The topics presented in the essays, such as the population explosion, new marriage practices, and new trends in popular culture, provide rich material for class discussion and improve students speaking and listening skills. This course introduces the styles and conventions of Chinese newspaper language. Emphasis is on vocabulary expansion, forms and structures that differ from everyday spoken Chinese, and tactics and skills for rapid reading. Aural-oral skills are reinforced through classroom discussions and supplementary materials. This course introduces original literary works written for Chinese readers, with emphasis on developing language skills, including vocabulary expansion, sentence structure, and written as well as oral self-expression.
Audiovisual materials supplement the readings to help maintain listening and speaking skills.
Independent Studies Staff Independent studies courses are designed to fulfill advanced individual study needs in language and literature not otherwise provided in the department. Possibilities include classical Chinese and readings of selected literary works. An introduction to basic structures and vocabulary, this course emphasizes oral communication. Degree credit is given for completion of one term. There is continued emphasis on oral communication, with practice in reading simple texts and acquisition of an additional 500 Chinese characters by the end of the term.