[CHNS 0101]
Beginning Chinese

Rate This Class

Professor: Moran, T.

Value of Course / Overall Score

Not Much (8.7%
Average (0%)
Valuable (91.3%)

Material

Friendly (0%)
Average (17.4%)
Competitive (82.6%)

Class Atmosphere

Boring (65.2%)
Average (21.7%)
Fascinating (13%)

Prep Time Needed

1-2hr (0%)
3-5hr (0%)
6-8hr (34.8%)
9-11hr (43.5%)
12+ hr (21.7%)

Grade Weighting

Harder (39.1%)
Average (0%)
Easier (60.9%)

Adequate Assistance

Yes (95.7%)
No (4.3%)

Would Recommend Class

Yes (91.3%)
No (8.7%)

Evaluation Comments for Moran, T.

  1. Chinese at Midd is intense but in the end you WILL learn Chinese. Moran knows what he is talking about and if you put in the work it will be worth it.
  2. Extremely good teacher, very tough class (especially if it is your first time taking Chinese). But with good reason, you are pushed to do your best and it really helps you learn the language.
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  14. Mu Laoshi is the best language teacher I have ever had. While Chinese is obviously a difficult language to learn, he makes the class enjoyable. The learning curve is very different from most subjects. You will most likely feel totally overwhelmed and confused during the first semester, but then you will start to figure out how it all works and you learn at much faster pace.
  15. Mu laoshi is great. He's really energetic and gets the entire class excited about learning Chinese. He loves seeing students improve too and will do anything he can to help. Beginning Chinese really isn't that hard -- as long as you're willing to put in the work and practice everyday (which is necessary for students of any language) and don't complain, then you will be fine.
  16. Mu Laoshi is a major asset to Midd's Chinese program. He runs the first-year program like butter, and is the strongest language teacher I've ever had across 3 different languages. He just knows how to teach. Stay on your toes, he will call on you if you're not, but he is always patient and willing to explain. 101 is hard, especially during the first month or 2 (very front-loaded course) for two reasons: 1) The first few months are "weed out" time 2) There will be some in your class who have studied Chinese before, and they will breeze through the first couple months while you are still struggling to master the basics, which are the hardest part of Chinese. Don't worry, it is essentially even by J-Term. Class is very tough, but doable, and Moran makes it much more so.
  17. people are caught up in the romance of chinese and first year. having just finished my sixth semester of chinese at middlebury, i have this to say: taking chinese is my biggest regret here. the department has completely beaten me down and destroyed any enjoyment i once had in the language. don't take this class unless you are obsessed with china. obsessed. otherwise take arabic or russian or japanese or an easy language. as far as grades go, the chinese department has the greatest deflation at midd. for example, the gpa from all my chinese classes differs from the gpa of all my non-chinese classes by over .7 and chinese has brought my overall gpa down by over .25. that's a lot. and i worked my ass off in chinese to.
  18. The man is fantastic. It is very difficult but there is no one else who will teach it better, anywhere. You owe it to yourself to learn from Mu.
  19. Mu Laoshi is a very valuable resource, in my opinion by far the best professor in the Chinese deparment. He knows how to teach chinese ... and thats really what you need.
  20. Mu is by far the best Professor of Chinese. He teaches from a student's perspective, and has a sick sense for the troubling grammar points. Concise, clear, organized, serious....how could one not love him...maybe if you're a slacker, you wouldn't like him. He can smell a slacker from a mile away.
  21. Mu Laoshi is by far the best teacher I've had at Middlebury. His far-reaching knowledge combined with a real ability to TEACH are what make this class sensational. Mu makes you want to work hard only because he works ten times harder than you, just putting the class together.
  22. Mu Laoshi is a wonderful teacher. He is quite famous in the academic world, but he comes to class with no ego. He just wants his children to learn. He explains grammar very well, and of the lead teachers, he gets frustrated with you less often (which isn't saying much). You should know that he has a tendency to be really condescending if you don't understand him or if you make a mistake, but he's usually pretty forgiving. ALSO, he is the worst when it comes to attendane. DO NOT MISS CLASS! He will hold it against you.
  23. This class is rediculously harshly graded, but it is very benificial and you'll learn a lot of chinese.
  24. Mu Laoshi is hands down the best professor I have ever had. He makes learning a difficult language fun by means of lighthearted humor even if it sometimes means laughing at the expense of one of your fellow classmates
  25. This is the greatest Chinese teacher I've ever had. Not only he is fast, his teaching is extremely efficient and he is very sensitive to students' needs. He will be strict in class, but you will love him no matter what. I would definitely recommend anyone to take his class.
  26. You will never meet another dept. at Middlebury or any other school that is as efficient and as organized in their teaching as the Chinese dept. I wish I was given as solid as a foundation in French as I have been given in Chinese this year. Mu Laoshi is the chief of the 1st year sequence for a reason: the man is a great teacher. He knows exactly what and where english speakers will trip up in translations. He gets to know each of us personally and acts as an informal advisor. Yes, the grading is insanely tough and exact (I got a 87.99 on one test and a 90.23 on another) and there is no doubt that if you are unfamiliar with any chinese or how to study chinese, this class will kill your GPA. But hey, this is one of those times to take the plunge and watch as it transforms your life, you'll thank yourself later.
  27. Mu's a great guy. i highly recommend him, energetic, lively, and fun. even though he can be intimidating at times
  28. HE can be strict, but he is genuine and sensitive, not to mention a very effective teacher.
  29. He is an amazing professor who truly cares about the success of his students.

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