Module MLAN1021: BEGINNERS' MANDARIN

Department: Modern Languages and Cultures (CFLS)

MLAN1021: BEGINNERS' MANDARIN

Prerequisites

• No or "very little" Mandarin language learning experience.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• Any Core Language Modules taken by students studying for BA Honours in Modern Languages within the School of Modern Languages & Cultures.

Aims

• To provide an introduction to Mandarin Language in the four core language skills, i.e. listening, speaking, reading and writing and an introduction to the basic grammatical structures of the target language.
• To encourage a positive and confident attitude towards language learning.
• To develop and apply meta language and learning techniques appropriate to undergraduate level study.
• To provide a linguistic platform for communicative competence in Mandarin.
• To promote cultural awareness.

Content

• This module allows students with no prior knowledge to rapidly acquire linguistic skills for the purpose of general communication.
• The module is also designed to provide a sound platform for foreign language acquisition by helping students to understand the core structure of the Mandarin language through the study of grammar.
• Classes will be used to introduce and practise new vocabulary through interactive language exercises developing students’ independence and fluency at an introductory level.
• Guided and independent self-study will be an important element in order to achieve maximum exposure to the target language and to accelerate students’ learning pace.
• Cultural awareness will be developed through the study of selected background material. Functional topics may include:
• Talking about yourself (asking for and giving personal information, profession/ occupation, personal description, family, routines);
• Dealing with every day situations when visiting China or a Mandarin speaking country as a tourist, such as asking for/giving directions or eating out, booking a hotel room, hiring a car, etc;
• Expressing likes/dislikes and agreement/disagreement;
• Talking about past and future events;
• Describing a house, a hotel, a town, a person, an object, a landscape, etc;
• Writing short letters and notes.

Learning Outcomes

• By the end of the module students will:
• demonstrate an understanding of basic grammar and be able to communicate in the present, past and future tenses on familiar topics and activities;
• communicate in tasks requiring a direct exchange of information on familiar topics and activities;
• have an awareness of the main features of contemporary Mandarin culture.

• By the end of the module students will:
• understand and elicit basic factual information in Mandarin in simple everyday situations;
• understand and extract relevant information from course related written and aural texts;
• describe aspects of their background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need;
• write short notes and messages.

• By the end of the module students will:
• demonstrate the ability to identify their own learning needs and address them effectively;
• demonstrate an understanding of core meta language sufficient to undertake independent study of essential grammar and lexis;
• demonstrate a strategic competence that will allow them to understand the gist of conversations / texts in simple, everyday but unpredictable situations.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• This module is delivered weekly through a 2-hour seminar and a 1 hour multimedia lab session.
• Seminar sessions will be used to practise the four skills and to provide students with high quality target language input from the module tutor and from multimedia audiovisual learning material.
• Small group teaching is particularly suitable for the development of oral /aural skills as it offers all students the chance to participate in role-play and other speaking exercises.
• In preparation for each session students will be expected to revise new material and complete formative language exercises.
• The assessment scheme for this module is designed to test students’ level of attainment in language production (speaking and writing) and reception (listening and reading).
• In order to reflect the continuous nature of the language learning process the module will be assessed by a combination of formative and summative in-course assessment and by formal written examination.
• Summative assessment will also fulfil a formative function since feedback on summative in-course assessment will be made available to students.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Regular homework/assignments will be given to the students to practise and consolidate what they have done in class and to prepare the following session, some of which will be submitted and marked as formative assignments and regular feedback will be given to the students accordingly.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University