Tracing Cultural Roots
F05
Shunzhu Wang
Students will experience the excitement of reading simplified versions of two of the four great classics: Shui Hu (The Water Margins) and San Guo (Three Kingdoms). The TV series and movies based on these two literary works will be used along with the texts so that the students can compare the verbal/written and visual representations. Various activities give students a chance to further develop their language skills and to nurture a literary sensitivity that will enhance cultural understanding. Newspaper articles will be the “side dish” that supplements the “main course” in this class. By reading articles from different newspapers, students will have a chance to develop reading skills while learning about various issues concerning contemporary China.