CHIN 401 Directed Studies:

4 Credit Hours
Modern Day Relations with Chinese Communities: An Exploration of Chinese
Culture, Traditions, and Etiquette
Professor Eric Cheng
Written by, Michelle Eva Morholt Spring 2014
Course Description and Overview:
New Chinese-speaking learners understanding and ability to demonstrate proficiency in
employing contemporary and traditional Chinese traditions and etiquette is essential in
developing cultural competency and establishing meaningful and effective professional
and personal relationships with Chinese-speaking peoples. This course will focus on
expand the linguistic (both verbal and literary) competency and intercultural knowledge
of its students via volunteerism and attending lectures as well as community forums
within the over 16,000 people strong Chinese community here in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Students will accomplish the course objectives and outcomes via community involvement
including volunteerism, lectures, discussion, interaction, inquiry, reading, writing, and
reflection. As a result, students will expand their Mandarin Chinese language and cultural
competence and develop the ability to appropriately interact within the modern Chinese
community in accordance with contemporary and traditional Chinese etiquette, accepted
behaviors, and conversation.
Rationale of Course:
The United States of America has strong cultural, political and trade connections with
China and with other countries in the Asian region where Chinese is an official language.
China and the Chinese people of the world have an important role in economic, political
and cultural developments, regionally and nationally. Furthermore, Chinese is the
language of communication of one of the worlds largest populations and is one of the
official languages of the United Nations.
In recognition that multilingualism and multiculturalism are integral parts of American
and International societies, the study of Chinese contributes to the overall education of
students, particularly in the areas of communication, intercultural capability, literacy,
cognitive and social development, and general knowledge. With direct community
involvement and action, this course will enhance the development of students bilingual
and bicultural identity. It also promotes understanding and appreciation of the diverse
attitudes and values within Westminster College, Salt Lake City, the United States and
International communities.
The course allows students to build on and further develop their language capability
through engagement with Chinese-speaking communities. These experiences will provide
students with a level of language proficiency that will enable them to undertake further
study and operate effectivelynegotiating and developing successful personal and
professional relationships in a variety of local, regional and global contexts.

Objectives:
The overall objective of the course is to develop intercultural capability through the
integration of community service and continuation of students development of Mandarin
Chinese verbal and literacy language skills and understanding of traditional and modern
Chinese culture. Direct involvement and interaction with members of the Chinese
community here in Salt Lake City provides students with opportunities to build on their
language skills, successfully develop relationships with Chinese people and will facilitate
the communication skills necessary to participate effectively and positively contribute to
our interconnected communities.
Students should be able to achieve the following objectives:
1. Interact with others to exchange meaning in spoken Chinese
2. Apply knowledge and understanding of the relationships between Chinese language,
culture, contemporary and traditional Chinese traditions and etiquette
3. Demonstrate proficiency and confidence with developing meaningful relationships
4. Create texts to express meaning in written Chinese, demonstrating knowledge and
understanding of the relationships between language, culture and identity
5. Analyze spoken and written texts in Chinese to interpret meaning, examining and
reflecting on relationships between language, culture and identity.
Meeting the objectives will involve the skills of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and
interaction with Chinese speaking peoples.
Student Outcome:
This course aims to enhance, extend and expand the linguistic and intercultural
knowledge, understanding and skills that Westminster College Chinese language learners
bring to their studies. It aims to develop their ability to:

Use Chinese to communicate in a range of contexts

Understand how language works as a system
Appreciate the Chinese linguistic and cultural heritage
Understand how culture and identity are created and expressed through language and
the development of personal and professional relationships
Make linguistic connections between Chinese and English
Identify cultural similarities and differences between Chinese and American
communities
Apply Chinese to work, further study, vocational training, volunteerism, and leisure

Identify and establish connections with Chinese-speaking communities locally,

regionally and worldwide
Identify and establish connections with the world as a global citizen.
Identify, establish, and solidify the development of their bilingual and bicultural
identity.

Table Outlining Relationship of Course Objectives and Outcomes:

The outcomes listed below represent the knowledge, understanding, skills and values that
students are expected to achieve by the end of the course. They are derived from the
objectives.

OBJECTIVE

Students will:
1. Interact with others to exchange
meaning in spoken Chinese
2. Applying knowledge and
understanding of the relationships
between language, culture and
identity
3. Demonstrate proficiency and
confidence with developing
meaningful relationships

4. Create texts to express meaning in

written Chinese, demonstrating
knowledge and understanding of the
relationships between language, culture
and identity

OUTCOMES
Students:
1
use strategies (language skills and
interpersonal skills) to initiate and
maintain communication.
2
exchange information and justify
opinions and ideas.
3
express personal opinions, emotions and
feelings.
4
present information and ideas
appropriate to context, purpose and
audience.
5
recognize and use language appropriate
to different cultural contexts and people.
6
develop bilingual and bicultural identity
through interacting with others and selfreflection/appraisal.
7 identify and establish connections
with the world as a global citizen.
8 identify, establish, and solidify the
development of their bilingual and
bicultural identity.
9 identify cultural similarities and
differences between Chinese and
American communities.

1
2
3

sequences and structures information

and ideas.
use appropriate linguistic features and
structures to convey information, ideas,
emotions and opinions.
creates texts in a variety of forms
appropriate to a range of contexts,

4
5
1
5. Analyze spoken and written texts in
Chinese to interpret meaning, examining
and reflecting on relationships between
language, culture and identity.

2
3
4
5
6

purposes and audiences.

applies knowledge of cultural concepts
and perspectives to the creation of texts.
expresses ideas and opinions from a
bilingual and bicultural perspective.
summarize information and ideas from
texts and conversation.
synthesize information and ideas from
texts.
infer points of view, opinions and
attitudes expressed in texts.
respond to texts personally and
critically.
analyze the way in which culture and
identity are expressed through language.
reflect on own and others values,
beliefs, practices and ideas expressed in
texts and interactions with Chinesespeaking peoples.

Required Texts:
New Practical Chinese Reader II Beijing Language and Culture University Press.
Course Assessments:
There are 100 points possible in this course. This course will be graded in the following manner:
Assignments: 25%
Lesson tests: 25%
Community Service: 50%
Assignments: Reflections written in English and/or Chinese will describe students
experiences, cultural concepts including etiquette, history, and traditions learned while
serving in the Chinese community and/or attending Chinese lectures.
Lesson tests: A Midterm and Final will test students verbal and literary skills.
Community Involvement: Students will attend weekly lectures and/or volunteer service in
the Salt Lake City Chinese community.
Grading Scale:
A = 93 100
A- = 90 92
B+ = 86 89
B = 83 85
B- = 80- 82

C+ = 76 -79
C = 75 73
C-= 70 -72
D+ = 66 - 69
D = 63 - 65

D-= 60 - 62
E = 0 - 59

Honor Code:
Westminster College operates on the assumption that all academic work is the honest product of each
students own endeavors. The faculty and staff at Westminster expect such integrity from the students,
and violations are cause for disciplinary action. If you are found acting dishonestly as described in the
Student Handbook in a test, you may receive no credit for the exam in question, or receive a failing grade
for the entire course. A report will be filed with the appropriate academic dean.
ADA Statement:
Westminster College provides equal access in higher education to academically qualified
students with physical, learning, and/or psychiatric disabilities. The START Center
works with departments throughout the college to help ensure that programs and facilities
are accessible to all members of the college community. The Disability Services Program
is located in the Smart Center in Carleson Hall. To access services, students must meet
with the disability advisor in the START Center and provide current documentation of
their disability. Appropriate documentation is necessary to verify eligibility and support
requests for accommodations, academic modifications, and/or other aids. Once eligibility
is established, students meet with their disability advisor at least once per semester to
determine individualized services.