CBL1120

Beginning business Chinese, part 2

Scott Grant

6 points - 5 hours per week - Second semester - Peninsula - Prerequisites: CBL1110

Objectives This subject continues the introduction of students to a variety of themes and language functions in Mandarin through both text book materials and situational discourse. On successful completion of this subject students should have further developed 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 test: 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
Beijing Foreign Languages Institute A Chinese-English dictionary The Commercial Press, 1990

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