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Assignments

This section features the daily assignments for the course. All the assignments rely heavily on texts available in the readings section as well as audio files available in the study materials section. For Part 1, all review materials from Chinese II can be found either in the readings section or in 21F.102/21F.152.

Overview

In the following schedule, assignments are listed in sequence (Day 1, Day 2...), one for each day of class (with intervening days ignored). Note that the dates given for each assignment are the dates on which the assignments are due (for day 5, etc.); in other words, the assignments are preparation for class.

The daily assignments indicate the pace of the class and the way the different materials are coordinated. They should be interpreted as additions to a process that involves review, preview and consolidation; so for example, the assignment for day #14 begins 'Unit 8.5.3 (Duō fàng ...)', which is a signal to get to know the construction by examining the examples so that it can be practiced in class and eventually incorporated in the conversational repertoire.

Abbreviations Key

Assignments make reference to sections within Unit or Characters material (e.g. Unit 7.3, Chars 7.4.2) and to exercises (Unit 9 excercise 3). The reader, Lady in the Painting, is cited as Lady (e.g. Lady pp. 14-16).

Daily Assignments

DAY # ASSIGNMENTS
Part 1: Days 1-9 (Review Units 7 and 6 from Chinese II and Begin Chars 7)
1 In class: Getting used to the class format - greeting your teacher, counting off, rote practice, rhymes, and role play. Zìwŏ jièshào ('self introductions') and giving autobiographical information; the syllabus and information about the course; reviewing Unit 7 (PDF) material (from the end of Chinese II): Talking about the weather; language abilities; what time you (habitually) go to sleep/get up/eat breakfast, etc. Chars 6 (PDF): exercise 2 (ordering drinks and snacks); 6.5 (A filial tale).
2 Review Unit 7 and Chars 6 (refer to the files entitled 'Grammatical and topical highlights from Units 1-7' and 'Character list for Chars 1-7'). Re-familiarize yourself over the next few days with the following sections of Unit 7: 7.10 (Weather) and 7.11 (Dialog on weather); 7.8 (Duration) and 7.9 (Two le-patterns), 7.7 (Cái 'not until'); and review Question Words in the Unit 7 Appendix. Then for day 3, (re-)do excercise 6 and 7 (in Unit 7.8 and 7.9). In class, you will do the pronunciation review under 7.14. Begin Chars 7 (PDF) with 7.0, a review of earlier character material. Read the first set of questions (1.i) and prepare (oral) responses to them; practice reading the tonal sets (2) aloud.
3 Recall your rhymes from the end of each Unit. Continue with Unit 7 review, adding 7.6 (conveyances) and 7.5 (Talking about tea and coffee). Making Connections 1 (Greetings) - a daily dose until you understand. Chars 7: Complete all 4 sections of Chars 7.0, the review section.
4 More Unit 7 review, adding 7.3 on language ability, 7.2 on conjoining sentences (doing excercise 2) and finally 7.1 (Verb-combos-1). From Chars 6, (re-)read the filial tale (6.5) and the narrative (6.6).
5 Complete the Unit 7 review with 7.12 (on co-verbs) and 7.13 (The letter - audio on OCW Chinese II) - make sure you can answer the questions in excercise 9. Begin the first set of Chars 7 (sections 7.1, 7.1.1, 7.1.2 and 7.1.3).
6 Unit 6 (PDF) reviews (6.1 opposites; 6.2 describing people; 6.3 V-guo). In Chars 7, consolidate Set 1 (7.1 to 7.3).
7 Review Unit 6.4 (When, before, after) to 6.6 (Places of work), (re-)doing excercise 5 (in section 6.5). Making Connections 5 (Seeing friends). In Chars 7, learn set 2 by going through 7.2.1 and 7.2.2, then try to read the bio on Young Mao (7.3.1) - work with classmates if you can - and prepare to answer the questions in 7.3.1.
8 Review Unit 6.7 through 6.11 (Directions; the shi...de pattern; food, etc.). Consolidate Chars 7 through 7.3.1.
9 Prepare for Test 1 which will review Units 6, 7 and Chars 6, as well as reading material that includes the first two sets of Chars 7 (i.e. through Chars 7.3.1). On the test, while reading may be in characters (primarily simplified, but also some traditional) - as well as pinyin, you will not be asked to write characters.
Part 2: Days 10-20 (Complete Chars 7, Unit 8 up to (not including) 8.10)
10 Continue with Chars 7, set 3 (7.4 through 7.4.2) and read the filial tale about catching carp in winter. Preview Unit 8 (PDF) - especially. 8.1 (Narratives) and 8.3 (Comparison), with audio in study materials.
11 Complete Chars 7, through Set 4 and the meteorological reports, and 7.6 (On the street). You will have over a week to consolidate Chars 7 (and earlier Chars lessons) while you're working on Unit 8 (text and mp3s). See what's coming up in Unit 8 by examining the Highlights section (8.15); review your Rhymes and look at the new ones in 8.16. Look ahead to names of sports under 8.2 and fruit under 8.5.1 - practice reading the lists out loud. Then review the short narratives of 8.1, and continue to familiarize yourself with 8.3 (Comparison) - you'll start to work with simple comparisons in class (e.g. height, size of cities, etc.). Making Connections 6 (on foreign language).
12 Unit 8, do excercise 1a, 1b (Guided narratives); familiarize yourself with the sample interchanges in 8.2 (Sports), with audio available in study materials, and learn how to talk about the sports that interest you. Consolidate 8.3 on comparison so that you can, e.g., compare heights of classmates or size of cities in China and elsewhere (shifting from bĭ 'than' to méiyou 'not as'); see audio in study materials. Preview 8.4 (approximately; large numbers, etc.)
13 Unit 8, excercise 2 (sports); continue with 8.5.1 (At the fruit stand) and the other parts of 8.5, with audio in study materials. Pronunciation practice with 'aspirations' (8.14). Keep practicing 'comparison' and reviewing temporal narratives (8.1). Look ahead to 8.5.5 (Toasts) - practicing them in class each day; and start getting used to the names of the 'purchases' in 8.6.
14 Unit 8.5.3 (Duō fàng ...), and look over the sections on cuisine and toasts - practice toasts daily. Do Unit 8 excercise 3a, 3b (Comparison). Review 'At the fruit stand', and from earlier lessons, 'time of meals', 'names of dishes', 'after and before', etc. Preview Unit 8.6 (in the store) and items for purchase, with audio in study materials.
15 Unit 8 excercise 4a, 4b (Populations); review 8.6 (In the store) and 8.6.1 (on shìqing); then preview 8.7 on regional languages and 8.7.1, the dialogue, with audio available in study materials.
16 Unit 8 excercise 5 (comparison of cuisines); consolidate 8.7 and 8.7.1. Review earlier parts of Unit 8.
17 Unit 8.8 (The story of Lin Mei - audio); and excercise 6 (questions on Lin Mei). Begin Lady: pp. 1-3 (follow the rule of 3 for reading: 'characters>sentences>reading with comprehension').
18 Unit 8.9 (Jobs - two versions), with audio in study materials; review Unit 8 material; Lady through p. 6.
19 Review through 8.9, Chars 7 and the few pages of Lady read so far.
20 Test 2, on all of Chars 7, Lady through p. 6, and Unit 8 through 8.9 (Jobs); as always, for characters, you will be tested on reading, not writing.
Part 3: Days 21 -32 (Complete Unit 8; Continue Reading Lady ; begin Unit 9)
21 Unit 8.10 (new le's), and do excercise 7; preview 8.11 and 8.12, with audio in study materials. Lady pp. 7-8.5.
22 Unit 8 excercise 8 (jumbled phrases); review 8.12 (Verb-combos) and do excercise 9 (which involves visualizing situations that elicit directional complements) until familiar. Lady through p. 10.
23 Finish up Unit 8, doing excercise 10 and 11. Review 8.11 (Visiting the Great Wall); Review the highlights (8.15). Lady pp. 11-13.
24 Making Connections 7 (Foreign language). Lady through p. 16. Unit 9 (PDF - 1.1 MB): Look ahead to the highlights (9.16); review rhymes and preview Unit 9 rhymes (9.17); 9.1 (modification), with audio in study materials, and 9.2 (Clothes). Review the dialogue on regional languages in Unit 8 (8.7.1), with audio in study materials.
25 Unit 9 excercise 1; and 9.3 (Bargaining the Chinese way), with audio in study materials. Lady through p. 19.
26 Unit 9.4 (V-zhe), excercise 2 - important to know the various constructions with V-zhe. Lady: catch up, or consolidate; redo Making Connections.
27 Unit 9.4.5 (At the Temple), with audio in study materials; more with V-zhe (9.4), and do excercise 3; Unit 9.5 (Colors). Lady pp. 20-22.
28 Unit 9.6 (Buying a seal), with audio in study materials; preview 9.7 (the Ba construction) - manipulation things in the classroom; excercise 4. Lady pp. 23-24.
29 Unit 9.7 (Ba), with with audio in study materials, and 9.7.1 (Making tea). Lady pp. 25 to top of 27. Making Connections 14 (Asking directions).
30 Unit 9.8 (Verb-combos 3 - and review Combos 2); excercise 5. Lady p. 27 to the end of p. 29.
31 Consolidate: Unit 9 through 9.8.3; do excercise 6. Lady through p. 29.
32 Test 3 on Unit 9 through 9.8 and Lady through p. 29.
Part 4: Days 33 - 40 (Complete Unit 9; Lady through p. 48)
33 Prepare the Peking Duck dialogue (Unit 9.9), with audio in study materials. Lady though the end of p. 31.
34 Unit 9.10 and dialogue (9.10.1), with audio in study materials, plus excercise 7. Lady through end of p. 34.
35 Unit 9.11, with audio in study materials, and excercise 8. Preview the Wáng Xuéyīng bio - (9.12) with audio in study materials. Lady pp. 36 and 37.
36 Conclude Unit 9 (9.13 to end); review Unit 9. Lady through p. 40.
37 Review Unit 9 (and prior material); continue with Lady through p. 43. Making Connections 15 (Birthday).
38 More review and consolidation of Units 9 and 8; Lady through the middle of p. 48.
39 Prepare for Test 4 by reviewing Units 9 and 8, plus Lady through p. 48.
40 Test 4 through Unit 9 and Lady p. 48.
Part 5: Days 41 - End (Unit 10 and Lady to End)
41 Preview Unit 10 (PDF - 1.3 MB) - the highlights, the rhymes, then do Unit 10.1 (Feeling ill) with excercise 1; and 10.2 (Indefinites); Lady though p. 49. Start to plan your presentations about now.
42 Unit 10 excercise 2 (Indefinites), then preview 10.3 and the long interview (10.4) with audio in study materials, which is a good review of biographical material. Lady pp. 50 and 51.
43 Get more familiar with 10.4 (Interview) and prepare to interview your own teacher(s) in or out of class. Unit 10.5, and do excercise 3 and read 10.6 (for interest). Lady pp 52-3.
44 Unit 10.7 (Religion) and 10.8 (Verb-combos 4). Lady to top of p. 56.
45 Unit 10.9, with audio in study materials, and excercise 4; preview 10.10 with audio in study materials, and do excercise 5. Lady pp. 56-58.
46 Consolidate 10.10 (Bèi) and review the bă construction (9.7 and 9.9), with audio in study materials, which has similar grammatical properties to bèi. Then preview 10.11 (Seeking opinions), with audio in study materials. Lady pp. 59-60.
47 Unit 10.12 (Smoking) and the dialogue (10.12.1), both of which have audio in study materials. Lady pp. 61-62.
48 Consolidate Unit 10 so far, and Lady through p. 62.
49 Test 5 on Unit 10 to 10.12 and Lady through p. 62.

The conclusion of Unit 10 and Lady are scheduled for the final days of the term in the hope that even with the presentations, there will be enough time to at least skim over the concluding material. Chinese IV will pick up with this material at the beginning of the term.
50 Unit 10.13 (Driving), with audio in study materials. Lady to top of p. 68.
51 Prepare presentations; continue with Unit 10.14 and 10.15 (Communication tools), with audio in study materials; Lady through p. 70.
52 Presentations; Unit 10.16 (Waiting and forgetting) and 10.17 (Telephoning), with audio in study materials; Lady though p. 74.
53 Presentations; Unit 10.18 (Chinese etiquette), with audio in study materials, and conclusion; Lady to end.