CHINESE STAGE 1 - 2024/5

Module code: CHIL011

Module Overview


This is a module of the Global Graduate Award in Languages programme. It is taught over 19 weeks in the autumn and spring semesters, two contact hours per week, and covers the four core skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing in the target language. It also offers an introduction to the cultures and societies in which the target language is spoken and aims to raise a sense of cultural awareness. Students prepare for everyday communication in the target language and for work or study periods abroad.

A weighted aggregate mark of 40% is required to pass the module.

Module provider

School of Literature and Languages

Module Leader

RECASENS Cristina (Lit & Langs)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: Global Graduate Award

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Overall student workload

Independent Learning Hours: 46

Seminar Hours: 38

Guided Learning: 57

Captured Content: 9

Module Availability

Year long

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

No previous knowledge of Chinese required

Module content


Indicative content includes:

Topic areas



  • social introductions


  • day and time


  • shopping


  • coming and going/visits/welcoming a guest


  • existence of people and things


  • place/location


  • everyday life


  • telephone



Grammar


  • the Pinyin (phonetic system) and tones


  • pronouns: he, she, it; this, that


  • verb: shi (is, am, are, were, was)


  • particles: ma, ba, ne


  • possessive


  • adverbs and their position in a sentence


  • negatives: bu (no), meiyou (have not or had not)


  • tense, present, past, in a process, future


  • question words


  • most common used verbs


  • sentence structure



 

 

Assessment pattern

Assessment type Unit of assessment Weighting
Oral exam or presentation ASSESSMENT 1 50
Online Scheduled Summative Class Test ASSESSMENT 2 50

Alternative Assessment

A timed assessment covering the relevant skills, to be completed  online.

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate


  • their linguistic progress over the duration of the course;

  • their growing ability to understand and produce the language at the relevant level;

  • their increasing awareness of the culture(s) associated with the language;

  • the level of language they have achieved at the end of the course.



 

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

Two assessments, covering productive and receptive skills.

Both assessments to take place in semester 2.

 

Formative assessment and feedback

Students will receive in-class verbal feedback on homework tasks and in-class performance.   

 

Module aims

  • Encourage students to develop basic communicative competence in the four language skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening)
  • Instil a basic proficiency in handling grammatical structures
  • Provide students with basic Mandarin Chinese vocabulary used in everyday communication
  • Give some insight into the Mandarin-speaking world and the socio-cultural issues relevant to the countries involved
  • In terms of intercultural awareness, this module aims to encourage students to take a different perspective and view the world from different cultural viewpoints
  • Analyse and understand linguistic and cultural barriers
  • Reflect on the influence of cultural values on behaviour
  • Become conscious of stereotypes and prejudices
  • Communicate with others in culturally appropriate ways
  • In terms of study skills and transfer of skills and competencies, this module aims to encourage students to self-assess their progress and map their linguistic competence against the descriptors of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR)
  • Support students in acquiring language learning strategies and techniques
  • Inspire independent learning and facilitate the acquisition of other foreign languages

Learning outcomes

Attributes Developed
1 Interact in basic Mandarin Chinese in a limited range of familiar situations KPT
2 Understand and interpret basic spoken and written Mandarin Chinese in a limited range of situations and topics  KCP
3 Organise and present ideas on predictable topics PT
4 Demonstrate the ability to retrieve and handle information from appropriate sources PT
5 Understand and use the grammatical terminology relating to the topics covered KC
6 Demonstrate a degree of grammatical accuracy in their use of basic Mandarin Chinese KC
7 Pronounce individual sounds of Mandarin Chinese with a degree of accuracy KC
8 Use language reference materials such as grammars and dictionaries PT
9 Show cultural awareness by interacting in a culturally appropriate way for speakers of Mandarin Chinese KPT

Attributes Developed

C - Cognitive/analytical

K - Subject knowledge

T - Transferable skills

P - Professional/Practical skills

Methods of Teaching / Learning


The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

 



  • Enable students to acquire explicit knowledge of the linguistic structures, grammar and vocabulary through attending classes regularly;


  • Encourage student participation and learner autonomy, through small group work, reading and practicing/preparing outside contact hours, and participating in class activities;


  • Develop ability to use linguists’ tools, such as dictionaries and IT resources;


  • Enable students to engage in analytical and evaluative thinking, to analyse and interpret texts and other cultural products, through attending classes and engaging in individual study;


  • Develop communication skills through interactions in class.



 

 

The learning and teaching methods include:

 


  • Two contact hours per week over 19 weeks in Semesters 1 & 2


  • Teaching will be in the target language as far as possible.


  • Classes will include group work, such as role play, and short presentations in the language.


  • Consolidation of learning will be by the practice of language skills inside and outside the classroom, using a variety of means, including computer-assisted language learning.


  • Students are expected to complete regular homework tasks in order to practice new structures and to prepare for in-class activities.


Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: CHIL011

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2024/5 academic year.