Chinese Mandarin Course 2032: Standard

Chinese. Learn Chinese with us.

COVID-19 update: arrangement of our courses

We are now delivering courses both online and in-person. Please check the delivery format for each class before you enrol.

Please note that course materials for all classes (excluding prescribed textbooks) are shared electronically within 48 hours of a course starting. Printing is not available.

Level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)

This course covers Integrated Chinese, Volume 4, Lessons 13 to 15, and is taught over ten weekly sessions of two hours per week.

Aims

This course aims to:

• introduce 150 vocabulary items
• cover more topics such as: travel, life and wellness, and gender equality
• pay ongoing attention to pronunciation and grammar which remains a crucial part of improving your language skills
• improve your conversational skills, comprehension of spoken passages, ability to read and write passages through various activities, and increase your language acquisition in a real-world context
• provide you with a solid foundation in language and culture, necessary for further study at the intermediate and advanced levels.

Outcomes

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• discuss around 150 vocabulary items and recognise about 180 Chinese characters
• describe what costs may be covered in a package tour
• give a brief description of a Chinese sleeper car
• describe natural objects such as mountains, rivers, trees, and rocks
• discuss some things that tourists may expect to see or experience at a tourist site
• talk about your exercise routine
• outline some healthy eating habits
• describe habits that could make one age prematurely or harm one’s health
• talk about how couples treat each other as equals
• describe gender equality in the workplace
• briefly summarise the changes in Chinese women’s social status in the twentieth century
• report the score and results of a sports game.

Content

• Travel – describe what costs may be covered in a package tour; give a brief description of a sleeper car; describe natural objects such as mountains, rivers, trees, and rocks; discuss some things that tourists may expect to see or experience at a tourist site
• Life and wellness – talk about your exercise routine, outline some healthy eating habits, and describe habits that could make you age prematurely or harm your health
• Gender equality – talk about how couples treat each other as equals, discuss gender equality in the workplace, summarise briefly the changes in women’s social status in the twentieth century; and report the score and results of a sports game
• Words & phrases: 分别 (separately, respectively, to part from each other), 印象 (impression), 分享 (to share joy, happiness, benefit, or something pleasant or positive), 之前 (before, prior to), 只好 (have no choice but), 亲眼/亲自/亲耳/亲手/亲身, 千万 (by all means, absolutely must), 不过 (however, no more than), 显得 (to appear to be, to seem), 重视 (to attach importance to, to think much of), 等于 (to equal, to be equivalent to, to amount to), 只要…(就)… (only if, as long as), 随便 (casual, careless, to do as one pleases), 即使 (even if), 可见 (it is obvious that, it can be seen that), 否则 (otherwise), 逐渐 (gradually, little by little), …以来 (since), 拿…来说 (take … for example), 表现 (to show, to display, to manifest, performance, manifestation), 看你说的 (listen to yourself), 不得了(extremely, exceedingly), 由 (by)
• Forms & accuracy: 有的…有的...
• Conjunction and preposition 与, pronoun 某, adverb 毕竟, complement 过来
• Disyllabic words becoming monosyllabic, numerals in idioms, multiple attributives
• Comparative sentences, 使and pivotal sentences, 是…的to affirm a statement

Intended audience

Suitable for B2 level students, those who have completed Chinese Mandarin 2031, or who have completed 260 hours of recent tuition.

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, 4th Ed., Volume 4, Textbook (Simplified & Traditional)

• Integrated Chinese, 4th Ed., Volume 4, Workbook (Simplified & Traditional)

• Integrated Chinese, 4th Ed., Volume 4, Character Workbook (Simplified & Traditional)

While the textbook is required, the workbook and character workbook are optional.

All textbooks 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.

Please note

Selected courses that teach spoken language may include use of language immersion (course instruction in the selected language) as part of the training strategy.