Course Schedule

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  • Please note that the above contents may be adjusted based on students’ learning and the instructor’s needs. Major changes will be announced in class.
  
  
  • Webex online meeting will be arranged in week 16 if the instructor needs to speak with you.
  
  
  
  

N/A 

Course Requirements 

1. Punctuality. The roll call will start at 9:10 sharp, so please come to class on time. Each tardiness will deduct 5 points from your final grade. Being late twice equals one absence. Each unjustifiable absence will reduce 10 points from your final grade. After three absences in total, you will fail the course.


2. Weekly Reading Assignments. Weekly reading assignments are mandatory. Please finish reading the assigned articles before coming to the class. The instructor will ask the class questions based on the articles that you have read.


3. Group Presentation. A leading team of three or four members should choose a topic from the syllabus to create a 25-minute PowerPoint presentation and provide the audience with food for thought. In your PowerPoint presentation, please summarize the assigned article, read us a couple of thought-provoking sentences, discuss the article’s socio-historical background, introduce the author, and share your thoughts with the class.


4. Midterm Presentation. A group of three or four members should choose a current social topic and deliver a 25-minute PowerPoint presentation. Your presentation should include an introduction to the author, one or two quotes from the article, reasons of your chosen quote(s), an analysis of the article, and any additional insights or fun facts. The goal is to encourage students to become more informed, empathetic individuals who can navigate the complexities of today’s society.


5. Final in-class Writing. The instructor will choose a topic and email the final in-class writing questions to the class in Week 14. Please read the assigned materials carefully and elaborate your own thoughts in an organized manner. You are encouraged to prepare your answers in advance. However, the use of any electronic devices is strictly prohibited during the final exam.


6. Course Packet. There will be a course packet covering all the reading materials for this course. Please get it from the NCCU photocopying center in the basement of the Student Club Center (樂活館). N.B. To facilitate your learning and allow me to observe your reading progress, it is essential that you secure a copy of the course packet.


7. Use of AI. You may use AI tools (such as Google Gemini, ChatGPT, etc.) for research and information gathering. However, relying on it to generate your entire presentation and reading it verbatim from an electronic device will not be tolerated.

Grading Policy

1. Attendance 10%


2. Group Presentation 20%


3. Midterm Presentation 30%


4. Final Exam: In-class Writing 40%

References

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      1. Alter, Adam. Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked. Penguin Press, 2017.
      
      
      2. De Botton, Alain. The Art of Travel. Vintage Books, 2004.
      
      
      3. Didion, Joan. “Goodbye to All That” Slouching Towards Bethlehem. Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1968, pp. 225–238.
      
      
      4. Hindi Medium. Directed by Saket Chaudhary, Maddock Films / Zee Studios International, 2017.
      
      
      5. Kilbourne, Jean. Can’t Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel. Simon & Schuster, 1999.
      
      
      6. McCurdy, Jennette. I’m Glad My Mom Died. Simon & Schuster, 2022.
      
      
      7. Obama, Michelle. The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times. Crown, 2022.
      
      
      8. Pattem, Leah. “As anti-tourism protests grow in Europe, we need to rethink – but that’s no reason to stop travelling” The Guardian, 18 Jun 2025, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/18/europe-tourism-protests-travel-visitors.
      
      
      9. Rodriguez, Richard. Hunger of Memories: The Education of Richard Rodriguez. Bantam, 1983. 
      
      
      10. Tan, Amy. “Mother Tongue.” The Threepenny Review, no. 43, 1990, pp. 7–8. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4383908.
      
      
      11. Zauner, Michelle. Crying in H Mart: A Memoir. Alfred K. Knopf, 2021.
      
      
      12. 林文月。讀中文系的人。台北市：洪範，民96年。
      
      
      13. 琦君。琦君散文選中英對照。台北市：九歌，民96年。
      
      
      14. 廖玉蕙。繁華散盡：廖玉蕙散文中英對照。台北：九歌，民100年。
      
      
      15. 龍應台。目送。台北市：時報，民111年。
      
      
      
      
   
   
   
   

Useful websites

1. BBC News https://www.bbc.com/


2. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/international


3. Taiwan Panorama https://www.taiwan-panorama.com/en


4. Taiwan News https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/


5. 天下雜誌 https://www.cw.com.tw/


6. 遠見雜誌 https://www.gvm.com.tw/