BA Spanish and Chinese

CHIN51042 Chinese Language 4 for students who have completed CHIN51031 or who have acquired a basic level of Chinese prior to starting university, equivalent to or beyond GCSE Chinese (Mandarin). In this course, the vocabulary and structures learned in CHIN51031 will be reviewed, expanded and refined, forming the basis for new thematic topics. Listening comprehension and speaking skills will be further enhanced through the daily use of Chinese and by listening to and watching audio-visual materials. Students will express themselves in presentations, group discussions and debates. By reading selections of documents on various topics, students will improve their reading comprehension and cultural awareness. Students will also be guided to express themselves on complex issues and to connect their language knowledge with real life experiences. Upon completion of this course students should be reaching a level of Chinese proficiency equivalent to HSK level 4.

Pre requistites: CHIN51031 or placement into the class following the language placement test.

This course aims to:

• Further develop students’ linguistic and cultural competence.
• Use textual, audio and video materials to guide students to interpret, narrate, describe and discuss topics ranging from real-life events to personal experiences.
• Foster Intercultural competence through the acquisition of linguistic and cultural awareness and language use in culturally appropriate contexts

By the end of this course students will be able to:

• Understand language materials from within different sectors of social life
• Master a lower intermediate level of Chinese grammar and varied range of Chinese-language discourse
• Use the target language with improving accuracy
• Communicate effectively on topics relating to everyday life in a range of real-life situations

By the end of this course students will be able to:

• Give evidence of possessing a competent and wide-ranging knowledge of the vocabulary and the grammatical structures of Chinese;
• Show a high level of understanding of the spoken Chinese and the capacity to speak Chinese fluently;
• Display a thorough knowledge and understanding of the characteristic features of contemporary culture and society in China;
• Show familiarity with resources in learning Chinese.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

• Appreciate the interrelationship between language, culture and environment and use the language appropriately in the target culture;
• Be aware of cultural differences and cross-cultural influences between Chinese and English societies;
• Show a developing ability in discussing and evaluating issues in contemporary China;
• Understand and apply the cognitive skills involved in Chinese language learning.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

• Converse in Chinese with greater accuracy in the areas of Chinese culture and society studied;
• Develop and communicate ideas clearly and effectively in a variety of media and situations;
• Display sufficient relevant information about China to enable participation in discussion about aspects of contemporary life in China;
• Disseminate independent research using relevant sources in Chinese.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

• Display appropriate effective written and oral communication skills in Chinese;
• Demonstrate the ability to work effectively as part of a group, involving leadership, group dynamics and interpersonal skills such as listening, negotiation, persuasion and presentation;
• Master relevant information about China to enable participation in professional areas;
• Acquire, develop and demonstrate the ability and competence to integrate themselves successfully into Chinese communities.

Resit Assessment

• Oral feedback on individual and group presentation
• Written feedback on assignments
• Additional one-to-one feedback (during consultation hour or by making an appointment)

• Liu, Xin. New Practical Chinese Reader III. Beijing: Beijing Language and Culture University Press, 2010 (required textbook)
• Ma, Yanhua. Jump High: A Systematic Chinese Course (Intensive Reading and Workbook) Book 2. Beijing: Beijing Language and Culture University Press, 2011 (additional learning material)
• Ross, Claudia, He, Baozhang, Chen, Pei-Chia and Yeh, Meng. The Routledge Course in Modern Mandarin Chinese. London and New York: Routledge, 2010
• Liu, Yuehua, and Yao, Tao-chung. Integrated Chinese (3^rd ed). Boston, MA: Cheng & Tsui Company, 2010
• Wu, Zhongwei. Contemporary Chinese. Sinolingua, 2010