LA921-5-AU-CO:
Intensive Initial Mandarin Chinese 1
2022/23
Language and Linguistics
Colchester Campus
Autumn
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Thursday 06 October 2022
Friday 16 December 2022
15
24 March 2022
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
LA922
****THE UNIVERSITY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO UPDATE, MODIFY OR EVEN WITHDRAWN MODULES - PLEASE NOTE, THE STATUS AND AVAILABILITY OF THIS MANDARIN CHINESE MODULE FOR 2022/23 REMAINS SUBJECT TO APPROVAL****
Intensive Initial Mandarin Chinese 1 is an interactive, intensive language module using blended-learning strategies to allow fast-paced progress through the Mandarin Chinese language and Mandarin-Chinese speaking world. There is a dual focus on communicative and structural aspects of the language. Language learning is supported by an online guided independent study program and extended by multimedia activities.
The module is designed for students with no or little knowledge of Mandarin Chinese. The aim of the module, in correlation with Intensive Initial Mandarin Chinese 2 in the Spring Term, is to enable students to attain a level of Mandarin Chinese equivalent to equivalent to an A1/A2 level.
It is the compulsory path for those students with no knowledge of Mandarin Chinese who intend to take the study of the language to a Higher Intermediate/Advanced level in their second/final year of study. This module can also be taken as an outside option.
The main aim of Intensive Initial Mandarin Chinese 1 is to help students acquire the basic linguistic skills needed to cope with a visit to Mandarin Chinese-speaking countries. By the end of the term, students should have acquired some general background knowledge of particular aspects of life and culture in the present-day Mandarin Chinese-speaking world.
By the end of the module, students will be able to
In reading:
1. Carry out some character recognition, complete sentences, and passages reading and comprehension tasks;
In listening:
2. accomplish some listening and comprehension tasks of Pinyin, have dictations of new words and phrases, understand simple daily dialogues and questions;
In speaking:
3. competent to repeat the dialogues from textbook without help;
4. devise/ take part in a dialogue in the context of everyday situations;
5. do a longer oral presentation in Mandarin Chinese to introduce people, provide and get information, talk about country and culture, etc;
In writing:
6. carry out short various writing tasks, e.g. making sentences, short descriptions and narratives, a day’s life, hobbies and preferences, simple letters, email messages, postcards), reference to the past, present and future using indication words, making pertinent lexical and grammatical choices.
Whilst the same content is being covered Level 5 students should be demonstrating the learning outcomes to a higher level. In this scenario, level 5 students are required to not only recognize all the Chinese characters, but will be able to speak, type and handwrite the characters without any difficulty.
For this module, the course line will mainly follow of HSK textbook 1. In the meantime we will use other teaching learning tools to enhance aynd broaden similar topics as in the textbook.
In the progression of learning, the students will learn specifically to
1.use expressions of daily manners;
2.pronounce Chinese characters by the help of Pinyin;
3.grasp all the new words of each lesson in the textbook 1, totally 150 Characters;
4.get familiar with strokes, radicals, single characters and structures of complex characters;
5.construct and speak simple sentences including time and place;
6.ask and answer simple questions;
7.use some functional words
8.use some model verbs
9.know some measure words;
10.know some conjunctions for connecting sub clauses;
11.some custom expressions.
When studying the language in the above aspects, we hope the students can make some oral communications by working hard, devote time and effort in active learning and the willing to open mouth as much as they can. The communication areas include:
1. Communicate about self-introduction, other people, relationships, jobs, etc;
2. Communicate about preferences, hobbies;
3. Communicate about where and when to have a drink;
4. Communicate about shopping;
5. Communicate about positions, directions, or transportation;
6. Ask permission to do something;
7. Ask about precise time;
8. Communicate what happened, what is on now and what is up next;
9. Communicate about weather;
Depending on the time permitted, we may add extra materials other than textbook to facilitate the learning. These materials may come from teacher’s ppt, or handouts of exercises, or online resources including audios and videos. Moodle is a one stop place to find course materials and progress.
The module is graded solely on coursework. During which you need to have three in-class tests, two written tests, each last about one hour, and one speaking test about 10 minutes for each student or pair or group.
All coursework/ assessment in the target language, must be your own work. We trust you not to use any translation software (e.g. Google Translate, unless it is clearly stated, for some modules) and not to ask a native/ advanced speakers of the language to help you with writing, checking or proof-reading your work. Doing so would constitute an academic offense, per the Departmental UG Handbook.
There are four weekly contact hours as class lecturing time. Class time is dedicated to the introduction of new concepts and focuses on creating practice opportunities for the four skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking).
Students will be expected to attend all sessions and to complete some relevant practical tasks for each session.
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Test 1 |
|
35% |
| Coursework |
Test 3 |
|
25% |
| Coursework |
Test 2 |
|
40% |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Mrs Yan Li, email: ylibd@essex.ac.uk.
Yan Li
Yan Li, email ylibd@essex.ac.uk
Yes
Yes
No
Dr Ge Min
University of Chester
Programme leard for Chinese
Available via Moodle
Of 40 hours, 39 (97.5%) hours available to students:
1 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
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