential and extent
    7. Make comparisons to talk about similarity, difference, more than, less than, comparative degree, superlative degree and relative degree
    8. Talk about the past, present, habitual actions, future, change, new situations, changing situations, duration/frequency and indicate completion
    9. Express additional information "ye3" (also), "hai2" (in addition), "hai2you3" (in addition), "bing4qie3" (moreover), "zai4shuo1" (besides, moreover), "er2" (and, but), "he2" and "gen1" (and), "bu2dan4....er3qie3" (not only...but also), "you4...you4" (both...and), "chu2le---yi3wai4" (besides, or except), and ling4wai4" (in addition, another)
    10. Express contrast, sequence "yi3qian2" (before) "yi3hou4" (after), simultaneous situations, cause and effect or reason and result, conditions, and express "both", "all", "none", "not only", and "no matter how"
    11. Express location and distance and talk about movement, directions, and means of transportation and talk about clock time and calendar time
    12. Express obligations and prohibitions, commands and permission, desires, needs, preferences, and willingness and express knowledge, advice and opinions
    13. Express fear, worry and anxiety and express speaker attitudes and perspectives
    14. Talk about topic, focus, and emphasis and guest and host, and to give and respond to compliments and express satisfaction and dissatisfaction, gratitude and respond to expressions of gratitude
    15. Talk about invitations, requests, and refusals and express apologies, regrets, sympathy, and bad news and express congratulations and good wishes
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