Unit+II+Module+1+Chinese+Language+and+Culture

Module 1: Chinese geography/language/culture

How did the Chinese language impact their history?

Mandatory Activities:
 * Read General Introduction by Bob Eno and answer the two big questions.[[file:China Intro Eno.doc]]
 * Complete the Chinese to English worksheet[[file:Chinese_to_English_Roots blank.doc]]
 * Read the Character by Character translation of Deer Park and create your own translation with an illustration.[[file:Deer Park Wang Wei.doc]]
 * Pick one of the groups of Deer Park and compare and contrast the three versions. Using the worksheet provided.
 * Read any three entries in //China A-Z// and respond to them.
 * On the wikipage look at the Chinese Geography page and complete the assignment, posting your response on the discussion forum.
 * Log onto Livemocha (watch the tutorial on the wikipage) and begin Mandarin I if you haven’t already chosen a language. Complete Unit I.

Choice Activities:
 * Compare and contrast other translations of the poems that are provided.
 * Research websites on Chinese language and post them on the Webography. Be sure to annotate them.
 * Write short biographies of the famous poets: Li Po, Wang Wei, etc. and post them on the wikipage.
 * Complete Units II and III on Livemocha! And show me your progress report.
 * Research other online Mandarin programs (the Attleboro Library hosts one) and various apps and evaluate them.
 * Create a slideshow (Windows Moviemaker) of Chinese landscape photography showing the diversity of China’s landscape.
 * Create a Google Earth tour of Chinese landscapes.
 * Create a basic phrasebook of Mandarin phrases with illustrations to help remember them.


 * Language Learning**

One of the most important aspects of Asian Cultures is their language. We can learn a lot about a culture by learning a little of their language. East Asian languages (Chinese and Japanese) are dramatically different than English providing us with insight into our own language structure as well.

As part of this course you can learn basic Mandarin, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, or Cantonese through the website [|www.livemocha.com]

If you are interested in a language outside of these (Hindi, Urdu, Korean, etc) please see me and we will see what we can do for you.

Watch the following screencapture that explains how live mocha works and how to register. media type="custom" key="6329299"