Why track B students have to pay for their text books?

Few parents have raised the question regarding text book fee for track B students. Here are the answer:

On the registration forms, there is a message stating the textbooks are not included in the tuition. 
 
Our students start using textbooks from Grade 1 and up.  In PreK and K classes, there is no textbook and teacher will use their own teaching materials.
 
From this semester, Kindergarten students will start using books as well.
For B track students, the books are more expensive than A track students because we can receive free textbooks for A track students from Taiwanese government.
 
For B track students, we have tried different publishing houses before.  Mainly the textbooks are determined by the teachers and the administration.  We choose books based upon the content and usefullness for our students.  The price is also an issue.  In the past, we have selected the American publishing houses to purchase our B track textbooks. 
 
They actually cost more than the new books that we are using now.
I am enclosing what I found on the website below this message for your reference .
 
When we decided to switch to this textbook, we also hoped to lower down the cost for B track parents.  The entire set of new textbooks come with the textbook, work book A and B, EPen disk and Cd.  The entire set costs $24 while last year’s book everyday Chinese cost $24.5 for textbook alone.
 
As for the field trip, it is a voluntary field trip.  You can choose not to participate.  Last year’s field trip was free because it was a free event sponsored by Delaware Art Museum.  This field trip to Longwood Garden is not a free event.

Far East Chinese for Youth : Simplified Character Level 1
by S.C. Wang, Weiling Wu
March 2004, Paperback
List Price: $24.95
 
Far East Chinese for Youth : Traditional Character Level 3
by Weiling Wu
June 2003, Paperback
List Price: $24.95
 
Far East Chinese for Youth : Traditional Character Level 3
by Weiling Wu
June 2003, Paperback
List Price: $7.95
 
Far East Chinese for Youth : Traditional Character Level 3
by Weiling Wu
June 2003, Paperback
List Price: $9.95
 
Far East Chinese for Youth : Level 3, Character Book
by Weiling Wu
June 2003, Paperback
List Price: $9.95
 
Far East Chinese for Youth : Level 3, Simplified Character
by Weiling Wu
June 2003, Paperback
List Price: $24.95
 
Far East Chinese for Youth : Level 3, CD for text
by Weiling Wu (Editor)
January 2003, CD-ROM
List Price: $12.00
 
Far East Chinese for Youth : Workbook Level 3 CD
by Weiling Wu (Editor)
January 2003, Hardcover
List Price: $15.00
 
 Far East Chinese for Youth : Traditional Character Level 3
by Weiling Wu
June 2002, Paperback
List Price: $24.95
 
Far East Chinese For Youth : Level 2 (Simplified Character)
by Weiling Wu, Hai-lan Tsai, Qing Yang
June 2002, Paperback
List Price: $24.95
 
Far East Chinese for Youth : Traditional Character Level 3
by Weiling Wu
June 1999, Paperback
List Price: $16.50
 
Far East Chinese for Youth : Level 3
by Weiling Wu
January 1999, Paperback
List Price: $7.95
 
Far East Chinese for Youth : Traditional Character Level 3
by Weiling Wu, Hai-lan Tsai
January 1999, Paperback
List Price: $9.95
 
Chinese for Youth : Character Book
by Weiling Wu
June 1998, Paperback
List Price: $16.95
 
Chinese for Youth
by Weiling Wu
June 1997, Paperback
List Price: $12.95
 
 Chinese for Youth : Level 1
by Weiling Wu
June 1997, Paperback
List Price: $24.95

Chinese Festival

This posting highlights our discussion at our last faculty meeting regarding next year’s Chinese Festival preparation. Please share your thoughts and provide your input. Thanks.

Chinese School of Delaware is proposing to take charge of children’s activites, upon requested by CACC, and all profit/loss will be abosorbed by Chinese School. Also, Chinese School will sign up for a food table to sell food and provide meals for Chinese School of Delaware volunteers. Chinese School of Delaware will not accept if only fruit can be sold as it was two years ago.

Chinese School bulletin board

Our bulletin board is used to provide a space for each class to demonstrate students’ learning and promote Chinese language and culture education. Needlessly to say, it needs constant update. In the past, CACC has critized our bulletin board not able to “up keep” its content as well as appearance. It does not look good for Chinese school.  We have way more classes than the spaces allowed. Any idea on how to improve this area?

What makes them want to learn?

Thanks to Jia-Ni, our second grade (2A) teacher, for sharing this article:
http://books.google.com/books?id=jz0Vjx7LKmYC&pg=PA187&dq=中文書&lr=&sig=FmLb6lIFjXQ5wfqkgTLqb5Yzsdo#PPA4,M1
It would be teachers, school administrators, and parents all participate together to attract our students for their learning desire.

Simplified Characters

哪尼？為迎陸客商機而學簡體字？

2008/05/06 19:50:47

參考文獻：聯合新聞網「觀光導覽 別瘋簡體字」報導關於這回七月陸客觀光、包機直航所帶來的商機，其實最引人矚目的還有一件事：各縣市將觀光導覽以簡體字書寫，而旅館業者、餐廳業者也在菜單或其他DM的內容當中使用簡體字，並且，「居然」還開設簡體字認識的相關課程。對此，有個國文系教授以「繁體字」與「簡體字」的優劣比較與使用率，來論述其反對近日業界過度瘋簡體字的現象，雖然，筆者算是贊同他「反對過度瘋簡體字」的立場，不過這位教授的論述，對台灣社會的多數人而言可能不具說服力，原因有二：第一，現在台灣社會的普遍意識，明顯傾向「賺大陸人錢」；第二，「簡體字」與「繁體字」的優劣比較一直存在爭議。撇開第二個原因不談，其實第一個原因也可以來解釋，為什麼馬英九用個賴幸媛當陸委會主委，會引起如此強烈的風波，因為，現在賺大陸人的錢，筆者要說的是：「它早就成為社會普遍意識，甚至是社會規範或常態了！」可不是嗎？當初賴幸媛被抨擊的焦點，正是她台聯立委時期種種「反中」的印象哪！然而，這位國文系教授也正因為觸及這個社會事實，所以才會被網路讀者質疑啊！ 那麼，這是否意謂，近日觀光業者、餐飲業者或縣市政府瘋簡體字的行為完全正確呢？答案是否定的，想想2006年的中村夫婦Long Stay爭議事件吧！當時爆發爭議的南投縣埔里鎮，由胡忠一博士的描述可知，除了是國內最早配合農委會推動Long Stay的地方政府外，據說，該鎮還使用日語作為招牌店名，甚至使用日本最具代表性的LOGO，也就是鯉魚旗，結果仍因生活環境不佳而不歡而散。 因此，筆者認為產業界和官方如要迎接這股七月陸客商機，該做的絕對不是只有地圖、標示、廣告簡介使用簡體字而以，如同筆者之前講過很多次的，官方要衡量台灣本身的國家條件，如氣候、文化、居住環境、民情風俗等，並要規劃行政上的協助，如簽證、交通、醫療、治安、飲食、觀光景點規劃管理等。至於產業界，則要搞清楚陸客的需求可能包含什麼，以Long Stay的經驗來看，語言絕對不是唯一。 農委會辦理日本銀髮族Long Stay時，便有規劃供給面的環境整備和需求面的意向或態度調查，並對相關產業業者提出報告與建議；同樣地，筆者也認為政府和民間業者該注意的，是絕對不能只專注簡體字的觀光導覽、菜單或DM的設計與提供，或者員工對簡體字的辨認，而疏忽了產品、服務與環境的供給整備，以及不同人口統計特徵之陸客，對台灣觀光旅遊相關產品與服務之評價與購買行為傾向的需求調查。 何況，如果是需要簡體字人才的話，筆者倒認為可以去向各大學社科領域研究所去「借將」，特別是哲學和社會學科系的，畢竟這兩個科系平常多半都有要求學生看簡體書，不過，不知道這當中的人事成本，和將觀光導覽、菜單、標示等改成簡體字，甚至開設員工簡體字辨識的課程而負擔的成本相比，何者為大呢？ 但總之，如果政府與業界過度專注於「簡體字」，而疏忽了行政支援、國家條件評估與辨識，以及相關產業之產品與服務的提供，並針對不同特徵之陸客進行需求調查的話，那麼，中村夫婦的類似事件……嘿嘿嘿……

 

 

因為簡體字和繁體字很相似，多看幾次大概就了解簡體字的意思，不過因為簡體字太過簡單了，所以出了不少的笑話。

「隻」簡化變「只」，如果有人說：「我養的豬只會吃青菜」你覺得它是會吃青菜，還是只會吃青菜咧……

Traditional Characters vs. Simplified Characters

Following article comes from udn.com and my comment is at the end of this article.

http://udn.com/NEWS/OPINION/X1/4330420.shtml

寫簡體字 省時間 【聯合報╱張巧鳳／陸籍配偶（基隆市)】 2008.05.07 03:02 am 在台灣，似乎任何物品的名字前面，只要冠以「大陸」兩個字，總代表著不好。「大陸妹」、「大陸貨」，台灣人一提起大陸，口氣裡總或多或少地帶著蔑視。 身為嫁來台灣九年之久的「大陸新娘」，我頗多感慨。大陸貨不好，台灣不要進口嘛！愛台灣的台灣人也不要買大陸貨，讓大陸貨在台灣失去市場！可是有多少台灣人嘴裡邊罵著大陸貨，手裡卻不停地往家裡搬，還笑呵呵地說，「呵！好便宜！」你既然選擇便宜，就不要責怪品質，因為你付出多少就該得到多少。 我在台灣總被人以文盲對待，尤其是有人看到我翻閱台灣報紙，覺得很不可思議，最常得到的問候就是「你看得懂繁體字嗎？」然後對方會語重心長地說，「學繁體字好啊，只有繁體字才是正統，你們大陸的簡體字是什麼東西呀。」 在台灣多年的經驗告訴我，人家再怎麼批評你，也不要回嘴，大陸人在這裡討不到好處。所以此時我往往起身離開，心裡卻頗不以為然。 沒錯，是有很多簡體字脫離了原來的意思，可是這個社會是不斷演變不斷進化的，寫一個繁體字的時間，足以用來寫好多個簡體字了，我想這也是文字不斷演變的初衷吧。社會的節奏越來越快，對於我們這種不鑽研歷史不懂得文學的普通人而言，文字只是一種符號，傳達意思而已，寫簡體字恰恰節約了很多的時間。而繁體字也是由象形文字演化而來的，如果說正統，何不乾脆提倡學習象形文字？然後人人拿支毛筆慢慢書寫，不，古人是把文字刻在甲骨上的，我們是不是要效仿這所謂的正統呢？ 當然，我並不是說台灣人應該放棄繁體字，如今人人使用電腦，電腦打字的速度可是驚人的，時間已經不再是問題。文字，就讓它順其自然吧，大可不必因為某個政治人物說繁體字是正統它就是正統，也不必為反對大陸而反對簡體字吧。 【2008/05/07 聯合報】@ http://udn.com/

Comment:

It is true that simplified characters are easier to write, however, I have to argue that simplified characters are not easy to recognize (from my students’ comments). It is also true that Chinese characters have evloved from the beginning symbolic or pictorial form. However, the evolvment was gradual and incorporated many cultural aspects. If today’s simplified characters were derived from that perspective and are accepted by most Chinese without political pressure, then I will have no problem with that. The debate is not about which one is the “standard” (standard can and will be changed), the discussion should focus on which one (or another one) is best for the language and culture. We need to understand the background of simplified character movement first before we jump into the conclusion.

Text books for track B

We had narrowed down to two options: weiling Wu’s books and 華語通

 

華語通so far has published volume 1 and 2 only.  In the summer they may publish to volume 4.  We are not sure yet.  華語通has another version for A track students: 生活華語 We can get this 生活華語version for free.  But 華語通is NOT FREE.

 

we have 生活華語at school.  You may need to take a look asap.

10th Grade Level Idioms

ID	GradeLevel	Idiom
55	10	天下無難事，只怕有心人
56	10	飲水思源
57	10	功虧一簣
58	10	以貌取人
59	10	對症下藥
60	10	三天打魚，兩天曬網

 

9th Grade Level Idioms

ID	GradeLevel	Idiom
49	9	家常便飯
50	9	牛頭不對馬嘴
51	9	一舉兩得
52	9	過河拆橋
53	9	水到渠成
54	9	精打細算

 

8th Grade Level Idioms

ID	GradeLevel	Idiom
43	8	物以類聚
44	8	熟能生巧
45	8	腳踏兩條船
46	8	價廉物美
47	8	討價還價
48	8	水到渠成