Course Syllabus

Course Information：

Year-Semester	Course Number	Course Name	Phase	Credits	Hours	Required/Elective	Instructor	Class	Student NO.	Withdraw	Note
Spring Semester Year 2025	346175	Shuo Wen Jie Zi	1	2.0	2	△	Yiching Chen	Core Curriculum (VIII)	30	0	人文與藝術向度

Course Plan：

Instructor	Yiching Chen
Email	sweetprettylover@gmail.com
Last Updated	2025-01-02 00:46:29
Course Objective	我們使用的方塊文字，以形寓意的獨立形構，已是世界文明的獨特瑰寶。本課程將從六書結構、文字流變、文字的文化意涵、文字的藝術觀等四個面向，切入認識中國文字與文化。 The pictographic system, an independent structure to represent meanings through word forms, has been considered a unique treasure in the world civilization. This course discusses the six morphological structures, the history and development, the cultural representation and the artistic functions of the written words in the Chinese language. This course provides an in-depth exploration of Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字), the foundational dictionary of Chinese characters by Xu Shen (許慎) during the Eastern Han dynasty. Students will study its structure, principles, and influence on Chinese linguistics and culture, gaining insights into character formation and the evolution of Chinese writing.
Course Schedule	Week 1: Overview of Shuowen Jiezi Week 2: Structure and Methodology Week 3: Radical-based Classification Week 4:Pictographs (象形) Week 5:Ideograms (指事) and Compound Ideograms (會意) Week 6:Phono-semantic Compounds (形聲) Week 7: Semantic Extension (轉注) and Loan Characters (假借) Week 8: Historical Development of Chinese Writing Week 9: Midterm Review & Assessment Week 10: Insights into Ancient Chinese Culture Week 11: Shuowen Jiezi’s Impact on Modern Linguistics Week 12: Case Studies of Key Characters Week 13: Reinterpreting Shuowen Jiezi in Modern Contexts Week 14: Critiques and Limitations of Shuowen Jiezi Week 15: Digital Tools and Resources Week 16: Student-Led Analysis of Chosen Characters Week 17: Review and Reflection Week 18: Final Assessment
Evaluation and grading policy	Participation and Engagement: 20% Weekly Assignments: 20% Midterm Exam: 30% Final Project and Presentation: 30%
Materials	All right reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Foreign-language textbooks:No supplementary materials 《Shuowen Jiezi》許慎，萬卷樓，2002年。 《漢字的故事China: Empire of Living Symbols》 林西莉，貓頭鷹，2006年。
The access to curricular consultation	Email me to get more information： sweetprettylover@gmail.com Foreign students or international students welcome to take this course. But please confirm it before taking if your credits are allowed by your department or your school.
The course corresponds to the SDGs	SDG4：優質教育（Quality Education） SDG10：減少不平等（Reduced Inequalities） SDG16：和平正義與有力的制度（Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions）
Note	PART 1: Historical Development of Chinese Writing in Week 8 of the course relates to SDG 4 Quality Education and SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities; Insights into Ancient Chinese Culture in Week 10 of the course relates to SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. PART 2： Shuowen Jiezi’s Impact on Modern Linguistics in Week 11 of the course is related to the "Model Learning" aspect of the 6E method of Innovative Moral Education. Please provide an explanation (for assessment of effectiveness).