Mandarin Chinese
Why Learn Chinese?
One-fifth of the planet speaks Chinese. Mandarin Chinese is the mother tongue of over 873 million people, making it the most widely spoken first language in the world. In addition to the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan, Mandarin Chinese is also spoken in the important and influential Chinese communities of Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines, and Mongolia. Learning Chinese will enable you to:
- Explore Chinese culture, one of the world’s oldest and richest continuous cultures, which is over 5,000 years old.
- Engage with Chinese communities worldwide with over 1 billion people speaking Mandarin as their mother tongue.
- Increase your opportunities to work in the world’s second-largest economy.
- Open the way into Chinese politics, history, economy and literature.
- Be ahead of the game in competing for a job.
Whether you want to learn Chinese for academic purposes, business purposes or simply just for fun, the Center for Asian Studies provides the opportunities for you to start your learning journey! We offer the following courses year-round:
| Course Name | Course Description and Syllabus |
|---|---|
| Beginning Chinese I, Hybrid | Beginning Chinese I is for beginners who have little to no knowledge but want to have a systematical study of the language. The course starts with Pinyin and teaches the fundamentals of pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar — the essential components for building the skills in Chinese speaking, listening, reading and writing. Relevant cultural and background is also introduced to help students understand and acquire the language. By the end of this course, students will be able to read, write or type about 120 Chinese characters, use them and some fundamental grammar and structures to conduct simple conversations in a range of predictable everyday situations. Textbook & other materials: Standard Course HSK 1 (ISBN: 9787561937099). Students will be supported by abundant resources including workbook, MP3 downloads, videos, extra speaking activities and other supplementary materials. Homework will be assigned after each class to enable the students to reinforce and practice the language learned in class. |
| Beginning Chinese II, Hybrid | Beginning Chinese II is for those who have completed Beginning Chinese I or have had at least 50 hours of Chinese study, or passed HSK Test Level 1 with a score of above 160. The course continues to teach pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar essentials. Students will read simple texts and learn to use short sentences to express themselves. Relevant cultural knowledge is introduced to help students understand and acquire the language. After completion of this course, students will master about 250 Chinese characters; use them and some basic structures to express themselves on common everyday topics. Textbook & other materials: Standard Course HSK 2 (ISBN: 9787561937266). Students will be supported by abundant resources including workbook, MP3 downloads, videos, extra speaking activities and other supplementary materials. Homework will be assigned after each class to enable the students to reinforce and practice the language learned in class. |
| Intermediate Chinese, Hybrid | Intermediate Chinese is for those who have mastered at least 350 Chinese characters, basic grammar and common cultural knowledge of Chinese, or have had at least 150 hours of study, or passed HSK Test Level 2 with a score of above 160. This course continues to practice pronunciation, build vocabulary and teach grammar essentials. Students start to do extensive conversations, listening and reading comprehension, write complete sentences, and practice appropriate use of idiomatic expressions. A broad aspect of Chinese culture and history is introduced. Upon completion of this course, students should be able to master about 600 Chinese characters, most common grammar and relevant cultural knowledge. They also should be able to communicate comfortably with native speakers on the familiar topics of everyday life. Textbook & other materials: Standard Course HSK 3 (ISBN: ISBN: 9787561938188). Students will be supported by abundant resources including workbook, MP3 downloads, videos, extra speaking activities and other supplementary materials. Homework will be assigned after each class to enable the students to reinforce and practice the language learned in class. |
| Advanced Chinese, Hybrid | Advanced Chinese is for those who have completed Intermediate Chinese, or have learned Chinese for at least two years; or the language competency has reached HSK Level 3 (scoring above 210). This course offers Chinese for daily communication through intensive study and practice in written and spoken Chinese. Students will carry on conversations and participate in classroom discussions in Mandarin Chinese on various topics associated with daily life and learn to write short passages in Chinese characters. This course also explores definitions of culture and analyzes the dynamic role of language in culture and culture in language, with an aim to foster cross-cultural awareness and self-realization while developing proficiency in Chinese. Upon completion of this course, students will master about 1,200 Chinese characters, be able to use a wide variety of language skills and strategies to communicate easily with native speakers on most common topics. Textbook & other materials: Standard Course HSK 4 (A: ISBN: 978756193903-1/H-1417007800. B: ISBN: 978756193930-7/H1420207800). Students will be supported by abundant resources including workbook, MP3 downloads, videos, extra speaking activities and other supplementary materials. Homework will be assigned after each class to enable the students to reinforce and practice the language learned in class. |
| Conversational Chinese, Virtual | Conversational Chinese is for beginning to upper beginning Chinese learners who want to master basic communicative skills for travelling or everyday conversation purpose. The course focuses on conversations of the spoken language. Correct pronunciation and intonation are emphasized; Pinyin is used for all contexts; writing characters is not required. Upon completion of this course, students shall be able to use basic Chinese vocabulary and structures to communicate with native speakers. They shall be able to greet, introduce themselves, talk about family members and friends, count numbers, express likes and dislikes, order food in restaurant, ask about date/time/price/location/existence etc. Textbook & other materials: Short-Term Spoken Chinese Vol. 1 (ISBN: 9787561913642). Students will be supported by abundant resources including workbook, MP3 downloads, videos, extra speaking activities and other supplementary materials. Homework will be assigned after each class to enable the students to reinforce and practice the language learned in class. |
| NEW: Learn Chinese in Scenic Spots, Hybrid | This course is designed for students of all levels who are interested in learning the Chinese language and culture. COVID-19 has changed our lives, but it cannot stop our desire to visit the scenic spots all over the world. On the other side of the world, there is an ancient country called China. In eight lessons, the course instructor will take you to virtually visit the many scenic spots that China has to offer. For example, you will visit the Forbidden City in Beijing, where the Chinese emperor once lived; the Great Wall, a wall built by hand in ancient China; Tibet, the closest place to the blue sky and the most mysterious place in China; and more. While watching the scenery, experiencing the local culture and learning about the local cuisine, students will learn the commonly used Chinese words and sentences, and improve their basic communication skills of the Chinese language. Textbook & other materials: Students will receive rich resources, including workbook, MP3 download, video, etc. for this class carefully prepared by the course instructor. Students do not need to purchase textbooks. |