Traditionally, reading and writing are believed to be separate but related language processes and teachers follow the conventional wisdom of teaching in-depth reading, with writing as a tag-on issue.
Therefore, there exists an increasingly urgent call for a well-rounded reading-writing curriculum and a theoretically-informed, empirically-based, student-centered advanced textbook that aims to develop the synergy between reading and writing. Reading to Write: A Textbook of Advanced Chinese is intended to fill this significant gap. It treats reading and writing as integrative parts and interactive skills in Chinese language teaching, putting them hand-in-hand, supplementing each other.
Acknowledgments
Preface
Users guide
1. Writing about events, part one
Writing guide : key elements of event writing
Model text : an amusing account of exam preparations
Rhetoric : personification
Practical writing : email
2. Writing about events: part two
Writing guide : detailed descriptions
Model text : a tune in the rain
Rhetoric : metaphors and similes
Practical writing : congratulatory words
3. Writing about people
Writing guide : capturing key traits
Model text : mothers smiles
Rhetoric : parallelism
Practical writing : letter of gratitude
4. Writing about scenery, part one
Writing guide : careful observations
Model text : impressions of Niagara Falls
Rhetoric : exaggeration
Practical writing : posters
5. Writing about scenery, part two
Writing guide : blending scenery and feelings
Model text : autumn colors on campus
Rhetoric : association
Practical writing : cover letter for a job application
6. Writing about feelings
Writing guide : true feelings and beautiful expressions
Model text : musical charm
Rhetoric : imagination
Practical writing : résumé
7. Persuasive writing
Writing guide : three methods of argumentation
Model text : confidence and conceit
Rhetoric : rhetorical question
Practical writing : reader response
Appendices
English translations of the model texts
Vocabulary index
Zu-yan Chen is a Professor of Chinese Language and Literature at Binghamton University, State University of New York. He holds the rank of SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor. His publications include seven books and many articles spanning the fields of literature, history, philosophy, and language pedagogy.
