CBL1110

Beginning business Chinese, part 1

Scott Grant

6 points - 5 hours per week - First semester - Peninsula

Objectives This subject introduces students to a variety of themes and language functions in Mandarin through both textbook materials and situational discourse. Students successfully completing this subject should have developed a practical knowledge of simple grammatical structures; oral and aural skills necessary for basic communication in a range of everyday practical situations; skills to read short simple text in Chinese; the ability to write short notes and compositions in Chinese characters; an initial understanding of the necessity to translate contextually rather than literally; a knowledge of the cultural context that surrounds the language skills learned.

Synopsis Introduction to modern standard Chinese, including phonetics and romanisation; Chinese character stroke order; elementary spoken and written Chinese; cultural context and background relevant to the study of Mandarin. Will include study of video material as well as text book material.

Assessment Weekly assignments and three short written tests: 40% - Verbal skills (including classroom participation and two oral presentations): 15% - Regular character dictation tests: 5% - Written examination: 30% - Oral tests: 10%

Prescribed texts

Practical Chinese reader I The Commercial Press, 1989
Practical Chinese reader I: Patterns and exercises Cheng and Tsui, latest edition

Recommended texts

Concise English-Chinese Chinese-English dictionary OUP/ Commercial Press (latest edn)
Beijing Foreign Languages Institute A Chinese-English dictionary The Commercial Press, 1990

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