Mandarin Level 4

Chinese Buttress

A post-Level 3 or equivalent module in Mandarin Chinese language and culture

Module details

  • Offered to 3rd and 4th Years
  • Thursdays 16.00-18.00
  • Planned delivery: On campus (South Kensington)
  • Two-term module, worth 7.5 ECTS
  • Available to eligible students as part of I-Explore
  • Extra Credit, or Degree Credit where your department allows
Degree credit module options by departmentHow to enrol

A communicative module for students with an AS-level in Mandarin or comparable standard of competency in Mandarin Chinese.

This module aims to: 

  • Complete your knowledge of the basic sentence structures of Mandarin Chinese across all four language skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening)
  • Teach you how to describe continuous, passive and progressive states and give instructions
  • Expand your knowledge of Chinese characters by approx. 230
  • Go beyond the core textbook, to read an extended continuous narrative that illustrates most of the basic sentence structures in the language
  • Offer an insight into aspects of China's history and culture
  • Prepare you to progress to higher levels

To be eligible for this module, you need to have done one of the following: 

  • Successfully completed Mandarin Level 3
  • Gained a Mandarin AS-level qualification
  • Obtained an HSK Certificate, Level 3
  • Have already achieved the equivalent level by other means 

Please note: The information on this module description is indicative. The module may undergo minor modifications before the start of next academic year. 

Information blocks

Learning outcomes

Yellow Mountains

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

  • Express yourself in writing, using sophisticated and descriptive vocabulary and structures, including a limited number of four-character phrases
  • Deploy a wide range of grammatical function words related to the manner in which actions are carried out and/or completed, identifying the appropriate structure to apply when talking about past events
  • Engage with and respond to a selection of aural material
  • Answer general questions orally
  • Complete an unseen practical task describing past events using spoken Mandarin

 

Indicative core content

 

Chinese GardenIn this module, your work may cover the following linguistic structures:

  • Revision and expansion of sentence particle and verb suffix "le"
  • Experiential guo
  • The shi…de… construction
  • The directional complement
  • Verbs of locomotion
  • Comparative forms
  • The predicative complement
  • The complement of degree
  • The resultative complement

These linguistic structures will be applied to the following topics:

  • Travel
  • Language learning
  • Calligraphy and art
  • Family and social relationships
  • Study
  • Work
  • Chinese cuisine

 

Learning and teaching approach

In line with MFL communicative and active learning methodology, in-class activities cover all four skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) and include: pair work and group work; individual tasks; discovery and formulation of rules; work with texts, audio and video material to develop learning and communicative skills. Homework tasks give you the opportunity to revise and consolidate knowledge and skills and to develop an awareness of how to use language-learning tools independently.

Feedback on formative assessment is given within two weeks of submission. In the case of summative assessments completed at the end of Term 2, feedback will be given at the beginning of Term 3.

Assessment

The module includes formative as well as summative assessment. Homework tasks and support materials/guidance are also provided for students to reinforce topics covered at their own pace. Feedback is given for tasks submitted, to ensure you are supported to complete your work and aware of assessment expectations. Summative assessment consists of a coursework portfolio of six tasks (three per term); an in-class listening test; one 2-hour written test, taken in-class at the end of spring term; and one practical, i.e. oral examination (at the end of spring term or in the summer term). Coursework and written/oral examinations all contribute to the final grade.

  • Coursework (15%): Writing (two tasks, 1: 300 + 2: 200 characters). Minimum one hour. Taking place in spring term.
  • Coursework (20%): Listening test (approx. 8-10 minutes' audio - repeated once or twice as appropriate - plus comprehension questions). Taking place in spring term.
  • Examination (40%): Written exam (2 hours), comprising essay (approx. 350 characters); grammar gap-fill question; grammar multiple-choice questions.
  • Practical (25%): Oral (20 minutes) - unseen practical language task, followed by general conversation. Taking place at the end of spring term or in the summer term.

Key information

  • 7.5 ECTS points awarded on successful completion of the module.
  • Available to take for credit towards your degree where your department allows. Also available for extra-credit.
  • You must be prepared to attend all classes and undertake approximately 3 hours of private study each week, in addition to the assessment.

Coursebooks: 

Colloquial Chinese* by P.C. T’ung and D.E. Pollard, Routledge, 1982; and its accompanying Character Text for Colloquial Chinese (Simplified Character Version), prepared by P.C. T’ung.  ISBN 0-415-01860-9
AND
Can I Dance with You? (2nd edition) by Yuehua Liu, Chengzhi Chu, Shaoling Zhao. Chinese Breeze Graded Reader Series, Peking University Press, 2018.

*Available on Leganto as an eBook

"[The teacher is] enthusiastic and has lots of funny anecdotes and cultural insights to tell us."