Day 8
Mon. Feb. 1
Review words and phrases
Speakers and discussion: Rachael, Rixin, Kaige
Begin discussion of Essay 2 examples
Homework
Note that the draft for Essay 2 is due on WEDNESDAY of this coming week！
➤ Be ready to talk about the four sample essays from Intersections
We didn’t get a chance to share our answers to these questions, so be ready to share your examples of these things this coming class:
Notice places where the author defines the concept they’re writing about. Come ready to share a sentence or short passage where the author defines their concept.
Notice a few places where the author makes generalizations about Chinese culture. Come ready to share at least one example of:
A place where you think the author overgeneralizes (makes a generalization that is too broad or untrue in some respects).
A place there the author makes a nuanced generalization (a generalization that captures the true complexity of reality).
I would recommend that you print these articles or have them easy to access during class discussion, because we’ll be referring to many specific passages while we talk.
➤ Read “What Does It Mean to Be Cool” and excerpts from The Chinese Have a Word for It
Read “What Does It Mean To Be Cool” by Thorsten Botz-Bornstein (an article from the magazine Philosophy Now) and the excerpts from the book The Chinese Have a Word for It by Boye Lafayette de Mente.
As you read, record three phrases (collocations) that you think you might like to use in your own writing. Come ready to share them and tell us why you chose those phrases, and use them to describe something related to word you’re planning to write about for your next essay.
➤ Speakers: Xiaoyi, Tanya, Tianji
Tell us about the word you’re planning to write about — in 2-3 minutes, give us a brief definition and explain to us why you think the concept is interesting. Please end by posing a question to the class to get discussion started.