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Unit information: Intermediate Mandarin Chinese in 2016/17

Please note: you are viewing unit and programme information for a past academic year. Please see the current academic year for up to date information.

Unit name Intermediate Mandarin Chinese
Unit code LANG31047
Credit points 20
Level of study H/6
Teaching block(s) Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24)
Unit director Dr. Foster
Open unit status Open
Pre-requisites

Satisfactory completion of Mandarin Chinese (pre intermediate) LANG 21047 or if the student is deemed to already have the appropriate entry level of language required

Co-requisites

None

School/department School of Modern Languages
Faculty Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

A continuation of pre-intermediate Mandarin Chinese. Consolidation and further development of the language structures and functions acquired in pre-intermediate Mandarin Chinese. Students will build on their existing language competence and further develop language structures across all skills at an intermediate level. Particular emphasis will be placed on the skills necessary for effective oral, written and reading communication in the target language at an intermediate level. This unit includes: Communication skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing; Extension of more complex grammatical structures; Development of knowledge of the vocabulary used in everyday language; Consolidation and further development of the use and meaning of Chinese characters; Greater exposure to cultural and social aspects of the language, use of e-learning: keeping an online learning diary using an online blog.

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of the unit, successful students will be able to demonstrate:


1. an ability to communicate both orally and in writing with a reasonable degree of accuracy and fluency, as appropriate to level H.

2. an ability to work at an intermediate level with authentic material and retrieve necessary information.

3. knowledge and awareness of the general social and cultural background of the target language

4. an ability to understand and interpret written texts at a level of sophistication appropriate to level H.

5. an ability to respond to written texts at a level of sophistication appropriate to level H.

Overall, students will attain a level comparable the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JPLT) Level N4 or the Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK) Level 4.

Teaching Information

3 hours of teaching per week covering all four topics of Reading writing speaking and listening. Classroom based learning is supplemented by online access to resources delivered via Blackboard. Regular formative homework is set.

Assessment Information

The four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) are assigned equal weighting for the purposes of assessment (25% each).

For reading and writing there is a formal examination in the summer examination period, which comprises 25% of the total mark. This assesses ILOs 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Listening is assessed by continuous assessment, consisting of listening assignments and class tests, which comprise 25% of the total mark. Both assess ILOs 1 and 2.

Speaking is tested by continuous assessment, consisting of marked coursework (oral presentation) and an oral test. Both assess ILOs 1, 2 and 3.

Reading and References

A course book clearly identified by the Director of Foreign Language Teaching as suitable for this level. Reading and reference material will be provided on Blackboard.

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