Course Summary
This course for complete beginners of Chinese, is an introduction to the Chinese pronunciation and writing systems. Basic listening and speaking skills are emphasized along with thethe study of pinyin, the official romanisation system for Standard Chinese (普通话, Pŭtōnghuà, literally ‘common speech’) in mainland China
By the end of the course, students will be able to understand and take part in simple conversations in Chinese. Students are also encouraged to recognise and write Chinese characters. Only simplified characters (not full-form traditional characters) are used for the course. Teachers on this course will be more than happy to provide additional assistance if students wish to do so.
Learning Contents
- Pinyin – the official romanisation system for Standard Chinese in mainland China;
- Vocabulary and expressions regarding speaking about one’s name, nationality, language skills and family;
- Expressions regarding stating one’s wishes;
- A brief introduction to Chinese writing system;
- Numbers;
- Typing Chinese characters
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will:
- Have a basic knowledge of Chinese language;
- Be able to use basic grammatical and sentence structures to introduce oneself and to engage in simple conversations;
- Have basic knowledge of Chinese names, some traditional custom and family structures;
- Type Chinese characters and simple sentences
Teaching Methods
The course is tutorial based with a combination of joint class activities and group work. Supplementary material is prepared by the teacher. To benefit fully from the course and to achieve the learning outcomes, students are strongly encouraged to spend at least 1-2 hours revising each class.
Learning Materials
Textbook: Contemporary Chinese for Beginners (to complete Lessons 0-3)
Buy Materials Online
Learning Materials can be purchased online by using the University epay system HERE.
Course materials can be posted upon receipt of your order to addresses within the UK only. Please note postage is not included, please pay your postage HERE.