Chinese 1A - Introduction

Chinese 1A - Introduction

Welcome to Chinese 1 ! 

歡迎你到中文課!

What are we going to learn?

我們會學到什麼？

You are going to learn LOTS of words for people, places, and all kinds of everyday things, AND you’ll learn how to use these words in sentences that will make sense to Chinese speakers.  Before you know it, you’ll be able to understand what Chinese speakers say to you, speak in complete Chinese sentences, read many words in Chinese, and even write quite a number of Chinese characters!  (On most days we will have a little bit of homework, but it won’t be too much.  However, students are expected to practice and look at the flash cards that we prepare every day.)

You will also learn about Chinese culture—the way people in Chinese-speaking countries work, play, eat, travel, play sports, entertain themselves, and celebrate holidays.  We will also talk about some of the great events in Chinese history and how they affect Chinese society today.

Remember, high school credit is given for this class, and it will be graded on the high school grading scale.

ALSO REMEMBER…  Chinese is no harder than any other language if you practice a lot and let yourself have FUN as you learn!!

Who is our teacher?

我們的老師是誰？

My name is Mr. Kleinsmith, but in Chinese class you will call me Sòng Lǎoshī, which means Mr. Song, the teacher.   (I’ll tell you more about this name in class!)  I'm from Michigan, but I lived in Taiwan for 15 years.  While I was there, I taught English and learned Chinese.  (I’ll also tell you more about Taiwan in class!)  I then studied Chinese and education for three more years at Indiana University before coming to Hudsonville.  My wife is from Taiwan, so I get to speak some Chinese every day!

How can I find the teacher outside of class?

我怎麼跟老師聯絡?

It’s easiest to contact me by email at: bkleins@hpseagles.net

Here’s our plan…

這是我們的學習計劃…

(Grades will reflect performance on tests, weekly quizzes, homework, and other activities.)

FIRST SEMESTER 第一學習	WHAT WE WILL LEARN 我們會學到的內容
WEEKS 1-4  (Introduction and Lesson 1)	Pinyin (how to write Chinese words with our alphabet), pronunciation, basic greetings
WEEKS 5-8  (Lesson 2)	Countries, personal pronouns, simple statements, Chinese names, school vocabulary, family members
WEEKS 9-12  (Lesson 3)	Continue family members, counting and numbers, jobs, personality traits, adjectives for description
WEEKS 13-15  (Lesson 4)	Measure words, Chinese visual arts, free time activities
WEEKS 16-18  (Lesson 5 and review)	Calendar dates, talking about time, the Chinese zodiac, animals
SECOND SEMESTER 第二學習	WHAT WE WILL LEARN 我們會學到的內容
WEEKS 1-4  (Lesson 6)	Money and shopping, food, restaurants
WEEKS 5-8  (Lesson 7)	Transportation, colors, more food, clothing, shopping
WEEKS 9-12  (Lesson 8)	Prepositions, geography of China, telling time, daily schedules, sports
WEEKS 13-15  (Supplementary materials)	Shopping, bargaining, asking questions, indirect objects
WEEKS 16-18  (Supplementary materials & review)	Methods of payment, telephone conversations, social language

* AND … culture lessons each week!  加油 (jiā yóu)  Let’s go!