Chinese Foundational Literacy and Oracy (LL2B5)
Summary
Level
This module will be offered to students who speak a dialect of Chinese (e.g. Cantonese, Hakka, Shanghai, Min, etc.) in or outside China, but read and write Chinese characters in a very limited way; or to those who speak Mandarin at conversational level, but know very little of reading and writing.
Main Objectives
- To achieve intermediate level of literacy in reading
- To produce texts on social, study/work related topics
- To understand texts dealing with descriptions of events and feelings
- To achieve B1 standard of the CEFR (Common European Framework of reference)
Credits
30 CREDITS, also available for 24 CREDITS.
Teaching and learning
One weekly blended session for 21 weeks, organised as:
- Two-hour face-to-face class on campus
- Some independent study will also be set
If health & safety restrictions are required, teaching may move online.
Students are reminded that 1 credit = 10 hours of study, therefore for a 30 credit module, the minimum expected amount of study is 300 hours, which averages over 10 hours per week. A substantial amount of independent study is therefore required. Students can make use of Moodle to facilitate this.
Assessment
Term 1: one interim test (10%)
Term 2: continuous assessment (15%)
Term 3: one reading/writing test (50%) + one speaking test (25%)
Tutor
Zhiqiong Chen
Course Texts (must be bought by student)
Oh, China!: An Elementary Reader of Modern Chinese for Advanced Beginners, Chih-p’ing CHOU et al, Princeton University Press.(978-0691153087)
Course Description
This module will focus on improving oral fluency and written accuracy in Mandarin Chinese and practising some reading and writing techniques. It starts with the standard Mandarin pronunciation system, but almost at the same time of learning a number of characters to produce texts for communicative purposes. Students are encouraged to present one's opinions and participate in discussions in class. The stimulus material (aural, written and visual) not only provides further consolidation of Chinese grammar but also offers students more insights into everyday life and culture in China. There are homework and online resources which consolidate and assist classroom learning.
Successful completion of this module qualifies students to progress to Chinese Advanced Literacy and Oracy (LL237).
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
- To speak Mandarin Chinese in a standard way
- To understand texts dealing with descriptions of events and feelings
- To produce texts on topics describing experiences and events, using simplified Chinese characters
By the end of the course, students should be able to perform at Level B1/B1+ Independent user (threshold) of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference).
Syllabus
The syllabus will include the following:
Topics
- language study
- Chinese communities Outside China
- China's geography and history
- housing
- education
Grammar
- set phrases and idioms
- the conditional construction
- complex conjunctives
- structural particles
- summary of complements and complex sentences
Subject-specific and transferable skills
- Written and spoken communication
- Strategies for understanding gist and specific information
- Intercultural Awareness, Professionalism, Digital Literacy, Teamwork, Problem-solving
Can count towards the Warwick Award
