Specialized level
[CHIN1700]
[120h] 9 credits
Teacher(s): Françoise Paron
Language: French
Level: First
Aims
Main themes
The student will be able to speak with even more fluency, have enough vocabulary and grammatical knowledge to express themselves on the most common topics, follow and take part in conversations with Chinese native speakers, watch films and listen to tapes. They will be able to interact naturally and spontaneously. They will be able to develop a theme, present varied subjects and make summaries.
Understanding:
The student will be able to understand native speakers who have a slightly different accent than Mandarin Chinese and acquire an active and passive vocabulary that will allow them to follow conversations on various domains.
Writing:
The student will have a solid baggage of active and passive ideograms that will allow them to read specialized texts with the help of a dictionary. The active baggage will have to be practised throughout the year. They will be able to write essays, texts, letters as well as analyse discourse.
The approach to the study material will be organised in various ways: unseen texts, listening comprehension exercises, video, audio, comic strips, etc. Every class will have its theme, sometime very broad, on Chinese culture, traditions, history, language, legend, etc., as well as its very specific and targeted grammar points (derived meaning, complex complements of direction, correlative adverbs, passive particles, complex sentences, etc).
Reading comprehension will be developed at different levels: basic reading and comprehension of new vocabulary through context, the pronunciation of new ideograms thanks to phonic elements, the rapid assimilation of vocabulary and the oral and written exploitation of new words, but also specialized texts. Meetings will be organized with native speakers and/or with former ILV students of Chinese currently living in China. During these meetings, only Chinese will be used.
Supporting material:
Two sets of course notes accompany this course. Volume two of the ideograms as well as the course notes proper. One audio-tape or -CD with exercises per theme. Complementary reading of newspaper clippings for those students requesting this (articles on business topics, etc.) The four classroom hours are divided as follows: 60 % oral and 40 % written skills.
Assessment:
Revision exercises; regular revision; general revision at the end of the year;
Final exam: 40 % oral, 40 % written and 20 % reading and discussing an unseen text.
The student should get a 12/20 mark to pass the exam and to be bestowed the certificate.
Workload:
120 classroom hours
96 self-study hours
Content and teaching methods
reading, studying texts (civilisation, culture, newspaper articles)
listening practice
translating, writing
discussions on various topics
written and oral grammar practice
dictations
Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)
Non-UCL students who have sat the end-of-year exam will receive an ILV certificate.
B2 (+) to C1 (-) levels of the "Common European Framework of Reference for Languages".
This course is for all specialized-level learners who have either followed the ILV advanced-level course (CHIN 1500) or a course of the same level in another language school: UCL students, staff members, non-UCL students.