Biography

Mandarin 5 is a continuation of Mandarin 4. Read and discuss texts dealing with geography, history, literature, social and cultural practices of the Chinese-speaking world. Review the linguistic functions and grammatical structures of intermediate Chinese. Speaking, listening, reading, and writing Mandarin will be introduced and practiced within a cultural framework. Mandarin will be the primary language of instruction. Emphasis will be on language as an expression of culture and a medium of communication. Develop reading, listening, speaking, and writing skills at the Low Advanced level. Conversation in the target language will be part of the regular instruction to reinforce pronunciation, grammar, and syntax. At the end of the course, the student will also be able to:

• Demonstrate the ability to communicate with control of linguistic functions and the grammatical structure of Mandarin at Low Advanced level in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
• Distinguish, identify, and appraise the linguistic features of Mandarin-speaking countries and communities.
• Use 75% to 90% of the target language to examine, discuss, and analyze the historical, cultural, social, and economic developments in the different Mandarin-speaking countries and communities.
• Engage in critical analysis and comparison of the student’s own values and cultural assumptions with those of Mandarin-speaking countries and communities.

Prerequisites: A- or better in Mandarin 4 or demonstrated proficiency in the language competency description of Level 4