Chinese Language and Cultures: Beginner - LAN00092I

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Module summary

Learning a language can be a transformative and enriching experience. Both the process and the outcomes are beneficial at various levels, from increased neuroplasticity to improving your overall academic performance, fostering empathy and intercultural awareness, and enhancing your career opportunities. This course is aimed at students who have no previous knowledge of Chinese. Over the course of a semester, it will steadily build the knowledge, skills, and strategies necessary to learn Chinese and communicate in basic situations. It will focus on developing a communicative competence from beginner level and provide a foundation for further study.

Module will run

Occurrence	Teaching period
A	Semester 1 2024-25
B	Semester 2 2024-25

Module aims

The aims of this module are:

• to build up basic skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing

• to develop strategies for learning Chinese

• to develop interactive skills in familiar situations

• to introduce and practise the writing system and orthography

Students will engage, individually and in groups, in activities and tasks emphasising three core communicative skills:

1. reception activities (oral, audio-video and reading comprehension);

2. production activities (oral and written production);

3. interaction activities (oral, written and online interaction).

The mediums of instruction are English and Chinese.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module students should be able to:

• Understand basic expressions and short, simple informational material and texts on familiar everyday subjects.

• Produce short phrases and series of simple sentences about familiar everyday subjects.

• Interact in a simple way, and ask and answer questions on familiar daily topics.

• Recognise basic cultural differences and to establish basic social contact by using everyday polite forms of greetings, farewells and introductions.

• Grasp a basic knowledge of the writing system and orthography of Chinese and begin to apply them appropriate to the level.

• Reflect upon language use and justify linguistic choices.

• Self-monitor and self-regulate their own learning and resources.

Module content

Topics may include:

• greetings and general polite forms;

• exchanging personal information;

• talking about one's daily routine;

• celebrating one's birthday;

• talking about one's university and major;

• expressing likes and dislikes.

Indicative assessment

Task	% of module mark
Closed/in-person Exam (Centrally scheduled)	60
Oral presentation/seminar/exam	40

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

The written exam will include one or two questions aimed at assessing students’ ability to reflect on language use and justify their responses and choices when using the language (in English), and a task related to students’ ability to monitor their own learning.

Indicative reassessment

Task	% of module mark
Closed/in-person Exam (Centrally scheduled)	60
Oral presentation/seminar/exam	40

Module feedback

Feedback on exams and essays as per University regulations.

Indicative reading

Course materials and guided readings will be provided by the module convenors via the VLE at the start of the semester.