Chinese Language - Mandarin and Cantonese

Mandarin

CHI 101 Elementary Chinese (Mandarin) I
CHI 102 Elementary Chinese (Mandarin) II
CHI 201 Intermediate Chinese (Mandarin) I
CHI 202 Intermediate Chinese (Mandarin) II

CHI 101 Elementary Chinese (Mandarin) I

Introduction to the Mandarin Chinese language. Includes basic phonetic system of the Chinese language, basic Chinese grammar structures, reading simple texts, basic Chinese writing and Chinese culture. Also includes a foundation in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and cultural awareness.

Performance Objectives:

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to do the following:

1. Identify the phonetic system of the Chinese language.
2. Produce and use basic Chinese grammar and structure.
3. Prepare simple texts written with the characters (approximately 200) in traditional or simplified form.
4. Perform in written form 100-200 Chinese characters in traditional or simplified form.
5. Discuss Chinese culture and topics of daily life.

Course Outline:

1. Basic Phonetic System of the Chinese Language
   1. Pronunciation
   2. Recognizing four tones
   3. Recognizing consonant sounds
   4. Recognizing vowel sounds
   5. Recognizing intonation
   6. Listening to dialogues
   7. Correct pronunciation
   8. Four tones
   9. Consonant sounds
   10. Vowel sounds
   11. Intonation
   12. Participating in short dialogues
2. Basic Chinese Grammar Structures
   1. Word order in a Chinese sentence
   2. Sentences with an adjectival predicate
   3. Sentences with a verbal predicate
   4. "Shi" and "You" sentences
   5. Questions with an interrogative pronoun
   6. Affirmative-negative questions
   7. Position of adverbs and prepositions
   8. Numeral-measure words
   9. Ways of telling the time
   10. Order of the year, month, day and hour
   11. Particle "Le"
   12. pAttributives and structural particle "De"
3. Reading Simple Texts
   1. Recognizing basic Chinese characters
   2. Reading dialogues
   3. Texts in traditional or simplified form
4. Basic Chinese Writing
   1. Basic Chinese characters
   2. Short dialogues
   3. Writing 100-200 characters in traditional or simplified forms
5. Chinese Culture
   1. Simple topics of daily life
   2. Chinese arts, appropriate to proficiency level

CHI 102 Elementary Chinese (Mandarin) II

Prerequisite(s): CHI 101.

Continuation of CHI 101. Includes additional phonetic system of Chinese language, additional selection of grammar structures, additional reading Chinese, additional writing Chinese, and additional Chinese culture. Also includes an additional level of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and culture awareness.

Performance Objectives:

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to do the following:

1. Identify the phonetic system of the Chinese language.
2. Compose and create works with basic Chinese grammar and structure.
3. Distinguish and interpret relatively more complicated texts written with the characters in traditional or simplified form.
4. Expand written assignment with more Chinese characters in traditional or simplified form.
5. Discuss and compare Chinese Cultural topics.

Course Outline:

1. Additional Phonetic System of Chinese Language
   1. Pronunciation
   2. Four tones
   3. Consonant sounds
   4. Vowel sounds
   5. Intonation
   6. Relatively longer dialogues
   7. Short narratives or compositions
   8. Speaking Pronunciation
   9. Basic oral questions and answers
2. Additional Selection of Grammar Structures
   1. Object of the preposition "Cong"
   2. Subject, predicate, object, attributive and adverbial adjunct
   3. Alternative questions
   4. Pivotal sentences
   5. Reduplication of verbs
   6. Position words
   7. Sentences indicating existence
   8. Word order of a series of attributives
   9. Preposed object
   10. Optative verbs
   11. Progressive and perfect aspects of an action
   12. Status of "Ba" sentences
3. Additional Reading Chinese
   1. Additional reading of basic Chinese characters
   2. Relatively longer dialogues
   3. Short essays and narratives
4. Additional Writing Chinese
   1. Additional writng of basic Chinese Characters
   2. Short essays and narratives
   3. Short compositions
5. Additional Chinese Culture
   1. Relatively complicated topics from daily life
   2. Pop and classic music

CHI 201 Intermediate Chinese (Mandarin) I

Prerequisite(s): CHI 102.

Continuation of CHI 102. Includes intermediate selection of grammar structures, oral and aural transactions, political, economic, and social vocabulary in readings and writings, intermediate literary works, and norms, values, and beliefs.

Performance Objectives:

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to do the following:

1. Analyze and compose with Intermediate Chinese grammar and structure.
2. Develop answers to unanticipated questions on familiar material.
3. Employ literary, political, economics and social vocabulary in appropriate dialogues.
4. Interpret simple literary works.
5. Discuss understanding of norms, values, and beliefs in geographical areas where the Chinese language is spoken.

Course Outline:

1. Intermediate Selection of Grammar Structures
   1. Time-measure complement
   2. Approximate number indicators
   3. Action-measure complement
   4. Subjectless sentence
   5. Modal particles
   6. Structural particles
   7. Continuous aspect of an action
   8. Aspects of verbs
   9. Comparison
   10. Complements of quantity
2. Oral and Aural Transactions
   1. Response to unanticipated questions
   2. Communicating in Chinese dealing with daily activities to
      1. Culture
      2. Politics
      3. Economics
      4. Social issues
   3. Objects in daily life
   4. Summarize a story with a paragraph
   5. Information necessary for daily survival
   6. Current events
   7. Answering questions
3. Political, Economic, and Social Vocabulary in Readings and Writings
   1. Literary works by Chinese writers from China
   2. Working with descriptions and instructions
   3. Asking and answering related questions to topics
   4. Write about related topics
   5. Communism in Mainland China and Capitalism in Taiwan
   6. Industrialized Hong Kong
4. Intermediate Literary Works
   1. Short articles
   2. Short modern stories
   3. Poetry of modern Chinese writers
5. Norms, Values, and Beliefs
   1. Social and cultural differences between Mainland China (including Hong Kong and Macao) and Taiwan
   2. Chinese arts: calligraphy and painting styles
   3. Contemporary music trends, pop music, traditional Chinese Opera.
   4. Religious beliefs
   5. Lost traditional values in Mainland China
      1. Communism
      2. Taiwan values and Chinese traditions
   6. Cultural norms differ in Mainland China and Hong Kong

CHI 202 Intermediate Chinese (Mandarin) II

Prerequisite(s): CHI 201.

Continuation of CHI 201. Includes additional intermediate selection of grammar structures, intermediate oral, aural, and written transactions, response to complex topics, additional norms, values, and beliefs, and Chinese history and cultural aspects.

Performance Objectives:

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to do the following:

1. Create and communicate with the knowledge of Chinese grammar and structure in written form.
2. Describe orally in coherent, unified thoughts. Write and interpret complicated literary works and topics with moderate accuracy.
3. Respond to unanticipated questions on increasingly complex topics such as politics, and economics.
4. Discuss further understanding of norms, values and beliefs in areas where Chinese is used.
5. Associate periods of Chinese history and cultural aspects.

Course Outline:

1. Additional Intermediate Selection of Grammar Structures
   1. Simple directional complement
   2. Repetition of adjectives
   3. Potential complement
   4. Complex directional complement
   5. Notional passive sentences
   6. Interrogative pronouns of general denotation
   7. Sentences with a verbal predicate
   8. Some structures used in complex sentences
2. Intermediate Oral, Aural and Written Transactions
   1. Current events
   2. Sensitivity to cultural differences, level of language and idioms used
   3. Oral presentations on related topics
   4. Use of video-tapes
   5. Looking for specific information when necessary
   6. Writing of relatively complex paragraphs and one-page essays
   7. Sentence patterns in written assignments
   8. Main ideas of intermediate readings
3. Response to Complex Topics
   1. Discuss Literary works
   2. Discuss political, economic and social issues
   3. Discuss Religious beliefs
4. Additional Norms, Values, and Beliefs
   1. Chinese spoken in Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao
   2. Chinese religious beliefs
   3. Cultural norms and how they differ in each geographical area where Chinese is spoken
   4. Social and cultural differences between China and Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao
   5. Traditional values in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao
5. Chinese History and Cultural Aspects
   1. Historical background of Chinese speaking population
   2. Food diversity among Chinese speaking countries
   3. Travel in China
   4. Chinese music
   5. Chinese arts

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Cantonese

Cantonese Beginner I

Entry requirements: Little or no knowledge of Cantonese

Course book: "Interactive Cantonese" (with a set of 3 cassettes) ISBN 962 279 196 4 -

Aims:

The aim of Entry Stage 1is to introduce learners to the basic skills in Cantonese so that they will acquire the basic knowledge of the language to be able to build up communication skills necessary to get by in everyday situations.

Objectives:

By the end of Entry Stage 1, learners will be able to:

- learn sounds and tones
- greet someone
- learn vocabulary for family, count number of people
- do shopping using different counter words
- give personal information
- take transportation and give directions
- have telephone conversations
- tell the time
- tell date/day
- do calculations
- use basic expression when they have difficulty in communication

Main Grammar Areas:

- question endings, possessive adjectives "go" positioning of titles
- final particle to form question "ne"
- conjunction 'and' in Cantonese.
- using time words in various tenses
- various conjunctions, verbs and adverbs
- classifier words 'a pair', 'a bottle'
- comparisons 'di' 'jui'

Cantonese Beginner II

Entry requirements: Entry Stage 1 or equivalent.

Aims:

The aim of Entry Stage 2 is to reinforce Entry Stage 1 vocabulary topics in more details so that they will be able to use them to build up the conversation of the language, meanwhile to build up their confidence in communication, also improve fluency.

Objectives:

By the end of Entry Stage 2, learners will be able to:

- use basic descriptions
- do something with someone
- accept and decline invitations
- know traditional festivals
- order food in restaurants
- suggest/decide where to go
- predict weather forecasts
- tell different seasons' weather
- use seasonal expression
- introduce themselves to learning Cantonese
- see doctor
- travel abroad
- use comparison words

Main Grammar Areas:

- difference using '2' in between 'yih' and 'leuhng'
- sentence particle 'ah' 'ho' 'ja' 'woh'
- use of adjective: sentence pattern
- time word: present, past, future tense
- prediction word: 'wuih' 'mu wuih'
- review on 'question word'
- verb: to be

Topics:

Place, body figure, traditional Chinese food/tea, weather, languages, illness

Cantonese Intermediate

Aims:

The aims of Entry Stage 3 is to reinforce Entry Stage 2 vocabulary topics in more details so that they will be able to use them to build up the conversation of the language, meanwhile to build up their confidence in communication, also improve fluency. On the other hand, learners will start to learn Chinese Characters that will help them to develop their reading and writing skills.

Objectives:

By the end of Entry Stage 3, learners will be able to:

- tell position, location and direction
- introduce themselves to learning Cantonese
- predict weather forecasts
- tell different seasons' weather
- talk about one's experience
- travel abroad
- tell different illness
- have basic knowledge about Chinese Characters
- write basic 'stroke' and characters

Main Grammar Areas:

- review on time word: present, past and future tenses
- review on 'question word'
- prediction word: 'wuih', 'mu wuih'
- difference using 'sik' and 'ji'
- usage of 'go jahn', ji chihn', and 'ji hauh'
- usage of 'cha mh do'

Topics:

Place, furniture, household, weather, language, illness