A post-Level 3 or equivalent module in Mandarin Chinese language and culture
Module details
- Offered to Year 3 & Year 4 students
- 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
Mandarin advice
contact the Coordinator:
Dr Ruth Herd
0207 594 8784
Room: ASL 323 (access via Sherfield Building, Level 3)
Centre for Languages, Culture and Communication
A communicative module for students who have completed Mandarin Level 3 or reached that standard by other means.
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;
- 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;
- give you the skills to express yourself with confidence in most interactions related to daily life.
Important eligibility information
To be eligible for this module, you need to have done one of the following:
- successfully completed Mandarin Level 3;
- obtained an HSK Certificate, Level 3;
- have already achieved the equivalent level by other means.
As a guide, you should have a reading knowledge of approximately 600 characters.
Please note that our Mandarin modules are designed as foreign language courses and are therefore unsuitable for native speakers and students with Chinese Heritage. Students with the following backgrounds will automatically be considered ineligible for a Mandarin module:
- those who grew up in China, Malaysia, Singapore, or Indonesia;
- those who attended school in China or a Chinese School elsewhere;
- those who speak conversational Mandarin;
- Cantonese speakers who have knowledge of Mandarin.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any queries or are unsure if you are eligible for one of our modules.
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
On successful completion of this module, you will be better prepared 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
In 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
- 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 and work
- Chinese cuisine
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. Preparation tasks and formative assessment tasks will give you the opportunity to revise and consolidate knowledge and skills, and to develop an awareness of how to use language-learning tools independently. Tasks and independent study and support materials are set every week on the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), to reinforce topics covered at your own pace.
Feedback will be given for tasks submitted, to ensure you are supported to complete your work and are aware of assessment expectations. Formal feedback is given within two weeks of the submission deadline. Informal feedback will be provided where appropriate.
- Coursework (20%): Task-based portfolio, to be completed over a number of weeks and by the beginning of spring term. This pack contains approx. eight tasks, covering speaking, writing, listening and reading skills.
- Coursework (30%): Task-based portfolio, to be completed over a number of weeks by the end of spring term. This pack contains approx. six tasks, covering speaking, writing, listening and reading skills.
- Examination (30%): 1.5-hour in-class test, at the end of spring term: writing (approx. 300 characters).
- Practical (20%): Oral exam in the summer term (20 mins), consisting of an unseen practical language task, followed by general conversation.
Summative assessment consists of two coursework portfolios, a written examination, and an oral practical.
Portfolio tasks are designed to be completed alongside the module's weekly learning units, providing a natural pace and sequence throughout the term. While individual tasks do not carry separate submission deadlines, the structure of the module means that students who engage with the module week by week will complete the portfolio progressively and manageably. The final portfolio submission deadlines (January for Portfolio 1; March for Portfolio 2) provide the formal submission point. Each is described below:
Coursework Portfolio 1 is released during the autumn term and must be submitted by the beginning of spring term (January). It comprises approx. eight tasks, covering all four language skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking). Tasks are a mix of graded and completion-based components: reading tasks are awarded a numerical grade, while listening, speaking and writing tasks are credited for submission only (you will receive full credit for completing and submitting the task, regardless of the level of performance). This approach is designed to encourage engagement and independent practice, without the pressure of graded assessment on these skill areas.
Coursework Portfolio 2 is released during the spring term and must be submitted by the end of the term (March). It comprises approx. six tasks and follows the same graded/ completion structure as Portfolio 1.
- 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. The Module options by department page has a full list of the credit options.
- You must be prepared to attend all classes and undertake approximately 3 hours of private study each week, in addition to the assessment.
Module materials
Reading lists will be published on the VLE.
"[The teacher is] enthusiastic and has lots of funny anecdotes and cultural insights to tell us."