L5 – Chinese

你好! Ready to dive into the basics of Mandarin Chinese? Our Chinese L5 course is offered exclusively for S6 and S7 students, giving you a chance to explore one of the world’s most ancient languages and cultures. Whether you’re interested in the language for travel, future work opportunities, or simply want to explore a new cultural horizon, this course is the perfect entry point. 

Mandarin Chinese, known for its unique characters, tones, and grammar, will challenge you to think differently about language. At the same time, it will provide a rewarding experience as you learn to engage in basic conversations and explore the rich heritage of Chinese culture. 

Teaching

The Chinese L5 course is designed for beginners and primarily focuses on listening and speaking skills to help you build confidence in everyday conversations. You’ll also explore the fascinating origins of Chinese characters, learning how many developed from ancient drawings and symbols. For reading, you will work with pinyin to recognize characters, while learning to identify keywords that aid comprehension 
 

In S6, we cover: 

• Basic conversation: Engaging in simple dialogues, greetings, and introductions 

• Characters: Learning foundational Chinese characters and understanding stroke order 

• Listening: Developing the ability to recognize and respond to basic spoken Chinese 

• Pronunciation and tones: Mastering Mandarin’s four tones to improve clarity and comprehension 

• Grammar: Introduction to basic sentence structure, question formation, and simple word order 

• Culture: Exploring Chinese festivals, daily customs, and important cultural symbols 

In S7, we delve deeper into: 

• Conversation: Expanding your ability to engage in everyday conversations, such as talking about hobbies, food, and weather 

• Reading: Learning to read short texts and passages in Chinese, focusing on common characters and phrases 

• Writing: Composing brief paragraphs and messages 

• Listening comprehension: Listening to more complex dialogues, short clips, and audio exercises 

• Grammar: Introducing more advanced sentence structures, such as expressing time, negation, and using conjunctions 

• Cultural exploration: Delving into modern Chinese culture, traditional practices, and key historical events 

Exams 

In both S6 and S7, you will sit two B-tests each year. The B-test in the autumn semester will be a one-on-one conversation test. The B-test in the summer semester will be a written exam, assessing your listening and reading skills.