CHIN 2060

Gao Lao Shi is one of the nicest people you will meet during your time at UVA. For those who are nervous about taking a new language, I highly recommend you go with her because she does a great job of creating a safe classroom environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing. One of the biggest pieces of advice I can give about this course is to speak up!!! That is the only way you can improve your speaking skills, and don't worry about not having fully formulated ideas before you do so. Gao Lao Shi loves to use tools such as Padlet, Voicethread, and videos to help enhance the learning experience and create variety in the course material.

When it comes to learning a new language or culture, it is important to realize the endless amount of approaches that an individual can take to help them better understand the material. Over time, I’ve come to realize that I’m more of a visual learner rather than an auditory or kinesthetic learner. The use of visual media has helped me improve my understanding of Chinese culture and about my Chinese-American identity through documentaries regarding 家乡 & 华裔家庭亲子关系. The Chinese heritage pathway is unique in a sense due to the complexity and depth of the topics seen within the curriculum. As a result, a course like this requires the aid of these resources to help explain and break down certain topics that tend to be more complicated. Some of the topics that I found more difficult to understand with only the textbook included 客套话, 方言, and 中国地理. Oftentimes, videos and documentaries help provide students with real-life conversations in that specific language which also encourages the improvement of communication skills. The teacher is able to provide a great opportunity for critical thinking by asking questions to the students at the beginning and end of the videos. 高老师 tries to prepare us for conversations prior to us watching the videos by utilizing a tool known as VoiceThread and also wants us to reflect on the videos through in-class discussions. I found that the most memorable moment for me last semester was when our entire class was able to come together and talk about challenging topics such as the struggles of Chinese-Americans, Traditional vs Simplified Characters, and Generation Gaps. Finally, videos such as the movie we watched (人在囧途), helped evoke genuine emotions from the audience and provides a break from traditional writing assignments. There were certain parts in this movie that everyone could easily relate to and as a result, it creates a closer classroom community.

All I can say is it is a lot of work, and as long as you put in the work you will do well in the class. For those who took 1060, it is more or less the same but harder - longer essays for homework (like 400 words), more words for mini quizzes, about 4 exams with an oral presentation and written essays. It is a manageable adjustment from 1060. For those who didn't take 1060, it may be more difficult to adjust. #tCFspring2021

She is a great person and a decent teacher. While I didn't like the class much when I was taking it, looking back I can see my Chinese skills improved by 10x.

Professor Gao is extraordinary in her teaching! I loved her as a professor because she was clear with what she expected and when. Ting Xie is every single class, but you have chances to increase your score. Oral presentations are based on effort rather than actual knowledge. Make sure you work hard in this class, and you will reap all of the benefits. That being said, Professor Gao is a very nice teacher and will help you, just talk to her and she can even move assignment deadlines for you!

Gao laoshi is one of the sweetest and nicest people that you'll ever meet. She is also a pretty lenient grader, and even though she takes off points for really small mistakes, it'll only be like 0.1 or 0.2 points for the minor mistakes. She taught pretty well and I would definitely take more Chinese classes with her if I could

This course is supposed to be for heritage speakers who completed the 1060 level/tested into it, so be warned that she does expect you to have at least a basic knowledge of the language and calls everyone by their Chinese names