| Unit name | Language for General Purposes (Ab-initio Mandarin Chinese) |
|---|---|
| Unit code | LANG11047 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Foster |
| Open unit status | Open |
| Pre-requisites |
Students will normally be expected to have obtained the minimum of a GCSE grade C or above in at least one other foreign language |
| Co-requisites |
none |
| School/department | School of Modern Languages |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
An introduction to Mandarin Chinese focusing on the general structures and functions of the language. The unit will include practice in the four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) in order to enable students to communicate effectively in the target language at an elementary level. The cultural context of the language will also be considered. The unit will include: general communication skills; grammar foundation; general vocabulary development; an introduction to understanding and using Chinese characters; listening and speaking skills; social skills; cultural and social aspects of the Chinese language.
Students will:
Overall, students will attain a level comparable with key elements of the Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK) Level 1.
3 hours of teaching per week covering all four topics of Reading writing speaking and listening. Classroom based learning is supplemented by online access to resources delivered via Blackboard. Regular formative homework is set.
The four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) are assigned equal weighting for the purposes of assessment (25% each).
For reading and writing there is a formal examination in the summer examination period, which comprises 25% of the total mark. This assesses ILOs 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
Listening is assessed by continuous assessment, consisting of listening assignments and class tests, which comprise 25% of the total mark. Both assess ILOs 1 and 2.
Speaking is tested by continuous assessment, consisting of marked coursework (oral presentation) and an oral test. Both assess ILOs 1, 2 and 3.
A course book clearly identified by the Director of Foreign Language Teaching as suitable for this level. Reading and reference material will be provided on Blackboard.
