Grades 7 - 12
Qualifying verbal or math score
0.5 credit
In this college-level course (formerly called Beginning Chinese, Part I), students are introduced to Chinese phonetics, the Chinese writing system, the pinyin system for writing Chinese using the Roman alphabet, and basic Chinese grammar. The lively and interactive multimedia courseware is Chinese Odyssey, developed at Johns Hopkins University. It contains a wide range of activities that develop and solidify students' listening, speaking, reading, writing, and grammar skills. Conversation topics include basic greetings, informal conversations, doing homework, welcoming guests, and introducing friends. Students learn pronunciations with special emphasis on tones, and basic principles of Chinese character composition. Students interact with the instructors and other students using Internet-based software. The course materials include a textbook, workbook, and CD-ROM.
The tentative schedule for online interactive sessions is:
Monday and Wednesday, from 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm (EST); or
Monday and Wednesday, from 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm (PST); or
Tuesday and Thursday, from 8:30 pm - 9:30 pm (EST). This schedule may be adjusted in the future. Separate conversation sessions between each student and the instructor or teaching assistant are arranged individually. 12 weeks
All CTY Online courses require a properly-maintained computer with Internet access and a recent-version web browser (such as Explorer 6, Firefox, or Safari). Students are expected to be familiar with standard computer operations (e.g. login, cut & paste, email attachments, etc). |
This course makes use of online audio communication. Broadband internet access, a microphone, and headphones are required. The CD-ROM for this course requires Microsoft Windows 98, Me, 2000, or XP. It is not compatible with Mac OS, and may experience errors with Windows Vista. |
CH11 | 
