[CHNS 0101]
Beginning Chinese

Rate This Class

Professor: Du, H

Value of Course / Overall Score

Not Much (0%
Average (0%)
Valuable (100%)

Material

Friendly (0%)
Average (18.2%)
Competitive (81.8%)

Class Atmosphere

Boring (45.5%)
Average (18.2%)
Fascinating (36.4%)

Prep Time Needed

1-2hr (9.1%)
3-5hr (9.1%)
6-8hr (18.2%)
9-11hr (27.3%)
12+ hr (36.4%)

Grade Weighting

Harder (36.4%)
Average (0%)
Easier (63.6%)

Adequate Assistance

Yes (100%)
No (0%)

Would Recommend Class

Yes (90.9%)
No (9.1%)

Evaluation Comments for Du, H

  1. Du Laoshi knows her stuff and knows how to get you to understand the material.
  2. No Comment
  3. No Comment
  4. Firstly, you can?t really go wrong with any of the intro Chinese professors. The department is as solid as it gets. All of the professors are wonderful. It?s more about finding the teaching style that you prefer. Du is a little more stern than Moran. Both of their teaching styles really challenge kids in that they don?t wait for them to volunteer an answer---both professors just call on students randomly. It?s a very effective style because it forces you to participate and keep the pace, but sometimes it can feel like a game of hot potato when you know they haven?t called on you in a few minutes. The difference is this: I feel Moran makes a better effort to call on EVERY student in the class with an equal frequency, and he gives as much attention, patience, and warmth to the kids who obviously aren?t as fast at learning Chinese as those who are. Du, in my opinion, while she made an effort to call on every student, she seemed to give more attention and to be more pleased with the students that were much quicker than everyone else. I was one of the medium to slower kids, so please keep that in mind. Although Du made a fairly good impression on me, I just wasn?t as comfortable or at-ease in her class as I was in Moran?s. She?s primarily a linguist, and her teaching style is pretty representative of it: it?s very to-the-point and rule based, and the overall atmosphere to her classroom feels like bullets outlined on a page. There is plenty of conversation and interaction to soften it up, but Du feels more rigid than Moran. This can be a very good thing---after all, I know many students who prefer her to Moran. It just depends on your learning style. Also, if you?re shopping around for an intro Chinese Professor, I?ve found one thing to be true: students here usually develop a certain loyalty for their main Chinese professor, and since the department is so well-rounded and exceptional, kids get attached and tend to think their main/secondary professors are the best around. Keep an open mind if you?re planning to study Chinese for a few years, and instead of sticking to a single group of professors, try to branch out and try all of them. They?re all distinct and equally as awesome.
  5. First-year Chinese is tough, but the high-quality teachers in the department make it possible to learn a lot. Du is a linguist, her teaching style reflects that, and she thrives when explaining grammar concepts. Overall, tough class, front-heavy, but very doable because of the teachers.
  6. If you can't learn Chinese here, then you can't learn Chinese anywhere. In class you're constantly practicing speaking and Professor Du is great. She's enthusiastic and a great teacher.
  7. Professor Du is really helpful and her background in linguistics really clarified a lot of points of confusion for me.
  8. This is the most difficult class that I have taken this past semsester. This is also the most fulfilling class that I have taken this past semester. If there is someone looking for a serious challenge, then take this class. Just be ready to work... alot.
  9. This class is amazing. Du and all the other professors are great. They are very helpful, explain well and are always ready to answer questions. Because so many people choose to take Beginning Chinese every year the professors are quite strict the first semester. However, if you really are interested in and want to learn Chinese, and are ready to work ALOT, this is definitely a great class.
  10. This is a great language class. The whole Chinese department is so nice and understanding. Unlike in other classes, they really care about your learning and even take the initiative to learn about your life. They pay attention to each student's weaknesses and repeatedly ask individuals to speak until they master the pronunciation or grammar pattern. if you get easily embarrassed by this it's going to take a little while to get used to being put on the spotlight, but it' a great experience. I actually dropped Chinese after my first year, but that was because I was not invested in Chinese culture. Make sure you actually want to take this language (and not just because it's a challenge/so many people speak it - are you planning to speak to millions of people?). Make sure you either are interested in the Chinese community or culture, or are planning to use it in a "career." You always have to invest a lot of time writing characters and such, so keep in mind that a great commitment is necessary. By the way, Wang Laoshi (teacher) is a great person and a hilarious teacher, so I hope you have a drill with her!
  11. take an easier language

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