Unit 2 Language Project By Lynn

The development of Chinese characters

Skimming  1. When did Chinese writing begin?  2. Who invented Chinese characters?  3. When did the Chinese government introduce simplified Chinese characters?

 Read the text again and find the main idea of each paragraph.

Part 1 (para 1) Part 2 (para 2) Part 3 (para 3-7) Part 4 (para 8) The origins of Chinese characters Simplified Chinese characters Brief introduction to Chinese characters Form and development of Chinese characters

How did Cang Jie invent Chinese writing? Cang Jie saw the footprints of birds and animals in the snow and he got the idea that he could use different shapes or pictures to represent objects. Cang Jie

Form and development of Chinese characters Some information about Chinese characters Facts Examples Describing ___________ Pictograph Describing ___________ Combining two or more elements together Describing ________ and _________ Different or opposite forms up and______ How to ___________ some characters one part indicating ________ and the other showing ________ objects ideas numbers directions pronounce down meaning sound 财、护 山、目 日、月 休、囚

 漢字擁有悠久的歷史，它是中國文化的象 徵，是中國勞動人民智慧的結晶。  汉字拥有悠久的历史，它是中国文化的象 征，是中国劳动人民智慧的结晶。 simplified characters traditional characters

Extension A brief introduction to the development of Chinese calligraphy （书法）calligraphy

甲骨文金文 小篆 Oracle Bone Inscriptions Bronze Inscriptions Lesser Seal Characters

隶书 草书 Official Script Cursive Script

行书 永和九年，岁在癸丑，暮春之初， 会于会稽山阴之兰亭，修禊事也。 群贤毕至，少长咸集。此地有崇 山峻岭，茂林修竹。又有清流激 湍，映带左右，引以为流觞曲 水 楷书 Formal Script Running Script

Difficult sentences 1. The Chinese language differs from many Western languages in that it uses characters which have meanings and can stand alone as words. (line 1) in that 在于，因为 人与动物不同因为人能思考和说话。 Humans differ from animals in that they can think and speak.

Animals suffered at the hands of Man ______ they were destroyed by people to make way for agricultural land to provide food for more people. A. in which B. for which C. so that D. in that D 动物在人类手中遭殃，因为为了给更多的人提供食物， 人们把它们消灭来腾出地方作农田。

2. There are many other examples reflecting the development of Chinese writing... (line 19) There is a car _________ rubbish over there. (collect) There was a wallet _____ on the floor. He picked it up and handed it to the police. A. lie B. lay C. lying D. lied collecting C

Discussion Do you think it is possible for Chinese to become the most widely used international language some day? Why or why not?

Homework  Read the text again carefully and remember the key expressions.  Finish the related exercises.

Pictograph SunMoon Mountain Sheep Bull 象形字

Ideographs 会意字 made up of two or more existing characters. A man leans against a tree, which means that he is resting.

Indicatives 指事字 On the top 上 Beneath 下 The left symbol means a sword ( 刀 ). Put a point on the character “sword”, then it refers to the blade ( 刃 ).

Pictophonetic 木树板林枝柱柳杉 氵汁江汗河泽泪池 钅钉钢铁铜铝银锤 形声字