Chinese Beginners Step 1 (online, Tue & Thur)

This course is for learners with no prior knowledge of Chinese. It is the first of three progressive steps leading to the completion of the beginner level in Chinese. In this course, you will start building a foundation in Mandarin Chinese, focusing on pronunciation, basic grammar, reading and writing in simplified Chinese, and everyday communication.  

There are two hours of teaching per week over ten weeks. Through interactive classroom activities, you will develop your listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Typical activities include short recitations, small-group role-plays, responses to short texts, listening to dialogue, and handwriting and typing practice. Cultural elements are integrated throughout the course to help you explore Chinese-speaking communities, everyday customs and social interactions.

You will need to buy a textbook (see below), and you will also need access to a computer or another device with an internet connection to use the learning platform.  

If you have fully engaged with all the learning activities and have attended regularly, by the end of the course, you should be able to:  

1. Introduce yourself and others, ask and answer basic questions. 2. Interact in simple conversations and express basic comments. 3. Pronounce Chinese words with the support of pinyin, the Chinese phonetic system.  4. Recognise and apply the key principles of writing and typing Chinese characters. 5. Show awareness of Chinese hospitality, culture and customs 

The above list is indicative and may be subject to change.  

You will need to buy the following textbook from CypressBooks using the link HERE. The required textbook covers the three steps of our Chinese Beginners course.  

Wu, Z. (2023) New Contemporary Chinese 1. Beijing: Sinolingua.  

This course is for complete beginners. If you have previously learned Chinese or have some knowledge and are unsure of your level, please reach out to the Confucius Institute for Scotland to arrange an assessment.  

We welcome all and are committed to fostering a positive culture and sense of community among learners and staff. We expect learners to treat others with dignity and respect. Learners must be aged 16+. Learners under the age of 16, with a minimum age of 14, are also welcome, but must be accompanied by a parent/guardian throughout the class. 

If you have a disability, learning difficulty, health condition, or personal circumstances which may affect your learning, please let us know so we can make appropriate adjustments in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.  

Wherever possible, we mainstream adjustments in line with the University’s Accessible and Inclusive Learning Policy. Learners will have limited access to the University’s student support services.  

This is a complete beginner's course for those with no prior knowledge of Mandarin Chinese. You will need basic digital skills, such as the ability to use a computer and navigate a website, in order to access the course learning platform. 

Booking is available until 23:59 the day before the course is due to start, unless the course is full or cancelled.