Mandarin 178
Introduction to the Mandarin language and culture
First year level module
Duration : one year
Credits : 24 Composition : 3 lectures, 1 tutorial and 1 practical per
week
Admission Requirements : Mandarin 178 is offered for beginners; no prior
knowledge of Mandarin is required.
The module is designed to provide basic knowledge of the language including alphabetical Pin Yin, Chinese characters and basic grammar. It enables students to understand, to speak the language in everyday situation and to recognize the Chinese characters.
- Introduction to the pronunciation and tones
- Introduction to Chinese characters and their components
- Study of basic literary texts in conversational patterns
Generic Outcomes
Students who have completed the course successfully are able to understand and speak Mandarin in everyday situation and to recognize the Chinese characters with basic knowledge of components.
Specific Outcomes
After completing the Mandarin 178 course successfully, a student is able to
- talk about him/her self, family, weather, time, likes and dislikes and other basic conversational topics;
- read literary texts with the correct pronunciation and tones;
- understand and respond to basic conversation in Mandarin
- recognize the Chinese characters with the knowledge of components
Mandarin 278
Intermediate study of Mandarin language and culture
Second year level module
Duration : one year
Credits : 32
Composition : 3 lectures, and 1 practical per week
Admission Requirements : Mandarin 278 is offered for post-beginners; prior
basic knowledge of Mandarin is required.
The module is designed to provide further knowledge of the language and culture and extend vocabulary of Chinese characters. It enables students to understand and to read the Mandarin language with more complicated grammar within its social and cultural context.
- Extend the vocabulary of Chinese characters extensively
- Explain the grammar and apply the grammar in practial exercises
- Role play dialogue to enhance communicative competence
- Enhancing reading comprehension through training
Generic Outcomes
Students who have completed the course successfully are able to understand and speak Mandarin in specific communicative situations be able to use new phrases and patterns within the correct context.
Specific Outcomes
After completing the Mandarin 278 course successfully, a student is able to
- understand and read Chinese texts, stories with the assistance of dictionary
- conduct conversation much more confident with correct social context
- write Chinese characters in sentences and in short essays with the vocabulary learnt
- translate from Chinese to English within the learnt vocabulary
Mandarin 318
Intermediate level of study the Mandarin language and culture
Third year level module
Duration : one semester (first semester)
Credits : 24
Composition : 3 lectures, 1 practical per week
Admission Requirements : Mandarin 318 is offered for intermediate learners;
a substantial knowledge of Mandarin is required.
The module is designed to provide extensive knowledge of the language and culture and enlarged vocabulary of Chinese characters. It enables students to comprehend, to read and write the Mandarin language with more sophisticated skills and advanced grammar in social and cultural context.
- Enlarge the characters vocabulary extensively
- Grammar error analysis in writing assignment
- Train students to understand, discuss and express their opinion on certain topics
- Practice on writing essays in Chinese characters
Generic Outcomes
Students who have completed the course successfully are able to comprehend, and communicate in Mandarin in social communicative situations; to enlarge vocabulary extensively; be able to use the phrases and patterns within the correct context; write short essays with the help of dictionary.
Specific Outcomes
After completing the Mandarin 318 course successfully, students are able to
- read and comprehend Chinese on social topics and express their opinions in Chinese
- to conduct communicative conversation within the correct social context and apply correct grammar
- to write Chinese characters in short essays with various of forms
- to translate from Chinese to English,drawing from their enlarged vocabulary.
Mandarin 348
Intermediate level of study the Mandarin language and culture
Third year level module
Duration : one semester (second semester)
Credits : 24
Composition : 3 lectures, 1 practical per week
Admission Requirements : Mandarin 348 is offered for intermediate learners;
a substantial knowledge of Mandarin is required.
The module is designed to provide extensive knowledge of the language and culture and enlarged vocabulary of Chinese characters. It enables students to comprehend, to read and write the Mandarin language with more sophisticated skills and advanced grammar in social and cultural context.
- Enlarge the characters vocabulary extensively
- Grammar error analysis in writing assignment
- Train students to understand, discuss and express their opinion on certain topics
- Practice on writing essays in Chinese characters
Generic Outcomes
Students who have completed the course successfully are able to comprehend, and communicate in Mandarin in social communicative situations; to enlarge vocabulary extensively; be able to use the phrases and patterns within the correct context; write short essays with the help of dictionary.
Specific Outcomes
After completing the Mandarin 348 course successfully, students are able to
- read and comprehend Chinese on social topics and express their opinions in Chinese
- to conduct communicative conversation within the correct social context and apply correct grammar
- to write Chinese characters in short essays with various of forms
- to translate from Chinese to English,drawing from their enlarged vocabulary.
Visual and Listening Material
Below are six downloadable zipped lesson packs. These files are on the university's "Poel on Rgacls_rgapoel" drive which, in the case of Arts and Social Sciences is P:\. Open Windows Explorer and navigate to
P:\LET\Modern Foreign Languages\Chinese\lessons
Right-click name of the lesson and choose "Save Target As ..." and then save it on either your H:/ drive or a flashdisk. You need to unzip the files in order to play the videos.
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Lesson 1 Greetings |
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Lesson 2 Introductions |
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Lesson 3 Asking the Way |
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Lesson 4 Asking for Help |
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Lesson 5 Talking About the Weather |
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Lesson 6 Departure and Farewell |
HSK Test Centre offering Chinese Language Proficiency Test
Early in 2007, with the approval of the application for HSK by Hanban, the Mandarin Section became the host of the first HSK test centre in Sub-Sahara African Countries. On 27October 2007, the Centre successfully organized the first test (basic level). Nine candidates wrote the test. We plan to organize another test on 18 October 2008.
Mr Feng Lei took part in a working meeting on HSK test in Beijing on 5 and 6 April 2008. It was the first meeting on HSK since the test was first introduced in 1991. The general situation of overseas HSK centres was introduced and discussed. Approaches to improvement were suggested.
Donation
The department is proud that students of Mandarin now have excellent learning facilities available to them though the Chinese Multimedia Language Laboratory and the Chinese Seminar Room which form part of the newly launched Centre for Chinese Studies. Both facilities which were equipped with donations from the Chinese government create an authentic learning environment and enable the department to offer a full undergraduate degree in Mandarin from 2005, the first of its kind in South Africa. The opening ceremony for the Centre of Chinese Studies was held in the Arts Building on 13 October when China's Deputy Minister of Education Mr Baoqing Zhang visited the campus.
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Mr Zhang hands over a donation
of 1000 Chinese books to the Department's chair Prof. Carlotta von
Maltzan, middle: Dr. Martyn Davies, Director of Centre for Chinese
Studies
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Left to right: Prof. Walter
Claasen (Vice-Rector, Research), Dept. Minister Mr Zhang, Chinese
lecturer Mrs Xiao Ping Yu, Prof. Hennie Kotze (Dean, Faculty of
Arts)
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Useful Links
http://www.ccs.org.za
The Centre for Chinese Studies at the University of Stellenbosch
www.chinalanguage.com
Introduction of the Chinese language and a dictionary for vocabulary
www.chinapage.com
Chinese culture, calligraphy, history and literature
www.chinatoday.com
General information about China
www.chineseculture.about.com
China online including Chinese characters, culture, art, calligraphy,
society and entertainment
www.clavisinica.com
Key to the Chinese language, a reading assistant with text, pronunciation
and a flash card tool
www.emnes.com
Interactive, self-paced with step-by-step instructions, learn to read,
write and speak Chinese
www.mandarintools.com
Tools to learn Chinese and to use the Chinese language on the computer
www.ocrat.com
Animated Chinese characters
www.wenlin.com
A dictionary containing over 10,000 Chinese characters
www.winvue.com
Practical desktop for learning Chinese characters
www.hanban.edu.cn
The Chinese language proficiency test, “Chinese Bridge”, and competition
news
www.blcu.edu.cn
Learning the Chinese language in China