An introductory course for students with no background in the language. Students will learn to speak and understand standard Mandarin and read and write simplified Chinese characters. Students will develop speaking and listening skills through audiovisual media, interactive activities, and pair dialogue practice. Reading skills are developed through graded reading activities. Character writing practice and composing short pieces will develop writing skills. A strong emphasis on grammar provides the necessary framework to communicate clearly and effectively. Short lectures and the reading and sharing of current event news will develop an understanding of Chinese culture, past and present.
- Identify features of everyday life and culture in multiple countries where the language is spoken.
- Orally communicate short messages and ask questions on a variety of everyday topics with novice-level pronunciation.
- Meet the demands of practical writing situations at a novice level, using basic vocabulary and grammatical structures.
- Identify key words, aural cognates, and formulaic expressions that are highly contextualized.