This course is the first in a two-course sequence and is designed for students who have at least 3-4 years of prior experience in learning Chinese. Aiming at preparing students for Advanced Placement (AP) Chinese course, this course focuses on developing students’ integrated skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing through project-based language learning activities. Topics in this level include Chinese holidays, changes in China, traveling, lifestyle, health, and gender equality. Using a flipped design, students will be instructed to complete preview and review activities asynchronously with a suggested pacing-guide. Students are also required to take a 50-minute lab session per week and interact with their instructor and classmates for synchronous learning.
Prerequisites: Chinese 3B or at least 3-4 years of Chinese language learning
Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, students will be able to...
- Describe customs and express wishes for major Chinese holidays.
- Describe ways in which a place has or hasn’t changed.
- Describe natural and cultural attractions of a trip.
- Design trips based on cost, attractions, and other factors.
- Discuss various types of exercise and healthy habits.
- Discuss gender equality in different contexts.
- Understand and compare cultural differences between Chinese and American culture in relation to holidays, travel, healthy habits, exercise, and gender equality.
Course Outline:
Unit 1: Chinese Holidays
Unit 2: Changes in China
Unit 3: A Trip to Yunnan
Unit 4: Lifestyle and Health
Unit 5: Gender Equality
Resources Included: Online lesson instruction and activities, opportunities to engage with a certified, online instructor and classmates, when appropriate, and online assessments to measure student performance of course objectives and readiness for subsequent academic pursuits.
Additional Costs: Students enrolled in Chinese – Level 4 are required to purchase the following materials.
1. Students must have a headset with earphones and microphone when attending the lab session.
2. Textbook (2 Options):
- Yuehua Liu, Tao-chung Yao, Nyan-Ping Bi, Liangyan Ge, and Yaohua Shi; Integrated Chinese, Volume 4, Textbook (Simplified and Traditional Characters); 4th Edition, Hardcover; Boston, MA; Cheng & Tsui Company, Inc.; 2019; ISBN 9781622911509 (estimated price: $80)
OR
- Yuehua Liu, Tao-chung Yao, Nyan-Ping Bi, Liangyan Ge, and Yaohua Shi; Integrated Chinese, Volume 4, Textbook (Simplified and Traditional Characters); 4th Edition, Paperback; Boston, MA; Cheng & Tsui Company, Inc.; 2019; ISBN 9781622911516 (estimated price: $73)
AND
3. Workbook:
- Yuehua Liu, Tao-chung Yao, Nyan-Ping Bi, Liangyan Ge, and Yaohua Shi; Integrated Chinese, Volume 4, Workbook (Simplified and Traditional Characters); 4th Edition, Paperback; Boston, MA; Cheng & Tsui Company, Inc.; 2019; ISBN 9781622911523 (estimated price: $36)
Textbook purchases can be made from the publisher, Cheng & Tsui.
When making your purchase, enter the promo code: MIVIRTUAL in the promo code box at checkout.
Scoring System: Michigan Virtual does not assign letter grades, grant credit for courses, nor issue diplomas. A final score out of total points earned will be submitted to your school mentor for conversion to their own letter grading system.
Time Commitment: Semester sessions are 18-weeks long: Students must be able to spend 1 or more hours per day in the course to be successful.
Technology Requirements: Students will require a computer device with headphones, a microphone, webcam, up-to-date Chrome Web Browser, and access to YouTube. Students must have a headset with earphones and microphone when attending the lab session. The "Simplified Chinese Language Pack” must be installed on the devices that the students use to complete assignments. Students will be provided with further installation instructions within the course.
Please review the Michigan Virtual Technology Requirements: https://michiganvirtual.org/about/support/knowledge-base/technical-requirements/
Instructor Support System: For technical issues within your course, contact the Customer Care Center by email at [email protected] or by phone at (888) 889-2840.
Instructor Contact Expectations: Students can use email or the private message system within the Student Learning Portal to access highly qualified teachers when they need instructor assistance. Students will also receive feedback on their work inside the learning management system. The Instructor Info area of their course may describe additional communication options.
Academic Support Available: In addition to access to a highly qualified, Michigan certified teacher, students have access to academic videos and outside resources verified by Michigan Virtual. For technical issues within the course, students can contact the Michigan Virtual Customer Care by email at [email protected] or by phone at (888) 889-2840.
Required Assessment: Online assessments consist of formative and summative assessments represented by computer-graded multiple choice, instructor-graded writing assignments including hands-on projects, model building and other forms of authentic assessments.
Technical Skills Needed: Basic technology skills necessary to locate and share information and files as well as interact with others in a Learning Management System (LMS), include the ability to:
- Download, edit, save, convert, and upload files
- Download and install software
- Use a messaging service similar to email
- Communicate with others in online discussion or message boards, following basic rules of netiquette
- Open attachments shared in messages
- Create, save, and submit files in commonly used word processing program formats and as a PDF
- Edit file share settings in cloud-based applications, such as Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides
- Save a file as a .pdf
- Copy and paste and format text using your mouse, keyboard, or an html editor’s toolbar menu
- Insert images or links into a file or html editor
- Search for information within a document using Ctrl+F or Command+F keyboard shortcuts
- Work in multiple browser windows and tabs simultaneously
- Activate a microphone or webcam on your device, and record and upload or link audio and/or video files
- Use presentation and graphics programs
- Follow an online pacing guide or calendar of due dates
- Use spell-check, citation editors, and tools commonly provided in word processing tool menus
- Create and maintain usernames and passwords
Additional Information:
Textbook and workbook are required purchases; see Additional Costs field of syllabus for details.
Students may take placement tests provided by Michigan State University to use as a reference for guiding enrollment. Students are able to switch to a different level in the first two weeks of each semester based on instructors’ recommendations.
Students must sign up for a mandatory weekly lab session. The course instructor will send out emails to mentors, parents, and students with information about the course and lab session registration procedures. SignUpGenius will be used for lab session registration. Instructors will work with students to finalize their lab session times within the first two weeks of each semester. Each student may ONLY choose one weekly lab session. Lab sessions are to have 4 to 8 students. Lab sessions may be canceled or combined.
Students must have a headset with earphones and microphone when attending the lab session.
The "Simplified Chinese Language Pack” must be installed on the devices that the students use to complete assignments. Students will be provided with further installation instructions within the course.
Michigan State University Chinese courses require a minimum of 4 enrollments or the course offering may be canceled.