Essentials of Chinese Language in Social Life (CHIN2600)

Purposes: Identify a real-world and language-centered problem. Use the theories or concepts learned in class to explain the problem. Communicate your preliminary findings to others. Prepare you for writing a language analysis paper as the final course paper.   

Task Description:

Make a video explaining to others (instructors and students in CHIN2600) how the theories/concepts you have learned from CHIN2600 can be used to explain a problem in your social life. You are highly encouraged to develop this video project into your final analysis report, which will focus on data analysis and proposed solutions.  

Details: You will need to identity a research topic about real-world, language-based problems; explain why it is a problem by including all aspects; justify why the problems are critical by reviewing existing discussions; connect the problems to an aspect of Chinese language discussed in the class; explain which theory or concept taught in class can better explain the problems; collect some “social interactional” data to illustrate the problem (e.g., recordings of social interactions or online discussion); use concepts/theories taught in class to analyse two examples from the data; and present your findings.       

Format: You will need to create a video using voice-over-powerpoint (or similar). Zoom recording can support this purpose. You also want to make sure that your face is shown in the video.   

Submission: Upload your video to Blackboard (CHIN2600 Blackboard > Assessment > Video Project > Video Submission). If you are unable to upload the video to blackboard, copy and paste and submit the URL of the video to blackboard. Make sure the link works! 

What to include in your video:

1.     What is your topic? Why is a problem? Why is it important?  

2.     What is the current discussion about the problem (e.g., news media, online survey, or ethnographic interview)?   

3.     Which aspects of language use covered in CHIN2600 are relevant to the problem? 

4.     What theories or concepts taught in the class can be used to better understand the problem (and help you come up with solutions in the final project)?   

5.     What is your language data? How will they be collected?

6.     Use theories or concepts taught in the class to analyze two examples from the data. 

7.     What did you learn from this project (e.g., reflect critically on your analysis or the strengths, weaknesses, or problems of the theories)?   

8.     What is the take-home message of the presentation?  

You should make extensive research on your topic and show your understanding in the presentation with social interactional examples. Make your presentation engaging and insightful.

Language: English or Mandarin Chinese

Length: 8 minutes. (Anything after 8 minutes will not be viewed or marked).

Assessment criteria:

-       Demonstrate understanding of theories or concepts discussed in the class and able to use them to explain real-world, language-based problem in social life

-       clear coherent expression, engaging communication style

-       effective use of visuals/multimedia/Powerpoint

-       Check Blackboard for marking criteria

STATEMENT ON GENERATIVE AI & MT

This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

Purpose: Synthesize your learning, both theoretical and practical, and propose solutions to the identified problem.  

Description: Write a problem-solution essay analysing social interactional data you have collected from your social life and relating them to themes, theories, or concepts discussed in the class. You are encouraged to write this essay based the problem you have identified in the video project. It is ok if you want to focus on a topic different from your video project.   

What to include:

-       The paper should have at least the following components: 

1) a cover page that includes your name, student ID number, and class session (day and time, e.g., Monday 4:00-6:00 pm). Check APA student sample paper on Blackboard for additional requirements; 

2) an introduction that introduces a real-world and language-based problem, an aspect of the Chinese language you are focusing on, and the importance of the problem;

3) a theoretical section that briefly explains what theories or concepts you used in analysing the data and why they are the best theories or concepts for analysing the data. The theories or concepts need to be from the content covered in class; 

4) a data section that briefly explains how the data are collected and selected; 

5) a data analysis section that presents your analysis with rich and illustrative examples. This is the main part of the paper; 

6) a solution section that presents practical solutions to or suggestions for the identified problem. The solutions or suggestions should be based on the findings of the data analysis. This also the main part of the paper;  

7) conclusion section that summarizes your findings, arguments, and any reflections or suggestions; 

8) a reference list in the end that includes sources you referenced in the paper. In the reference list, provide the URL to your interview/interactional recordings if you use them as your data. 

-       The paper should follow APA https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html

-       Make sure to relate the analysis to the themes, theoretical frameworks, or concepts studied in the class. 

-       Your data analysis must include transcripts (interactional data) or texts (screenshots). Transcripts should have Chinese characters. 

Length: Approximately English 2000—2500 words, excluding references, the cover page, and Chinese transcripts.

Format: Microsoft Word. 

Submission: Upload your paper to Blackboard Turnitin (CHIN2600 Blackboard > Assessment > Final paper > Final paper Submission). You have unlimited attempts for submission before the due date, so make sure to check the similarity report and make changes when you submit your paper to Turnitin. Turnitin does NOT email a submission receipt to you. But you can screenshot your online submission or download digital receipts from the Assignment Dashboard.  

Assessment criteria: Check Blackboard for marking criteria

STATEMENT ON GENERATIVE AI & MT

This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.