Mandarin level 3 plus

Prerequisite for entry

Successful completion of Mandarin syllabus level 3 at UCL Centre for Languages & International Education or a high GCSE grade (or equivalent).  

Term duration

10 x 2-hour classes.

Aims and objectives

The aim of the course is to encourage students to use their basic knowledge of Chinese to converse reasonably fluently in Mandarin with native speakers and discuss personal, social and current issues using appropriate linguistic structures. Cultural awareness will be further developed through some authentic materials.

Functions

• Expressing one’s feelings and emotions
• Expressing praise and respects
• Talking about physical attributes skill
• Asking for and giving medical aid
• -Expressing concerns, worries, seeking advice
• Expressing surprise and reassurance, talking about life expecting

Course content

Main topics/themes to be covered:

• Life style
• Environment projects
• Shaolin Kung fu
• Parts of body, injuries
• Emotions and feeling
• Dating and relationships

Linguistic structures/ Phonetics

• Confidence with the 4 tones
• Pinyin pronunciation

Grammar

• Ba sentences
• Using geng and zui to express comparisons
• Using you and meiyou to express comparisons
• Explicit comparisons
• Potential complements
• The difference between 刚 and刚才
• ‘even if’ 就算……也
• Forming rhetorical questions 难道
• The conjunctive 既……也

Learning resources

Books

Course book: <<Discover China - 3>> (From Unit 7 to Unit 12) Macmillan Education                

Bilingual Dictionaries

• Langenscheidt dictionary
• Macmillan-FLTRP Chinese Character Dictionary

Websites

Dictionary

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