Aims

This course aims to teach the basics of the Chinese language: pronunciation, the tones, basic sentence structure, writing, its alphabetic transcription, called "pinyin" (internationally recognised official transcription). Right from the first lesson, the students start to speak and interact in simple and familiar situations, and read and write ideograms

Main themes

Speaking:

The student should learn : the pronunciation, tones, basic vocabulary and elementary grammatical structures to be able to interact. He/she can ask questions, answer them and take part in simple conversations.
Comprehension:

The student can understand messages relating to simple and familiar situations.

Writing:

Simplified ideograms are taught.
Les idéogrammes simplifiés seront enseignés.
At first the student internalises the rules of Chinese writing, the direction of strokes, the roots.
After this the student learns to break down an unknown ideogram, determine the number of strokes and the roots.
Finally, the student memorises all the ideograms taught (250).
The student should be able to read the ideograms studied in class in a new context.
The student can write simple phrases.
He/she is familiar with "pinyin" and the transcription of tones.

Audiovisual method:
Each lesson comprises a mini-scenario presenting the theme of the lesson
The visual support allows vocabulary to be introduced directly in Chines, without the need to translate.
Each 4-hour lesson is made up as follows: 50% oral, 50% written work.
In additional, there is homework.

Supporting material :
There are two volumes of course notes to accompany the course.
One volume of the course notes contains ideogrammes (valid for the first two years -500 ideograms)
One volume of course notes, containing:
- Vocabulary of the week
- Reading exercises
- Grammar exercises
- Weekly homework
- Writing exercises
- Vocabulary exercises
Two cassettes (or CDs) containing exercises on all the course material are available to students in the first year.

Evaluation:
Consolidation and revision exercises.
General revision at the end of the year
Final exam : 50% oral, 50% written
Students have to obtain 10/20 to be admitted to the intermediate level course.

Work load
120 hours of lessons
96 hours of self-study

Content and teaching methods

120-hour course, 4 hours per week during the whole year
audiovisual method
pronunciation exercises - the tones
learning basic vocabulary
the rules of writing (ideograms)
sentence formation
essential grammatical structures
oral and written exercises
conversation
reading
dictations

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

The teacher can be consulted during her office hours during the whole academic year.
Non-UCL students who take the end-of-year exam will receive an ILV certificate.

Level A1+ of the "Common European Framework of Reference for Languages"

This course is for all beginners level learners: UCL students, members of staff, non-UCL students.

Explanatory note:
Some words of explanation are, I think, necessary.
As the Chinese language does not belong to the family of Indo-European languages, it is not easy to put the course specification information in such a way that fits into the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
The learner of Chinese is confronted with a particular situation throughout the learning process: he/she is looking at a language which seldom has any equivalence with a European language as regards pronunciation - in addition, Chinese is a tonal language - and as regards writing, which is not alphabetic but ideographic.
This automatically involves learning and memorising each ideogram one by one. Learning to write is a life-long process for Chinese people too and explains why this is a slow process compared to alphabet-based writing systems.
In addition, the learner is faced with a completely different type of grammar, Chinese being invariable. Its grammar, which is nevertheless complex, is unlike the grammar of any European language.
These points mean that a different type of teaching and learning method is necessary to overcome the difficulties inherent in learning a language of the Sino-Tibetan family of languages.

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