Module MLAN2021: MANDARIN LANGUAGE CONSOLIDATION

Department: Modern Language and Cultures (Languages)

MLAN2021: MANDARIN LANGUAGE CONSOLIDATION

Prerequisites

• Year 2 students who have completed Level 1 Beginners' Mandarin.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• Any Core Language Modules offered by the School of Modern Languages & Cultures.

Aims

• To consolidate and revise prior knowledge.
• To develop reading, writing, listening and speaking skills in the target language.
• To enable students to function effectively in a general social context.
• To extend lexis and knowledge of grammar.
• To develop basic essay writing skills.
• To promote intercultural awareness.

Content

• The first part of this module aims to consolidate and revise prior knowledge. This will involve a comprehensive review of basic language structures followed by the further study of key aspects of grammar.
• Most functional and notional topics studied at this level will be determined by the main course book and will address issues such as education and the world of work, television and the press etc.
• Course book materials will be supplemented with topic related sources from satellite TV, internet websites and the press.
• Free role-plays and group discussion exercises will promote the basis for developing confidence, flexibility and fluency in conversations.
• Statistical tables and charts may be used to practise group and individual oral presentations and debates.
• As part of this module, students are required to complete a small project which will include an oral presentation and a written component.

Learning Outcomes

• On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
• demonstrate some knowledge and understanding of the linguistic principles, structures and registers of the target language;
• demonstrate knowledge of some aspects of the social, economic and political structures of Mandarin;
• demonstrate knowledge and understanding of some features of Mandarin culture and society gained through the study of cultural topics.

• On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
• extract relevant information from mainly descriptive written sources containing a of high-frequency volume of everyday language;
• write short essays in Mandarin related to both personal and social spheres, expressing and discussing views;
• understand the main points of clear standard speech and authentic aural passages on familiar topics from typical everyday situations;
• relate a series of events and take part in a structured discussion on familiar topics;
• apply a range of grammatical principles;
• make effective use of reference materials such as grammars and dictionaries;
• use a range of language-learning techniques and skills by independently developing strategies to extend their lexis and knowledge of grammar.

• At the end of the module students will have enhanced their ability to:
• communicate information, ideas and opinions both orally and in writing;
• give a short class presentation in Mandarin;
• gather and process information from a variety of paper, audio-visual and electronic resources;
• narrate a story or relate the plot of a book or a film;
• use IT effectively both as a means of communication and as an aid to learning;
• demonstrate some ability as an independent learner;
• deal with a variety of situations likely to arise whilst abroad.

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

• This module is delivered through seminar style classes and multimedia lab sessions.
• Contact time will be used to introduce new material and grammar and to provide students with high quality target language input from the module tutor and from recorded material.
• Small group teaching is particularly suitable for the development of oral/aural skills as it offers all students the chance to practise communicative (speaking and listening) skills, e.g. participate in role-plays, discussions and other speaking exercises, thus encouraging students to develop and transfer their skills to different situations and to deal with a variety of everyday situations.
• Ideally, seminar sessions would be particularly suitable in classrooms equipped with interactive white board facilities as it will allow the module tutor to put into place communicative activities stimulating the students and encouraging them to fully participate to the class.
• The use of the multimedia lab and the target language input by the teacher will enable learners to enhance their listening skills relating to familiar matters and standard speech.
• Guided and independent self-study is an important element in order to achieve maximum exposure to the target language and to accelerate the pace of learning.
• In preparation for each session students will be expected to revise new material and complete formative language exercises.
• 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.
• The formative assessments give the students the opportunity to improve their writing, reading and grammar skills. They will get feedback on letter and essay-writing and they will be given reading-comprehension tasks as well as vocabulary and grammar tests.
• Summative assessments will also fulfill a formative function since feed-back on summative in-course assessments will be made available to students

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Students will be given assignments to practise and consolidate new skills as well as to assess the students’ ability to transfer their knowledge to new situations. All formative assessments will be submitted to the module tutor. Summative language portfolio assignments will also fulfil a formative role since full feed-back will be provided to students.

■ 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