Course Overview
Students continue their introduction to Chinese with fundamental building blocks in four key areas of foreign language study: listening comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing. Students master common and some specialized vocabulary terms and phrases (in both Pinyin and Chinese characters); comprehend a wide range of grammar patterns; instigate and continue simple conversations, and respond appropriately to increasingly nuanced conversational prompts; generate language incorporating basic and some specialized vocabulary and a range of grammar patterns; read, write, speak, and listen for meaning in Chinese (including Pinyin and Chinese characters); analyze and compare cultural practices, products, and perspectives of various Chinese-speaking countries; write and input Chinese characters; and regularly assess progress in proficiency through quizzes, tests, and speaking/writing submissions. Each week consists of an ongoing adventure story, a new vocabulary theme and grammar concept, numerous interactive games reinforcing vocabulary and grammar, reading and listening comprehension activities, speaking and writing activities, and multimedia cultural presentations covering major Chinese-speaking countries. The course has been carefully aligned to national standards as set forth by ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages).