Chinese Mandarin Course 1011: Standard (Beginners)
Chinese. Learn Chinese with us.
Level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
This beginner's course covers Integrated Chinese, Volume 1, Lessons 1 to 2, and is taught over ten weekly sessions of two hours per week.
Partnership_
In partnership with the
Confucius Institute
Offered in association with the Confucius Institute at the University of Sydney. The Confucius Institute is based on a partnership with Fudan University and is managed by the Office of Global and Research Engagement. The first to be established in New South Wales, the Institute has attracted thousands of people to its popular Chinese language and culture programs.
Aims
This course aims to:
- introduce the first year of study and 70 vocabulary items
- cover the basics with simple, graded activities on essential topics such as greetings, family etc.
- introduce basic grammatical structures
- position pinyin close to characters so you can focus on speaking and pronunciation
- introduce the system of character writing---hanzi, as a guide to literacy.
Outcomes
By the end of this course, you should be able to:
- master the Chinese phonetic system and read Chinese pinyin with correct pronunciation and tone
- discuss 70 vocabulary items and recognise around 80 Chinese characters
- exchange basic greetings in Chinese, introduce yourself and others, and ask and answer questions about personal details such as name, surname, nationality, family members, etc.
- introduce your profession and ask about other's professions in Chinese
- employ basic Chinese kinship terms and describe a family photo in Chinese
- deliver a presentation introducing yourself and your family in Chinese, both orally and in written form
- gain insight into the Chinese writing system and skills in writing characters in correct stroke order.
Content
- General introduction to Mandarin and Chinese dialects
- Chinese Pinyin system — 21 consonants, 6 major vowels and 29 compound vowels, 4 tones
- Practice of pronunciation and tones
- Review of over 70 Vocabulary items — nouns related to greetings, self-introduction, name, nationality, family, siblings, photo, professions, identities; basic verbs, adverbs, particles
- Basic grammar — basic sentence structure of declarative sentences, Yes or No questions, special questions, use of adverbs, measure words, particles
- Basic greetings, self-introduction, asking and introducing name, nationality and family members, describing a photo
- Chinese writing system — Chinese character categories, basic Chinese radicals, character writing rules, basic stroke order
- Practice writing 30 characters
- Introduction to Chinese culture — names and kinship relations etc
Intended audience
Suitable for beginner A1 level students. No prior knowledge of the language is required.
Prerequisites
None
Delivery style
Delivered in the form of an interactive workshop where active participation is encouraged.
Prescribed text
Both simplified and traditional character versions of the textbook and the two workbooks are available, however the simplified version will be taught in the classroom. You can also opt for the electronic version of materials.
- Integrated Chinese Volume 1 Textbook, 4th Edition (Simplified)
- Integrated Chinese Volume 1 Workbook, 4th Edition (Simplified/Traditional)
- Integrated Chinese Volume 1 Character Workbook, 4th Edition (Simplified & Traditional)
While the textbook is required, the workbook and character workbook are optional.
All books are available in 3rd and 4th editions. If you already own a 3rd edition copy, you're welcome to use it. If not, please purchase the 4th edition.
Textbooks should only be purchased once you receive confirmation from us. This usually occurs three days prior to class commencement.
Suggested textbook supplier
Language Book Centre
languagebooks.com.au
Please note that in some cases, our suggested supplier may not stock your prescribed text. Please check stock availability prior to signing up for any membership.
Overview
Sessions:
Location:
Price:
Class schedule
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<h2 id="header-level-a1-of-the-common-european-framework-of-reference-for-languages-cefr">Level A1 of the <a href="https://www.coe.int/en/web/
...Mon 28 Apr 2025
6:30pm - 8:30pm (UTC+10:00)
Mon 5 May 2025
6:30pm - 8:30pm (UTC+10:00)
Mon 12 May 2025
6:30pm - 8:30pm (UTC+10:00)
Mon 19 May 2025
6:30pm - 8:30pm (UTC+10:00)
Mon 26 May 2025
6:30pm - 8:30pm (UTC+10:00)
Mon 2 Jun 2025
6:30pm - 8:30pm (UTC+10:00)
Mon 16 Jun 2025
6:30pm - 8:30pm (UTC+10:00)
Mon 23 Jun 2025
6:30pm - 8:30pm (UTC+10:00)
Mon 30 Jun 2025
6:30pm - 8:30pm (UTC+10:00)
Mon 7 Jul 2025
6:30pm - 8:30pm (UTC+10:00)
<p>{block name:"Course Tagline - Chinese"}</p>
<h2 id="header-level-a1-of-the-common-european-framework-of-reference-for-languages-cefr">Level A1 of the <a href="https://www.coe.int/en/web/
...Mon 14 Jul 2025
6:30pm - 8:30pm (UTC+10:00)
Mon 21 Jul 2025
6:30pm - 8:30pm (UTC+10:00)
Mon 28 Jul 2025
6:30pm - 8:30pm (UTC+10:00)
Mon 4 Aug 2025
6:30pm - 8:30pm (UTC+10:00)
Mon 11 Aug 2025
6:30pm - 8:30pm (UTC+10:00)
Mon 18 Aug 2025
6:30pm - 8:30pm (UTC+10:00)
Mon 25 Aug 2025
6:30pm - 8:30pm (UTC+10:00)
Mon 1 Sep 2025
6:30pm - 8:30pm (UTC+10:00)
Mon 8 Sep 2025
6:30pm - 8:30pm (UTC+10:00)
Mon 15 Sep 2025
6:30pm - 8:30pm (UTC+10:00)
If there isn't a class to suit your preferred time or delivery format, please JOIN the waiting list.
Featured facilitators
Cheng-Wei Wang
Cheng-Wei has gathered broad experience teaching Chinese in tertiary institutions. He holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics from UNSW, specialising in the field of Second Language Acquisition. He...
Xiaowei Wang
Stella (Xiaowei) Wang is an enthusiastic teacher who has taught Mandarin in a number of language schools throughout Sydney, as well as in several primary and secondary international schools in...
Fu Xie
Dr Fu Xie received her PhD in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics from the City University of Hong Kong in 2014. Over the past fifteen years, Fu Xie has taught all levels of Chinese language in...
What others say
The teacher was great, really engaging and encouraging.
- Murray Elder
An excellent course taught by such an excellent teacher.
- Frances Winn
The teacher is excellent. Positive, patient, pleasant and professional. Her supplementary materials to the course book are user friendly. Can't wait to do the next level.
- James White