Chinese Language 1

Undergraduate course

Course description

Objectives and Content

This course offers basic training in modern Mandarin. Mandarin is the main language in, among other places, mainland China and Taiwan, and is the gateway to one of the world's oldest civilizations. Mandarin has the most native speakers of any other language in the world. Students will develop practical writing and speaking skills in modern Mandarin. They will learn correct pronunciation with the help of the transcription system "Hanyu pinyin", a basic vocabulary, and a number of Chinese characters.

Learning Outcomes

After completing the course, students will have introductory knowledge of the layout and structure of Chinese characters. They will be able to read simple texts and have a basic conversation in Mandarin.

The students- Will have acquired basic vocabulary and grammatical understanding- Will have acquired approximately 300 words connected with daily life and 160 new characters.

ECTS Credits

15

Level of Study

Bachelor

Semester of Instruction

Spring

Place of Instruction

Bergen.
Required Previous Knowledge
None
Recommended Previous Knowledge
Good skills in English.
Credit Reduction due to Course Overlap
15 credits reduction if combined with KIN621 or KIN623
Access to the Course
The course is open to all with admission to the University of Bergen
Teaching and learning methods
Instruction is organized as a series of lectures and seminars. There will be 10-12 hours of teaching a week, for 6 weeks during the first half of the semester.
Compulsory Assignments and Attendance

In order to be eligible to take the exam, students must turn in 5 written assignments, and pass at least 4. In addition, students must submit and receive feedback on 6 oral assignments with an extent of 5-10 minutes. The oral assignments should be submitted as media files.

The compulsory course assignments are valid for one semester after the semester of instruction.

Forms of Assessment

Portfolio. A total of 12 media files are to be included in the portfolio: The 6 obligatory oral assignments and 6 modified versions of the obligatory oral assignments, both sets with an extent of 5-10 minutes per assignment.

The final grade is based on an overall assessment of the portfolio, where both progression and proficiency will be taken into account. The complete portfolio is submitted at the end of the course.

Grading Scale
The grading scale A-F is used, where F is a failing grade.
Assessment Semester
The exam is offered in the same semester as the course as well as in the following semester for those who have completed the compulsory course assignments.
Reading List
A textbook for new beginners, workbook, and multimedia tools.The reading list will be ready within 01.07 for the autumn semester and 01.12 for the spring semester
Course Evaluation
The teaching is evaluated according to the quality assurance system of the University of Bergen.
Programme Committee
The Programme Board is responsible for the academic content and structure of the study programme, and for the quality of all the subjects therein.
Course Administrator
The Department of Foreign Languages at the Faculty of Humanities has the administrative responsibility for the course and the study programme.