On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

• render the sounds of Mandarin in Romanized form, and identify each of the four tones and neutral tone through listening;
• express in writing basic information on yourself and/or friends and family using Chinese script;
• engage with and respond to a selection of simple aural materials;
• provide basic personal information on yourself and friends and family orally in response to questions;
• complete a simple practical task using spoken Chinese.
  

In this module, you will cover the following linguistic structures:

• stative verbs
• negation;
• particles;
• interrogative forms;
• classificatory verbs;
• possessives;
• modal verbs;
• measure words;
• numbers;
• indirect questions;
• subordinating marker de.

These linguistic structures will be applied to the following topics:

• greetings;
• the weather;
• likes and dislikes;
• abilities;
• family;
• jobs and occupations;
• food and drink;
• telling the time;
• dates, days of the week and months of the year;
• leisure activities.

In line with MFL communicative and active learning methodology, the in-class activities you will complete will cover all four skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) and may include pair work and group work (dialogue practice, information gap exercises, discussion and collection of key terms/ideas followed by report to plenum); individual tasks (face-to-face and online); discovery and formulation of rules; work with texts, audio and video material to develop learning and communicative skills. Homework tasks will give you the opportunity to revise and consolidate knowledge and skills and to develop an awareness of how to use language learning tools independently.

Feedback on formative assessment will be given within two weeks of submission to the VLE platform. Feedback on the first examination will be provided within the first two weeks of term 2, and feedback on the second examination within two weeks of completion. Feedback on the third examination (listening comprehension) will only be given if time permits.

• Examination (20%): Pinyin test (in-class listening test matching the sounds of Mandarin Chinese with correct Pinyin Romanization, including identification of correct tones).
• Examination (20%): In-class essay (150 characters).
• Examination (20%): In-class listening (dialogue or monologue of a maximum of 5 minutes - repeated once or twice as appropriate; questions on comprehension).
• Practical (40%): In-person face-to-face oral exam. 10 minutes - Unseen practical language task followed by general questions.

• 7.5 ECTS points awarded on successful completion of the module.
• Available to take for credit towards your degree where your department allows. Also available for extra-credit.
• You must be prepared to attend all classes and and undertake approximately 3 hours of private study each week in addition to the assessment.

Coursebooks:
Colloquial Chinese by P.C. T’ung and D.E. Pollard, Routledge, 1982*

*Available on Leganto as an e-book