INTRODUCTION
About Chinese (Mandarin) Language course
Chinese HSK1 (Basic 1)
Topics & Vocabulary:
- Make an apology in different situations (being late, forgetting things, unable to finish a task.)
- Express gratitude formally and informally in different situations
- Pay a compliment, ask for compensation.
- Arrange an appointment formally and informally.
- Intro to Pinyin-Chinese phonetics system
- Greetings in normal and polite ways
- Introduce self, introduce others
- Talking about oneself
- Likes & dislikes
- Taking a taxi
- Asking about directions
- Expressing time, days, and counting numbers from 0-100
- Shopping, asking about prices, sizes, and colors
- Buying tickets for travel; start with “qing wen 请问”
- Talking about jobs, company, and business etiquette.
- Asking for help
- Complement of degree construction: Sentence structure V+de+hen+adj (做得很好，说得很不错)
- 好吗 and 好不好 / 行吗 and 行不行
- Sentence structure with 怎么
- Review & practice previous level grammar (e.g. through mixed tense work – present/past/future)
- Difference between 或者 and 还是
- Difference between two negative words: 不 and 没有
- Basic sentences with to be “shi是”, to have “you有” and to do “zuo做”
- Sentences with stative verb (hen, 我很好)
- Past and the situation has changed with a functional marker “le”
- Pronouns – subject “wo我”, plural form 我们，你们， 他们
- possessive word “de的”
- Auxiliary words e.g. “xiang 想”
- Word order in sentences (Chinese sentence orders, difference between English and Chinese)
- Sentence forms – statement, question, and negative
- Measure words (e.g. a cup of tea = “yi bei cha” 一杯茶 )
- Particles with “ba 吧” “ma吗”
- Various forms of Chinese
- Lucky/unlucky numbers
- Handshaking
- Business card
- Pronunciation – key sounds practice
- Lots of speaking and listening practice
- Memorize longer frequently used daily life Chinese sentences.
- China tea
- Politeness in Chinese language (different modal words)
- Extensive practice of Pinyin and tones
- reading phonetics/ Pinyin skills
- Focus on Pinyin, characters are optional
- Listening practice (short simple sentences)
- Recognizing reading a few simple characters
- Memorize some frequently used short sentences.
Chinese HSK2 (Basic 2)
Topics & Vocabulary:
- Review & practice previous level vocabulary (e.g. through dialogue creation)
- Ask someone for help (talk to customer service)
- Learn how to book a room in a hotel and another related hotel language
- Learn to describe physical uncomfortableness and illness; how to talk to a doctor
- Conversation in a post office
- Pay compliments, praise somebody else
- Talking about the day, date, month, and year.
- Ordering drinks in a pub or restaurant
- Asking where somebody is from (country and city)
- Describing one’s things (a bag, a mobile phone, etc)
- Asking for information about public transport (bus, tube, train..)
- Ordering food in a restaurant (from entering a restaurant to paying the bill)
- Arranging an appointment with somebody (time and location)
- Making inquiries when shopping (size, the color of clothes, looking for fitting room )
- Communicating with Chinese people at the dinner table (propose a toast, give compliments, etc)
- Emphasize Chinese sentence order (put time and location words in front of the verb—Time+Location+Action)
- Emphasize measure words (一杯，一个， difference between 一星期 and 一个星期)
- Past and future with time words “zuo tian昨天” & “ming tian明天”
- Question words: ma, shenme, nar, shenme defang, shenme shihou, zenme, ji, duoshao.
- Chinese sentences with two words (Subject + verb1+verb2)
- Emphasize possessive word ‘de’
- Learn a large variety of sentence patterns according to the textbook.
- Focus on sentence patterns instead of grammar (the importance of memorizing sentence patterns in learning Chinese)
- Compliments in Chinese culture
- The medical system in China
- Table manners
- Customs of celebration, e.g. special food for Chinese New Year
- Famous Chinese Kong Fu movies
- Chinese calendar
- Chinese dishes and staple food/ 讲一讲菜和饭的区别
- Various celebrations, e.g. Chinese New Year
- Major dialects in Chinese language
- Modesty, e.g. “na li哪里, na li哪里”
- Longer oral presentation
- Recognizing characters and writing common characters practice
- Self-learning skills (using the dictionary and online websites)
- Lots of Pinyin and tones practice (reading and listening)
- Recognizing simple characters (10-20 characters)
- Improve intonation via practicing drills and sentence patterns
- Self-learning skills (using a dictionary and online websites)
- practice and memorize frequently used short daily life sentences and frequently used sentence patterns.
Chinese HSK3 (Intermediate 1)
Topics & Vocabulary:
- Talking about one’s capability, writing simple sentences in CV
- Refuse an invitation and express regrets
- Agree or disagree, give others permission
- Make a telephone call and leave a message for somebody
- Request a refund or an exchange in a shop
- Make an excuse to leave earlier in different situations
- Bargains in shopping
- Ask for services in a bank (exchange money, transfer money..)
- Saying goodbye in different situations.
- Talking about one’s life in a new place.
- Invite somebody to do something and arrange an appointment
- Describe somebody, something, or an event
- Stop somebody doing something and permit somebody to do something
- Remind people to do something
- Request someone to hurry up politely
- Express satisfaction and make a complaint about bad service.
- Give your opinion or suggestion to someone
- Ask directions and give directions
- Give reasons or explain people’s questions.
- Chinese characters
- Chinese geography and minorities, Minority issues can be different from western countries’ concepts
- Invitation (polite form of words)
- Buying medicines in China
- Lucky numbers in China
- Directions concept in China (dong nan xi bei)Review & practice previous level grammar (e.g. sentence order and tenses)
- Difference between能 and会
- Words about permission and refusal, agree and disagree可以，不可以，能，不能
- Present continuous e.g. “zheng zai正在”
- Adverbs “cai才” and “jiu就”
- Conditional clause “yao shi要是…jiu就…”
- Understanding potential verb phrases with “de得/bu不”
- The attributive clause with “de的”
- Chinese characters
- Bargaining in China
- Money system
- Chinese idioms and proverbs
- Telephone call etiquette
- Pronunciation practice
- Enlarge vocabulary quickly (more supplementary materials)
- Improve skills in speaking longer Chinese sentences
- Translating from Chinese to English, and vice versa
- Speaking out one’s thoughts and giving opinions
- Improve presentation skills in Chinese in different business contexts
- Pronunciation and intonation practice
- Reading short essay practice
- Writing common characters practice
- Translating from Chinese to English, and vice versa
- Improve fluency by practicing situational dialogues
- Improve presentation skills
Chinese HSK4 (Intermediate 2)
Topics & Vocabulary:
- Express certainty and uncertainty about an issue
- Choose a mobile phone and a service package
- Express feeling odd or surprised about something you heard
- Express worries and learn to comfort others
- Make an apology or forgive someone
- Make a compliment and respond to other’s compliments with modesty
- Express one’s doubt
- Agree, disagree or oppose others/ learn to debate a certain topic
- Ask for service and get certain or uncertain answers.
- Leave a message for somebody, or do someone a favor
- Make an estimation; predict or guess the result of something
- Correct someone’s mistake in speech
- Change a plan or an appointment
- Express regrets
- Make a comparison
- Formal introduction in business context including social etiquette
- Pass on a business memo to staff members
- Office administration staff, buying stationery or sending outposts
- Confirm a business invitation
- Express good wishes in the different business context
- Ask colleagues to do a favor for you
- Make a business decision and make a compromise in business negotiation
- Add a wide range of topics for discussion and debate in class, including Entertainment, mass media, work, business, education, school life and routine, the environment, tourism & travel, news, social & political issues, books, generation changes, cities, people, relationships, the arts, technology, health & fitness, social life, nightlife, national traditions/customs & culture, consumerism, globalization.
- Three ‘de’s in Chinese, 的 得 地
- Learn comparative forms: 更， 越来越
- Comparison: A +bi 比+B+adj+number For example: 我比他大两岁。
- How to indicate an action in progress: 在，正在，着
- Re-cap sentences with ‘把’。 把….给…
- Re-cap different tenses in Chinese grammar
- Comparison: A is as good as B / A 和 B 一样， A 和 B不一样
- Comparison: A is not as good as B/ A没有B…
- Verbs + adverb to indicate completion or extent of an action
- Ask somebody to do something/ 让…回答这个问题
- How to indicate an action is about to happen: 就要
- Linking words: 要是…..就
- Verb+不+了 去不了、吃不了
- Re-cap linking words: not… but/ not only…but also/ although
- New linking words: “一….就”， “不管…..都”
- Using an adjective before a verb in Chinese: 多吃、快走、少买
- Understand the sentence pattern “快 …了”
- Understand the usage of the sentence pattern “越…越”/ 越吃越瘦，越说越不明白
- Focus: sentences with “被” and “让”
- Sentence pattern “ adj+了(一)点儿”/ 价格高了一点儿
- Chinese characters
- Chinese banking services
- Traveling in China
- Chinese holidays
- The Chinese property market and Chinese people’s concept of “home”
- China’s business development
- Looking for a job in China
- Chinese pottery and china
- Colour symbolism in Chinese culture
- Four traditional Chinese festivals
- The roles of a business card and social etiquette in using a business card in China
- Chinese social benefits and medical care system
- Formal proverbs and phrases wishing one’s business success and to prosper
- Addressing people properly in an office
- Chinese people’s work ethics and working overtime during holidays
- The importance of Guanxi while doing business in China.
- Improve intonation and speaking fluency
- Enlarge vocabulary quickly (more supplementary materials)
- Listen to Chinese audio, video materials
- Improve communication skills
- Improve presentation skills in Chinese in different business contexts.
- Improve intonation by repeating some frequently used sentences
- Improve public speaking skills without reading notes
- Enlarge vocabulary quickly (more supplementary materials)
- Listening to fast speed Chinese audio, video materials
- Practice debate skills in the classroom
- Improve presentation skills in Chinese in different business contexts
- Speaking Chinese in a business context (differentiate formal conversation and casual conversation)
- Listening to fast speed Chinese audio, video materials (TV shows or films)
- Enlarge vocabulary at a faster pace (with a focus on business Chinese)
- Write short business report from research
- Deliver business presentations in Chinese
- Expressing one’s own opinion on current issues
Chinese HSK5 (Advanced 1)
Topics and Vocabulary
- Make a reservation for business purposes, such as booking a meeting room or making a reservation with a bank
- Phrases and expressions related to dealing with financial matters in a company, for example claiming expenses.
- Apply for a job and job interviews
- Evaluating your colleagues’ work performance
- Answer clients’ requests and make an apology on behalf of your company
- Official/ formal reception and farewell
- Express regrets
- A wide range of topics for discussion and debate in class, including Entertainment, mass media, work, business, education, school life and routine, the environment, tourism & travel, news, social & political issues, books, generation changes, cities, people, relationships, the arts, technology, health & fitness, social life, nightlife, national traditions/customs & culture, consumerism, globalization.
- Attend a management meeting and discuss some business strategies
- Attend a media strategy meeting and prepare for a company event.
- Talk about one’s work progress
- Chair a media conference and speak to media people
- Provide consulting services to a company
- Official/ formal reception and farewell
- To reach a general conclusion for a discussion
- A wide range of topics for discussion and debate in class, including Entertainment, mass media, work, business, education, etc
- Insert ‘ge’ and other modifying words into some two-character words. For example: 睡个好觉，跳个舞,吃个饭
- More on sentences with ‘把’. 把书拿过来，把包带过来，把信寄过来
- Question pattern “难道…吗？” indicates incredulity. Example: 你难道不知道吗？
- Difference between ‘再’ and ‘又’
- Re-cap paired linking words: 不但….而且/ 因为…所以/虽然…但是
- Comparison patterns: A 比…A 比B 更…A 没有 B….A不如B
- Sentence pattern “就这么定了” “就这么着了” to indicate a decision.
- “只有…才” to link a conditional complex sentence
- ‘之所以…是因为…’ using this pair of linking words to put result before reason.
- ‘是….的’ to emphasize a fact. For example 任务是艰巨的
- Formal and polite forms to address an organization
- Relative clauses (not only…but…)
- More negative forms e.g. “fou否”
- Conjunctions
- Punctuation
- Addressing a person by their position, age, profession instead of their names
- Look for a job in China. (Employment situations changed dramatically in China during the past 2 decades.)
- Chinese ways of showing modesty
- Characters for Chinese numbers
- Main business fairs in China
- Chinese idioms and proverbs
- Chinese websites and the media industry
- Chinese abbreviation
- Food safety in China
- Names of government organizations and state-owned enterprises
- Chinese provinces
- Speaking Chinese in a given business situation.
- Listening to fast speed Chinese audio, video materials
- Read Chinese meeting schedules, products manual, etc.
- Learn to write short stories or reports in Chinese characters.
- Improve research abilities by using Chinese keywords
- Deliver short business presentations in Chinese
- Discussion in groups about current issues from newspapers or magazines.
- Extensive speaking/active practice inc. situational exercises & interaction
- Extensive listening practice, normal speed Chinese conversation
- Re-drafting Extensive reading practice
- Lots of writing practice e.g. CV and covering letter
- Written notes/letters
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