AMB031 Mandarin 1

In this introductory language unit designed for students with little or no prior knowledge of Mandarin, students will gain skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing Mandarin in an integrated communicative environment.

From the foundations of the Mandarin sound and tonal systems and Pinyin (Romanized Chinese phonetic spelling system), students will be taught the skills in writing Chinese characters and in performing basic language functions such as greetings, introducing oneself and others, talking about one's family relations, and describing places, objects, and locations.

Chinese word processing will be taught as well so that students can access and use online Chinese learning resources.

By studying this unit, students will not only build a solid foundation in the use of Mandarin (i.e. Modern Standard Chinese), but also get exposed to certain aspects of Chinese culture. This unit leads on to further studies and is the beginning of developing competency in Mandarin.

Overview

In this introductory language unit designed for students with little or no prior knowledge of Mandarin, students will gain skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing Mandarin in an integrated communicative environment. From the foundations of the Mandarin sound and tonal systems and Pinyin (Romanized Chinese phonetic spelling system). 

Students will be taught the skills in writing Chinese characters and in performing basic language functions such as greetings, introducing oneself and others, talking about one's family relations, and describing places, objects, and locations. Chinese word processing will be taught as well so that students can access and use online Chinese learning resources.

By studying this unit, students will not only build a solid foundation in the use of Mandarin (i.e. Modern Standard Chinese), but also get exposed to certain aspects of Chinese culture. This unit leads on to further studies and is the beginning of developing competency in Mandarin.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

• Demonstrate the knowledge of the Mandarin sound and tonal systems, with which students can speak and read Chinese words and texts written in Pinyin (Chinese phonetic spellings) and write sentences and texts in Pinyin as well;

• Apply the knowledge of basic Mandarin vocabulary and sentence structures in understanding spoken and written Chinese and communicating in spoken or written mode within the range of contents/topics studied;

• Demonstrate a basic understanding of the Chinese writing system as well as the grasp of the basic skills in reading and writing simple sentences and texts in Chinese characters;

• Display a preliminary understanding of some characteristics of Chinese society and culture;

• Utilize Chinese word processing skills to create Chinese character texts on the computer and to access and make use of online Chinese learning tools and resources.

Learning approaches

There will be two 2-hour sessions each week. An eclectic approach will be employed to the delivery of the unit contents - communicative skills will be developed through a wide range of tasks and activities, which includes pair-work, group work and individual homework on a regular basis.

Feedback on learning and assessment

Students will receive feedback in various forms throughout the semester which may include:

• Informal: worked examples, such as verbal feedback in class, personal consultation

• Formal: in writing, such as checklists (e.g. criteria sheets), written commentary

• Direct: to individual students, either in written form or in consultation

• Indirect: to the whole class

For assessment of Practicals, student answers will be discussed in class and correct answers provided. For exams on paper, the marked papers will be given to students to look at, correct answers will be provided, and a list of common mistakes will be discussed in class.

Assessment

• Assessment 1: Mid-term Examination
  • Students will be assessed on Listening, Reading & Writing.
  • Formative or Summative: Formative and Summative
  • Business Capabilities (AoL goals): KS (1.1), HO (2.2), PC (3.1)

• Assessment 2: Mid-term Listening and Speaking
  • Students will be assessed in the oral reading of learned Chinese texts and in their understanding and oral responses to spoken questions in Chinese.
  • Formative or Summative: Formative and Summative
  • Business Capabilities (AoL goals): KS (1.1), HO (2.2), PC (3.2)

• Assessment 3: Final Examination
  • Students will be assessed on Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing.
  • Formative or Summative: Formative and Summative
  • Business Capabilities (AoL goals): KS (1.1, 1.2), HO (2.2), PC (3.1, 3.2)