This Course at MIT

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Course Overview

This page focuses on the course 21G.107 Chinese I (Streamlined) as it was taught by Min-Min Liang in Fall 2014.

This course, in combination with 21G.108 Chinese II (Streamlined), constitutes the elementary level of the streamlined Chinese sequence. Taught entirely in Chinese, the course is designed for students who have basic Chinese conversational skills, but who lack a corresponding level of literacy. The focus of the course is on learning standard language usage, reading in both full and simplified characters, and writing. 

Course Outcomes

Course Goals for Students

  • Develop Chinese literacy skills
  • Increase Chinese speaking proficiency
 

Meet the Instructor

An image of instructor Min-Min Liang taken from an interview in which she is seated in her office.

In the following video, Min-Min Liang shares her academic background and teaching experience.

Meet the Instructor: Min-Min Liang

 

Instructor Insights

When I first started, I knew one [teaching] method. I thought it was best to drill the students… to make them repeat. But throughout the years I realized they could say certain things, but they could not have a conversation... so I think I’ve evolved. Right now, the main [focus] for me is to have a welcoming environment to help students speak the language, not to talk about the language.

—Min-Min Liang

In the following videos, Min-Min Liang describes various aspects of how she teaches 21G.107 Chinese I (Streamlined).

English-language Videos Chinese-language Videos
Instructor Interview: Philosophical Approach to Language Teaching 中文快班的教學哲學 / 中文快班的教学哲学
Instructor Interview: Teaching Heritage Learners in a Streamlined Language Course 教導具華語基礎的學生 / 教导具华语基础的学生
Instructor Interview: Teaching with Lingt Technology 使用Lingt於課堂教學 / 使用Lingt于课堂教学
Instructor Interview: Assessing Students’ Language Learning 評量學生的語言學習 / 评量学生的语言学习
Instructor Interview: Incorporating Authentic Text Going Forward 未來教材的更新與展望 / 未来教材的更新与展望
 

Curriculum Information

Prerequisites

Placement test and permission of instructor

Requirements Satisfied

GIR

Offered

Every fall semester

The Classroom

  • Twenty-nine light blue tablet chairs arranged in 6 rows. They are facing blackboards not visible in the picture. A large window is to the left of the chairs. A clock is on the back wall of the classroom. A projector is mounted to the ceiling.

    Room 1 of 1

    Seminar

    Class sessions were held in a typical classroom with tablet chairs, blackboards, and A/V equipment.

 

Assessment

The students' grades were based on the following activities:

The color used on the preceding chart which represents the percentage of the total grade contributed by class performance. 30% Class performance (attendance [5%], promptness [3%], preparedness [5%], class report [7%] , and participation [10%])
The color used on the preceding chart which represents the percentage of the total grade contributed by written assignments. 25% Writing (Written assignments [20%] and end-of-term essay [5%])
The color used on the preceding chart which represents the percentage of the total grade contributed by bi-weekly tests. 30% Bi-weekly tests
The color used on the preceding chart which represents the percentage of the total grade contributed by vocabulary quizzes and dictations. 10% Vocabulary quizzes and dictations
 

Instructor Insights on Assessment

Student Information

18 students took this course when it was offered in Fall 2014.

Breakdown by Year

Mostly sophomores

Breakdown by Major

Mostly computer science and engineering

Typical Student Background

Students tend to be heritage language learners. Most are advanced-beginners, with a speaking level of intermediate-low. Prior to the course, many cannot read or write Chinese. Some attended “Chinese School” once a week during their childhoods, but most have forgotten what they learned during these experiences.  Many students want to learn Chinese in order to be able to converse with family members who do not speak English. They also seem to value the advantage that fluency in multiple languages offers them in a society that is becoming more globalized.

Ideal Class Size

Having fewer than 20 students in the class allows students to have more speaking opportunities. This is important because students tend not to speak Chinese outside of class. To get the most of the course, they need to speak frequently during each class session.

 

How Student Time Was Spent

During an average week, students were expected to spend 12 hours on the course, roughly divided as follows:

In Class

3 hours per week
  • Met 3 times per week for 50 minutes per session; 39 sessions total; mandatory attendance.
  • Several class sessions were devoted to learning about the sounds of the language and the ways in which these sounds are represented in the pinyin system of transcription. Character writing was also introduced.
  • Textbook lessons began during the fifth week of the course.
  • Classroom activities included discussing the content of the texts, short reports and performances based on the texts, practicing relevant grammatical patterns, sight reading of supplementary materials, and daily quizzes.
 

Out of Class

9 hours per week
 

Semester Breakdown

WEEK M T W Th F
1 No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT. Class meeting scheduled. No session scheduled. Class meeting scheduled.
2 Class meeting scheduled. No session scheduled. Class meeting scheduled. No session scheduled. Class meeting scheduled; quiz held.
3 Class meeting scheduled. No session scheduled. Class meeting scheduled. No session scheduled. No classes throughout MIT.
4 Class meeting scheduled. No session scheduled. Class meeting scheduled. No session scheduled. Class meeting scheduled; quiz held.
5 Class meeting scheduled. No session scheduled. Class meeting scheduled. No session scheduled. Class meeting scheduled.
6 Class meeting scheduled. No session scheduled. Class meeting scheduled. No session scheduled. Class meeting scheduled; quiz held.
7 No classes throughout MIT. No session scheduled. Class meeting scheduled. No session scheduled. Class meeting scheduled.
8 Class meeting scheduled. No session scheduled. Class meeting scheduled. No session scheduled. Class meeting scheduled.
9 Class meeting scheduled. No session scheduled. Class meeting scheduled; quiz held. No session scheduled. Class meeting scheduled.
10 Class meeting scheduled. No session scheduled. Class meeting scheduled. No session scheduled. Class meeting scheduled.
11 No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT. Class meeting scheduled. No session scheduled. Class meeting scheduled; quiz held.
12 Class meeting scheduled. No session scheduled. Class meeting scheduled. No session scheduled. Class meeting scheduled.
13 Class meeting scheduled. No session scheduled. Class meeting scheduled. No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT.
14 Class meeting scheduled. No session scheduled. Class meeting scheduled; quiz held. No session scheduled. Class meeting scheduled.
15 Class meeting scheduled. No session scheduled. Class meeting scheduled; end-of-term essay due. No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT.
16 No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT.
Displays the color and pattern used on the preceding table to indicate dates when classes are not held at MIT. No classes throughout MIT
Displays the color used on the preceding table to indicate dates when class meetings are held. Class meeting
Displays the symbol used on the preceding table to indicate dates when the end-of-term essay is due. End-of-term essay due
Displays the color used on the preceding table to indicate dates when no class session is scheduled. No class session scheduled
Displays the symbol used on the preceding table to indicate dates when quizzes are held. Quiz