Award in Foreign Language Proficiency & Culture – Chinese Level 2

Course Description

As the language of China, Chinese is the language spoken by the largest number of people. The number of learners of Chinese as a foreign language outside of China is also growing steadily. Such learners choose to study Chinese for various reasons such as travel, business and culture. Chinese characters have over 3,000 years of history and Chinese is the only language still in use today that uses a fully logographic script. Apart from the practical purposes of learning the language that is spoken by most people on Earth, Chinese is a challenge for anyone who wishes to learn a language that is very different from European languages.

This study unit is aimed at learners who previously attended courses in Mandarin Chinese and who wish to continue learning Chinese. This study unit is for learners who already know the basics of stroke order, who understand the Pinyin system, who can distinguish between the 4 tones of Mandarin Chinese and who can communicate in basic Mandarin through speaking and writing. Prospective learners need to have basic knowledge of Mandarin Chinese and be familiar with Chinese culture.

The study unit will be delivered in a practical, learner centred communicative approach and will train learners on the four skills of communicative language teaching: speaking, writing, reading and listening. In addition to language proficiency in Mandarin Chinese, the study unit will also expose learners to cultural knowledge about China thus enabling them to interact with other speakers of Chinese in a culturally appropriate way.