Mandarin level 4

Revised August 2025

Prerequisite for entry

Successful completion of Mandarin syllabus level 3+ at UCL CLIE, or low A-Level grade or equivalent.

Term duration

10 x 2-hour classes.

Aims and objectives

The aim of the course is to enable students to:

• Attain a more sophisticated command of Chinese grammar and vocabulary
• Improve fluency and accuracy in using grammatical structures and vocabulary.
• Apply diverse structures and vocabulary to discuss academic topics effectively.
• Develop transferable skills to engage in discussions on personal and social issues.
• Gain foundational knowledge of Chinese historical events and figures

Functions

• Read, comprehend, and convey course-related information.
• Discuss historical classics and significant figures
• Summarise viewpoints effectively
• Request and provide clarification
• Express preferences with supporting agreement or disagreement
• Share personal opinions confidently
• Provide multiple reasons and justify them with examples, data, or evidence
• Suggest alternative solutions or approaches
• Invite diverse perspectives or comments

Course content

Main topics/themes to be covered:

• Selecting an appropriate course: considerations and strategies
• Navigating a Chinese library or online resources to locate reference books effectively
• Discussing course assessments and assignments, including submission deadlines, course requirements, topic selection, etc.
• Planning and organising peer discussion activities to achieve course objectives

Linguistic structures/ Phonetics

• Using pauses to make the utterances of complex sentences understandable

Grammar

• Expressing complex reasons using 再说 (furthermore) and 而且 (and)
• Understanding and applying resultative complements.
• Using the contrast structure: 不是……, 而是… (not…but…)
• Expressing purposes with 为了 (for) and 由于 (because of)

Learning resources

Books

Discover China: Student's Book Three, edited by Chen Xin, Jing Lili , Macmillan. Chapters 1-4                   
ISBN: 9780230406414

Discover China: Workbook Three, Chapters 1-4
ISBN: 9780230406421

Bilingual Dictionaries

• Langenscheidt's Pocket Dictionary Chinese/English English/Chinese
• Macmillan-FLTRP Chinese Character Dictionary
• Oxford Beginners’ dictionary

Websites

Dictionary

In addition there are supplementary materials for self-study in the Self-Access Centre.