Chinese (Mandarin) Elementary Course

Timetables
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Key information

Attendance mode
Part-time, online/blended learning

Course overview

The course is designed to further develop the language skills in Chinese based on the Beginners course. 

The course consists of three terms (each term consists of 10 weeks) with a focus on developing listening, spoken and reading skills. By the end of the Elementary course, participants should be able to communicate freely in everyday situations, relate events and express ideas and views while engaged in discussion on a limited range of topics.

Method

The course is taught in English and Chinese and includes coverage of the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing and a good balance between understanding the systems of Chinese grammar and vocabulary, developing comprehension skills and producing accurate Chinese speech and writing. The course offers guided practice in language use and authentic communicative activities.

This will be achieved through 20 hours of blended learning: this is composed of 15 hours of online structured lessons with the teacher. This is supplemented by a minimum of 5 hours of guided independent learning supported by complementary material and regular feedback from the tutor. The course objective will be achieved within the 10-week course

Online course requirements

Please ensure you have checked the learner support page .

Materials

Contemporary Chinese vol.2 - Textbook (Chinese) 1 Oct. 2014 by Zhongwei Wu

We strongly recommend to wait until your course is confirmed before purchasing the textbook.

Entry requirements and progression route

To be able to join Chinese Elementary 1 you need to have completed a Beginners course in Mandarin Chinese at SOAS Language Centre or have an equivalent knowledge of guided learning hours (approximately 60 hours). The progression route from Chinese Elementary 1 is to Chinese Elementary 2; from Elementary 2 to Elementary 3. Upon successful completion of Chinese Elementary 3 you will be able to progress to a Pre-Intermediate level course in Mandarin Chinese.

Please note, that each term, courses are subject to quorum requirements.

For course dates and information, please see our timetables.

Related Information

See the full list of short courses in Chinese on the Chinese homepage.

Structure

Chinese Elementary 1

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

  • talk about past experiences
  • express new changes and recent plans
  • discuss likes and dislikes
  • express an ongoing action
  • express completion of an action
  • express speculations and estimations
  • talk about body parts
  • handle a visit to GP
  • know how to find out specific information like timing, location etc of a past event
  • use speech fillers to naturally transit topics in a conversation
  • cultural notes on tourist attractions, attitudes towards pets; Chinese hospitals and medical systems and extensive ways of saying “hello"

Chinese Elementary 2

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

  • make comments about an event or performance
  • pay compliments and express good wishes
  • make comparisons
  • talk about weather, seasons and the climate
  • show directions
  • talk about locations
  • talk about urban and rural areas
  • talk about housing, interiors and amenities
  • cultural notes on Zodiac animals; China’s 5 climate zones; the urbanisation in recent years and Chinese idioms

Chinese Elementary 3

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

  • express duration of time and frequency of actions
  • talk about different aspects of learning a foreign language
  • use resultative compliments to fully express the result of an action
  • express the continuation of an action or a state
  • make alternative plans in response to an unexpected incident
  • narrate a specific sequence of events
  • talk about traffic accidents
  • understand and use directional verb compliments
  • rent a property
  • express your requirements on furniture/electric appliances etc
  • cultural notes on receiving compliment traditionally in contrast to modern day; attitude towards foreign language learning; economic reform and opening-up policy; Chinese trains and changes to the housing system in China

The above is an indication of content that may be covered over the duration of the course but it could vary depending on the level and progress of students in the class.

Disclaimer

Important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules. 

Timetables

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