Modern Chinese - Elementary level I

Teacher(s)

Hao Xiaoxia (coordinator);

Language

French
> English-friendly

Prerequisites

None, as it is a course for beginners. Together with the course LCHIN1300, it makes up the elementary level of Chinese at the ILV.

Main themes

The course covers every day and familiar topics such as: introducing oneself, talking about family, shopping, telephoning, telling the time, talking about the weather.
Course activities cover the following:

• Identification and reproduction of the tones of the Chinese language and pronunciation exercises
• Introduction to pinyin and the transcription of tones
• Introduction to writing Chinese ideograms
• Learning a reasonable number of everyday words
• Construction of simple sentences (orally and in writing)
• Learning a first series of classifiers
• Question/answer exercises
• Reading leant texts aloud
• Dictation

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

By the end of the course, the student should have acquired: the rules of Chinese writing: the direction of strokes, the roots; how to break down an unknown ideogram, determine the number of strokes and the root pinyin with its tones, pronunciation basic grammatical structures basic vocabulary comprehension of messages relating to simple and familiar situations the ideograms (simplified) taught during the course (+/- 300) the ability to construct simple sentences the ability to ask simple questions and answer them the ability to read simple sentences using the vocabulary learned

Content

This course aims to teach the basics of the Chinese language: pronunciation, the tones, basic sentence structure, writing, its alphabetic transcription, called 'pinyin' (internationally recognised official transcription). Right from the first lesson, the students start to speak and interact in simple and familiar situations, and read and write ideograms
Explanatory note
As the Chinese language does not belong to the family of Indo-European languages, it is not easy to put the course specification information in such a way that fits into the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
The learner of Chinese is confronted with a particular situation throughout the learning process: he/she is looking at a language which seldom has any equivalence with a European language as regards pronunciation ' in addition, Chinese is a tonal language ' and as regards writing, which is not alphabetic but ideographic. This automatically involves learning and memorising each ideogram one by one.   Learning to write is a life-long process for Chinese people too and explains why this is a slow process compared to alphabet-based writing systems. In addition, the learner is faced with a completely different type of grammar, Chinese being invariable. Its grammar, which is nevertheless complex, is unlike the grammar of any European language. These points mean that a different type of teaching and learning method is necessary to overcome the difficulties inherent in learning a language of the Sino-Tibetan family of languages.

Teaching methods

Audiovisual method
Each lesson comprises a mini-scenario presenting the theme of the lesson
The visual support allows vocabulary to be introduced directly in Chinese, without the need to translate.
Each 4-hour lesson is made up as follows: 50% oral, 50% written work. In additional, there is homework.

Evaluation methods

1. Test Q1

• Written (12 points): 3 online Unit quizzes + 1 written test at the end of Q1
• Oral (8 points): 1 in-class oral presentation on one of the given topics (1-3 min.)

2. Test Q2

• Written (12 points): 3 online unit quizzes + 1 written test at the end of Q2
• Oral (8 points): 1 in-class oral presentation on one of the given topics (3 min.)

3. Attendance: Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes (you are allowed two unexcused absences per term without providing justification). In case of absence, please notify the teacher by email.
4. Learners are required to attend the written AND oral evaluation test.

• If you are unable to take the Q1 tests on the scheduled dates for professional or medical reasons, please inform your teacher in writing as soon as possible, giving reasons for your absence. You will be invited to take an early test during the 13th week of Q1. If you are unavailable for the early test, your course will be considered incomplete.
• If you are unable to take the Q2 tests on the scheduled dates for professional or medical reasons, you will be invited to take a test during the first week of the 3rd exam session according to your request, you must send an email to xiaoxia.hao@uclouvain.be before May 31 to confirm your intention to take the exam in August. If you are unavailable for this test, your course will be considered incomplete.

5. You must obtain a total of 10/20 pts or more to be admitted to the next level course.

Other information

• The teacher can be consulted during her office hours during the whole academic year.
• Non-UCL students who take the end-of-year exam may ask for an ILV certificate.
• HSK Level 1 of the "Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education" implemented on July 1st, 2021 .

Online resources

1. 《国际中文教育中文水平等级标准（中文版）》（Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education: Chinese Version）（PDF）
2. Little Fox Chinese - Stories & Songs for Learners - Pinyin（Vidéo Gratuit）
3. Mandarin Chinese Listening Test | Beginner HSK 1-3 (Vidéo Gratuit)

Bibliography

Deux syllabus accompagnent le cours du Q1

1. Un syllabus d'écriture: Leçons 1-3
2. Un syllabus de cours: Leçons 1-3

Deux syllabus accompagnent le cours du Q2

1. Un syllabus d'écriture: Leçons 4-6
2. Un syllabus de cours: Leçons 4-6

Des exercices de vocabulaire, de grammaire, les devoirs hebdomadaires ainsi que les fichiers audio de révision sont disponibles sur Moodle.

Faculty or entity

> ILV