
CHINE131-22B (HAM)
Chinese for Beginners
15 Points
Staff
Convenor(s)
Maria Galikowski
4210
I.3.01
maria.galikowski@waikato.ac.nz
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Paper Description
Ni Hao! This paper is designed for beginning learners of Mandarin Chinese. Over the 12 weeks of the trimester, you will be introduced to the pinyin system ( a way of writing syllables in Chinese using the English alphabet) and the tonal system, and you will learn how to construct Chinese characters. By the end of the trimester, you should be able to write approximately 150 characters in their simplified form, and know how to use them to exchange basic information (name, nationality, place of study, family members, etc.) with others.
Paper Structure
3 lectures, plus one tutorial per week.
Due to the continuing uncertainty over COVID alert levels, you will have the option of either coming onto campus for a face-to-face class (which is always the best option when learning a language :) ) or join the class via zoom. Since classes are highly interactive, they will not be Panoptoed or recorded, due to student privacy issues.
You will have the option of submitting assignments by either handing in your workbook to me in class, or via Moodle (details will be given in class). If alert levels change, you may need to submit assignments via Moodle only.
All tests for this paper will continue for this year to be conducted via scheduled zoom sessions.
Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete the paper should be able to:
Assessment
Assessment Components
The internal assessment/exam ratio (as stated in the University Calendar) is 100:0. There is no final exam.
Required and Recommended Readings
Required Readings
Liu Xun (ed.), Practical Chinese Reader I (2nd edition), Textbook and Workbook
Other Resources
There are many resources (apps, Youtube videos, etc.) currently available for strengthening your Chinese language learning. Here are some of the more useful ones:-
The “Yellow Bridge” website (www.yellowbridge.com) has useful written and pronunciation exercises, and lots of tips on learning Chinese, specifically for those students using the New Practical Chinese Reader resource materials.
Skritter (http://www.skritter.com/) helps you to learn how to write and remember Chinese characters. You do have to subscribe, however, and it is fairly expensive, but try out the free demo, and see what you think.
Pleco is a really useful app. The basic Chinese dictionary is free. You can also make up flash cards for memorization work, as well as do lots of other things. Draw characters on screen to bring up a definition/English translation. Anki is also a good app to enable you to make up digital flashcards for Chinese characters.
Online Support
There is an online Moodle community for this course. Moodle can be accessed via iWaikato. The paper outline is available on this site. Important announcements will also be posted through Moodle.
Workload
3 lectures, plus one tutorial per week. You should aim to spend at least an additional eight hours per week (depending on how good your memory is!) on completing assignments and on character-learning.
Linkages to Other Papers
Restriction(s)
Restricted papers: CHIN131