Admission requirements
Students admitted to MA Asian Studies (120EC): Chinese Studies and Asian Studies (60 EC): East Asian Studies tracks. The course is taught in Chinese. All students must meet one of the following minimum level of Chinese language proficiency requirements: CEFR level B1, which is roughly equivalent to new HSK 4 (with a test result of minimally 250 points) and TOCFL level 3. This course is designed based on the BA Mandarin program of Chinese Studies at Leiden University, where undergraduates receive approximately 300 contact hours and a 10-week intensive Mandarin training in a Mandarin speaking area (amounting to 60 ec in total). Students are required to be able to read both traditional and simplified characters and to write either of them by hand.
Description
The course is designed for the students who can understand a wide variety of subjects in Chinese but find it challenging to understand and speak Chinese in official or formal situations, such as news, TV programs, formal speeches, talks on specific academic topics.
In order to help students develop their listening and speaking skills in their academic fields of study, the selection of course materials is based on students’ academic interests, such as Chinese culture & society, economy, history, and politics. No textbook is used for this course; all materials are selected from a wide range of online resources (TV programs, online news websites, podcasts and so on).
The course includes three components: assignments, class activities, and oral presentations. Students are required to give oral presentations related to their research interests.
Students are also expected to prepare adequately and to contribute actively during the semester.
Course objectives
Help to improve students’ listening and speaking skills by working with authentic audio/video materials.
Help MA students currently at an advanced-mid level to improve their speaking skills through group discussion and giving oral presentations, with special attention to accuracy, fluency, vocabulary and familiarity with IT resources.
Expected learning outcomes:Listening: can understand spoken Chinese with/without accents, including topics relating to their academic interests; ability to understand formal and informal Chinese without too much effort; can infer the meanings from the context when encountering new words.
Speaking: can describe concrete as well as abstract ideas with advanced vocabulary and language structures, and ability to do oral presentations in their research field, with special attention to accuracy.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Seminar
Assessment method
Assignments 40%
Final exam 60%
The re-sit exam for the final exam is only available to students whose mark of the final exam is insufficient. The re-sit exam will then make up 100% of the mark.
Reading list
Class materials will be distributed via Brightspace during the term.
Registration
Enrolment through uSis is mandatory.
General information about uSis is available in English and Dutch