TimeDaysLocationInstructorGERCreditOPUS Class NumberSyllabus (Tentative)
11:30am-12:45pm
TuTh
Candler Library 124
Rong Cai. HAL. 43708 TBA.

January 12, 2011- April 25, 2011

Crosslisted: EAS404-000.

Catalog Description: This course is designed for those who have completed CHN 401 or the equivalent. The course materials are selected from post-Mao fiction in unabridged form to help students develop abilities to read literary works in the original. It exposes students to fictional writings in various styles and emphasizes strategies of extensive reading and vocabulary expansion beyond what usually appears in the media and other formal expository writings. Students will learn to appreciate the power of language in constructing meanings by doing close readings of literary pieces.

Semester Details: This course is designed for students who have completed Chn 303 and those with a high level of Chinese proficiency. Course materials are drawn from a wide range of literary and cinematic works in the original produced by Chinese writers/directors in the post-Mao era (1976 to present). The goal of the course is two-fold. It seeks to acquaint students with changing artistic and cultural sensibilities in post-Mao literature and cinema. It also focuses on the social issues confronting Chinese people and society in a fast changing world, treating the fictional texts as the authors’ reflections on contemporary China. To meet the goal, the course emphasizes the content of the readings and the development of students’ literary and cultural competence. Even though language learning is not the top priority of the course, to enhance students’ ability to appreciate literary work in the original, assignments and exercises will also be adopted to strengthen students’ linguistic proficiency.

All readings are in the Chinese original. We aim to carry out class discussions in Chinese. However, since the course is designed for students with diverse background and preparation in Chinese, where necessary we will also conduct the discussion in English to facilitate understanding of the texts and the exchange of ideas.

Dear students,

If you plan to take a Chinese language course in Spring 2011, and if this will be the first time that you take a Chinese language course at Emory, then you are required to take the online Chinese Placement Test. The deadline for completing the test is 5 pm, Saturday, Oct 23. We will evaluate your results and email you our placement recommendations between Oct 25-29.

To access the Chinese Placement Test, please follow these steps:

1. Log into Blackboard
2. Click on the "Courses" yellow tab on top of the page
3. On the right-hand side of the page, click into the folder "Emory College Placement Test 2009-2010"
4. Click on the double-down arrow underneath "CHN PLACEMENT" and select ENROLL. The placement test will be added to your list of courses.

Please read the instructions carefully before you proceed.

If you have any questions, please contact Professor Yu Li: yu.li@emory.edu, 404-727-1888.

Thank you,
The Chinese Program
Department of REALC

Required Textbooks, Articles, and Resources

  1. Ying Wang & Carrie Reed. Advanced Reader of Contempory Chinese Short Stories.
    ISBN: 9780295983653.

The schedule of courses on O.P.U.S. is the official listing of courses, including days and times they meet and the General Education Requirements they satisfy. Students should use course descriptions as general guidelines. Course requirements, grading details, book lists, and syllabi are subject to change.