Chinese Stage 1

Tuesday 30 January, 6-8pm

Overview

This module is mapped against A1 level in Mandarin according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). It is for absolute beginners or students with very limited knowledge of the language. No previous knowledge of Mandarin is required. Through a variety of methods students will develop a very basic competence in reading, writing, listening and speaking Mandarin and an understanding of basic Mandarin grammar. At the end of this 12-week module students will have reached a low A1 proficiency level in the CEFR and will be able to carry out very simple everyday tasks in Mandarin. Students will be able to understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. They will be able to introduce themselves and others and ask and answer questions about personal details such as where they live, people they know and things they have. They will be able to interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help. They will have a basic understanding of significant aspects of life and culture of the country and intercultural skills necessary for their language proficiency level.

Syllabus

Week 1

  • Identifying the four tones.
  • Introduction to Chinese characters.
  • Identifying people’s names and greetings.
  • Identifying surnames and given names.
  • Learning about Chinese names and meanings.

Week 2

  • Exchanging greetings.
  • Introducing yourself.
  • Asking people’s names.
  • Writing Chinese names.

Week 3

  • Identifying someone’s nationality.
  • People and their nationalities.

Week 4

  • Asking for and giving information about nationalities.
  • Describing people, where they live and where they are from.

Week 5

  • Identifying someone’s occupation.
  • Identifying information about family members.
  • A letter about one’s family.

Week 6

  • Asking and answering questions about occupations.
  • Asking and answering questions about family members.
  • Describing one’s family members and their occupations.

Week 7

  • Understanding information about people’s appearance.
  • Online profile describing favourite people and animal.

Week 8

  • Describing people’s appearances.
  • Writing a personal profile.

Week 9

  • Identifying contact numbers.
  • Identifying postal and email addresses.
  • Text messages.

Week 10

  • Asking for and giving information about contact numbers and addresses.
  • Writing addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses.
  • Responding to a text message.

Week 11

  • Revising previous lessons.

Week 12: Written and speaking tests will take place this week.

Completing the assessment is required for students taking the course as part of their degree. For all other students, taking the tests is also strongly recommended, as a measure of your progress and learning. 

Textbook details:

Discover China Student Book One

Ding AnqiLinks to an external site. (Author), Lily JingLinks to an external site. (Author), Xin ChenLinks to an external site. (Author)

Publisher: Macmillan Education (30 Aug. 2010)

ISBN: 9780230405950

Approx. price: £30 We recommend our students to buy their textbooks from Blackwell’s on campus. They have a price match policy and you can pre-order over the phone with them and pick the book when you are on campus. 

Study Hours

The total number of study hours for this module is 150 hours, in line with undergraduate university modules. This includes class meetings, assessment preparation and self-directed study in line with guidance from the course lecturer.

If you are studying on the extracurricular mode, we recognise that the total number of hours that you may be able to study every week may depend on your availability and previous experience studying languages, however, expected contribution to classes, homework completion, and learning outcomes will not vary.

Course Lecturer: Yuqiao Cai

I am a PhD student of Chinese Studies at the University of Liverpool. My research interests involve Intercultural Communication and Mandarin teaching and learning. I also work as a Mandarin teacher for Liverpool Confucius Institute. My job includes teaching Mandarin for local schools, HSK standard course classes, Open Language Chinese classes, and I also participate in cultural events and activities for Liverpool Confucius Institute.


Fees for language courses are £180/£90.

Please note that the ‘last date available to book’ date is only a guide. We reserve the right to close bookings earlier if courses are over- or under-subscribed. In order to avoid disappointment, please be sure enrol as soon as possible. Registrations will not be processed until the following day if received after 3pm.

Visit our fee bands page to see which fee applies to you.

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