Professional Certificate (Elementary) in Chinese Language

This is a beginner's series comprising two levels. Upon completion of the two levels, students would be able to comprehend a total of 1000 Chinese characters. Expressions of simple ideas in the language are also introduced to equip them with simple conversational skills. At the end of this course, students will have better understanding of the language and it will prepare them for advancement to the next Intermediate level. A Professional Certificate will be awarded upon completion of all the core modules listed below.

Elementary I

Speak Mandarin 101
This is a conversational course for beginners. It starts with an introduction to the Mandarin speech sounds which is represented by Hanyu Pinyin. Texts are written in characters with Pinyin annotations. While focusing on listening and speaking skills, this course also deals with basic grammar. At the end of the course, students are expected to be able to conduct simple daily conversations.

Chinese Characters 101
This course is complementary to Speak Mandarin 101; characters for the vocabulary items used in Speak Mandarin 101 are systematically introduced with reference to their text frequencies. About 500 Chinese characters are taught in one term (12 weeks).

Elementary II

Speak Mandarin 102
This course is a continuation of Speak Mandarin 101. A wider range of vocabulary items and more grammatical rules are introduced. At the end of the course, students are expected to be able to conduct simple daily conversations in Mandarin. They should also be able to express their ideas or opinions in their newly acquired language.

Chinese Characters 102
This course is a continuation of Chinese Characters 101; an additional 400 Chinese characters are introduced.

Short Essays/ Stories 102
Short and simple essays/stories on various topics are selected for intensive reading, which is to be followed by discussion. This course introduces students to textual content, to help them understand reading materials.