Requirements and Grading:

Attendance                                                                                                      20%

One 15-minute Presentation                                                                           20%

Midterm Essay (5 pages)                                                                                30%

Final Essay (10 pages)                                                                                    30%

Final Grade 

Your final grade will appear as a letter grade according to the following scale: 

90-100% A

80-89 % B

70-79% C

60-69% D

0-59% F 

Method of Evaluation

• Reading/Watching & Posting: 20%
• Pop Quizzes: 20%
• Participation: 15%
• Presentation: 15%
• Final Project: 30%
• Total: 100%
• Extra Credit: Perfect attendance (+2%)

Grade Scale: A (90–100%), B (80–89%), C (70–79%), D (60–69%), F (below 60%)

Reading/Watching & Posting (20%)

For each required reading/watching, post one thoughtful paragraph on Discussions (undergraduate: 6–8 sentences; graduate: 8–10 sentences) including:

1. Brief summary (1–2 sentences) – 6/25 pts
2. Personal insights (2–3 sentences) – 10/25 pts
3. Supplementary resource (URL with hyperlink + brief explanation) – 3/25 pts
4. Relevant question (1–2 sentences) – 3/25 pts
5. Response to one classmate’s question (1–2 sentences) – 3/25 pts

Resources and questions must be original (not previously posted). Check spelling/grammar before submitting.

Pop Quizzes (20%)

Given at the very beginning of most class sessions to verify advance reading of assigned material and timely completion/submission of online homework. Essential for active participation. No make-ups for absences. 

Participation (15%)

Active engagement required: speak at least once per class (e.g., group summary, asking/answering questions). Full points depend on thorough preparation. 

Presentation (15%)

• Grading: Posting deadline (20%), Content (summary + supplementary materials, 60%), Delivery (20%). 

Final Project (30%)

1. Choose a topic from Navillera or When Life Gives You Tangerines and post on Announcements by April 10, 11:59 pm.
2. Submit YouTube video link via email by May 1, 11:59 pm.

• Grading: Submission deadline (10%), Content (summary + supplementary materials, 50%), Delivery (20%), Minimum length (undergraduate: 5 min; graduate: 7 min, 20%). 

1. Attendance and Class Participation/Discussion (5%)

1. You should notify the instructor in advance if you’re sick or have to miss the class
2. Three unexcused absences will automatically lower one level of your grade
3. You are expected to actively participate in the class discussions and other class activities.

2. Reading Homework (40%, 10x4points)

Reading guide and questions for each paper will be posted, and you are required to complete all the homework assignments and be well prepared for class participation and discussion. Each homework is due one day before the class covers it. Grading will be based on the quality of your work. An excellent response is not only accurate, but also demonstrates thoughtful reading of the papers. 

Grading: close reading and accuracy (70%), arguments and critical thinking (20%), timely submission (10%)

3. Unit Review Essay and Presentation (30%, 3x10 points)

You’re required to go over each unit’s content and write a unit review essay. 3 units in total. Each essay is about 1,000-1,500 characters or equivalent to your language level.

Besides the summary of what you’ve learned in this unit, I’m interested in YOUR thoughts on issues discussed in the papers, asking interesting, challenging questions about the author’s argument and analysis, relating the articles to issues we’ve discussed earlier, applying what you’ve read or learned from the class to relevant examples and phenomena from your own experiences.

Grading: close reading (30%), arguments and critical thinking (30%), language accuracy (15%), length and words (15%), and oral presentation (10%).

4. Topic Presentation and Discussion Leader (5 points) 

Each student will have an opportunity to do a lesson presentation on a suggested topic, as well as leading the class discussion on that topic.

5.  Final Paper (20%)

This should be an academic research paper that shows intercultural analysis, solid research, and critical thinking. Your final project consists of an oral presentation and a written research paper in Chinese, about 3000 characters or equivalent to your language level. 

Grading: Research, methodology, data (60%), Arguments and Critical Thinking (15%), Organization and Structure (5%), accuracy of language use (10%), and oral presentation (10%).

1. Attendance and Class Participation/Discussion (8%)   

1.  Arrival in the classroom more than 10 minutes late or leaving more than 10 minutes early (without permission of the instructor) will result in being marked lateness. If you must leave the class early please notify the instructor before the start of the class.
2. Each three latenesses will be treated the same as one missed class. Three unexcused absences will automatically lower one level of your grade.
3. You are expected to actively participate in the drills, conversation practices, discussions, and other class activities.
4. If for any reason the instructor is late you will be required to wait ½ hour before you can assume the class will not be held and you are free to leave.

2.  Vocabulary List and Discussion Questions (3x8=24%)

      Prior to studying each film, students are required to watch the film carefully in advance and submit a sheet which includes three parts: 

1. A brief list of the words/grammars you recognize (10 or more)
2. A list of the words you have just learned from watching the film (10 or more, with pinyin, meaning, and the sentence source/time stamps)
3. At least two discussion questions about the film. Please try to come up with interpretive questions that could be discussed in class. The questions should reflect careful viewing of the film and an effort to analyze it

看电影，学中文 is a major component of this course. Please note this portion accounts for about ¼ of your total grade. 

3. Quizzes (5x8=40%)

A quiz on key vocabulary, expressions, and film content will be given for 8 films.  

4. Response Essays (5x4=20%)

1. 4 essays are required, roughly 400-500characters each
2. the topics and questions will be posted after each film  
3. essays to check on the students’ engagement of the class discussion and understanding/analysis of the film
4. present your essay which has been edited by the instructor and corrected by yourself 

Grading Criteria: critical thinking and argument articulation (30%); research (20%), grammar and vocabulary that you’ve applied correctly and creatively in your writing (30%); word length (10%), and final correction (10%). 

5.   Midterm Group Project (3%)

      Each group presents one episode of Stephen Chow’s film, Kungfu Hustle《功夫》

1) to select a 3-4 minute clip from your assigned segment. The selected clip should have sufficient and interesting dialogue for close reading, learning, and analysis
2) to make a transcript for the short clip.
3) to teach the clip and lead discussion in class

6.  Topic Presentation (5%)

      Each student will have an opportunity to do a topic presentation on a suggested topic. 

Grading: Content and Research (50%), Language Accuracy (30%); Organization and Structure (10%), 

and Q&A skills (10%).

Your final grade will be assigned as a letter grade according to the following scale: 

A 90-100%

B 80-89%

C 70-79%

D 60-69%

F 0-59% 

Your final grade will be assigned as a letter grade according to the following scale: 

A 90-100%

B 80-89%

C 70-79%

D 60-69%

F 0-59% 

ML4505/LING 4813: Class Participation 15%, Homework 20%, Two Exams 30%, Teaching Philosophy (Lab) 10% L2 Portfolio (classroom observation, tutoring, demo lesson)  (Lab) 25%

ML8803/LIN8803: Class Participation 15%, Homework 20%, Two Exams 20%, Teaching Philosophy (Lab) 10% L2 Portfolio (classroom observation, tutoring, demo lesson)  (Lab) 15%, Research Paper Presentation & Summary (10%).

All work you produce and submit for this class must be your own original work, ideas, and thoughts. You are not permitted to submit any work as your own if it has been generated by AI. If you use AI tools or outside assistance in any capacity, you must document this use transparently. Failure to disclose outside help may result in a grade of 0% for the assignment. Please consult if you have any questions in advance.

Course Requirements & Grading (for JPN 6500, the same weight has been applied), Class Participation Lecture and discussion, Analyses of case studies and discussion, Film and discussion 20%, Homework 20%, 2 Essays (7+8) 15%, 2 Exams (10 in-person +5 take-home) 15%, 3 Presentations (5+5+5) 15%, Final Research Project* including presentation 15%, Make-up exams or quizzes will not be given unless you can provide written documentation of a legitimate emergency. If you must miss an exam due to a school-authorized, pre-approved obligation, you must notify the instructor at least one week in advance and provide the name, title, email address, and phone number of a contact person who can verify the situation. With timely notification, you will be allowed to reschedule. Final Research Projec The use of AI tools is not permitted for this assignment. If you feel you may need to use AI at any stage of your writing process, you must consult the instructor in advance.

Grades in this course are based on a combination of active participation, homework assignments, vocabulary quizzes, and two major projects (mid-term and final). Active class and discussion board participation accounts for 13% of the final grade and is evaluated based on the quality and consistency of contributions in Japanese (with English used as needed for clarification). Homework assignments (25%) consist of independent mini-translation tasks followed by peer interaction and revision through Canvas. Vocabulary quizzes (12%) are administered regularly to assess students’ mastery of key Japanese and English terminology necessary for class discussion and translation analysis. The mid-term project (25%) and final project (25%) include written papers and recorded presentations and are evaluated using clearly defined criteria, including analytical depth, application of translation theory, linguistic accuracy, and presentation effectiveness. Final letter grades are assigned according to the standard Georgia Tech grading scale (A = 90–100, B = 80–89, C = 70–79, D = 60–69, F = below 60). Up to 3% extra credit may be earned through optional public-facing project summaries with appropriate permissions.

Description of Graded Components

1. Participation and Attendance (20%)

   Students are expected to come to class fully prepared to participate in class discussion. Students who are late to class, leave early, or engage in activities that indicate their inattention or non-participation (e.g. falling asleep, text-messaging, doing homework, reading irrelevant materials, etc.) will not receive full credit. To receive full credit for attendance, students should arrive on time and be present for the entire class. To receive full credit for participation, students should be actively contributing to class-wide and group discussions and activities.

   Beginning in Week 2, attendance and participation for each class will be graded as follows:

• Attendance: On-time (1pt)/Tardy or leaving early (0.8pt)/Unexcused absence (0 pt)

• Participation: Out of 2 pts

  If you arrive late, you are responsible for notifying the instructor, otherwise you may be marked absent. Excused absences (e.g., doctor’s visit) are granted case-by-case and generally require documentation, and students must contact the instructor.

  Note: 5 or more unexcused absences will automatically result in a 5% reduction of total grade. 10 or more unexcused absences may result in an automatic failing grade.

2. Reflection and Analysis (20%)

   Reflection and analysis (R&A) assignments are short, regular written responses intended to help you review and synthesize the key concepts and ideas from each class session—including both lectures and assigned readings—and to deepen your engagement by applying these concepts to your own experiences. R&A prompts will be distributed in class one session before they are due and must be completed in handwritten form. Although these assignments are graded primarily on effort and timely completion, students are expected to demonstrate accurate understanding and appropriate use of relevant concepts and terminology.

3. Mini-Presentation (5%)

   Mini-Presentations are informal opportunities for students to apply course concepts to real-world situations. Students will select a short case study (fictional or nonfictional) that illustrates a key idea from previous lecture and briefly share their example with the class or in small groups. Presentations should clearly explain how the case connects to the concept and highlight why the example is meaningful or relevant.

4. Project (15%)

   This project provides students with an opportunity to engage more deeply with a cultural concept, theme, or issue explored in the course. Students will apply key ideas from lectures and readings to the analysis of concrete examples from Japanese society, language use, media, or social practices. The project emphasizes careful use of course concepts, critical analysis, and clear explanation. Students will submit a project proposal (20% of this component), the project itself (70%), and a presentation at the end of the course (10%). Specific project formats and guidelines will be provided later in the semester.

5. Unit Exams (40%)

   Unit exams are designed to assess your understanding of key concepts, themes, and analytical skills covered in each unit of the course. Exams are in-class, written, and closed-book, closed-notes. They may include a combination of short-answer, identification, and essay questions. These assessments evaluate both your recall of course material and your ability to apply ideas discussed in lectures, readings, and class activities.