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    Overview

    An introductory course in reading, writing, speaking and listening to Chinese for students with no previous knowledge of the language. The paper takes an integrated approach to the skills of language acquisition and includes basic material on the cultural heritage of the Chinese people.

    Why study Chinese? The number of people who are learning Chinese as a second language is increasing very rapidly. It is also the second most common language on the Internet. As China is an important business partner of New Zealand, learning Chinese will give you the edge over other candidates for a wide variety of jobs.

    About this paper

    Paper title Introductory Chinese 1
    Subject Chinese
    EFTS 0.15
    Points 18 points
    Teaching period Semester 1 (On campus)
    Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) $981.75
    International Tuition Fees Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website.
    Restriction
    CHIN 101 or CHIN 132 or any other more advanced Chinese language paper
    Schedule C
    Arts and Music
    Notes
    This paper is for beginners only and is not available to students who have passed NCEA Level 2 or 3 (or equivalent) in Chinese. For further information, contact the Department of Languages and Cultures (languages@otago.ac.nz)
    Eligibility

    Suitable for students specialising in any discipline. This paper is for absolute beginners, and it is designed to set the foundation for your study of Chinese. If you already have some knowledge of Chinese (e.g. you have studied it at secondary school, lived in China or have been exposed to Chinese in a family setting), you may be able to enrol in a more advanced paper (such as CHIN 132 or CHIN 231). Please contact the Convenor for further advice.

    Contact
    languages@otago.ac.nz
    Teaching staff

    Convenor: Professor Paola Voci

    Paper Structure
    Lectures: During lectures, we will learn and practise the new grammar patterns and new vocabulary, as well as read the lesson dialogues. We will also introduce other supplementary material (feature films, documentaries, websites).

    Tutorials: While lectures will all have an interactive nature, it is during tutorial times, when students are divided in smaller groups, that you will have an opportunity to practise more extensively through both small group or pair activities and individual exercises.
    Teaching Arrangements
    Lectures: During lectures, we will learn and practise the new grammar patterns and new vocabulary, as well as read the lesson dialogues. We will also introduce other supplementary material (feature films, documentaries, websites).

    Tutorials: While lectures will all have an interactive nature, it is during tutorial times, when students are divided in smaller groups, that you will have an opportunity to practise more extensively through both small group or pair activities and individual exercises.
    Textbooks

    Liu, Xun, ed. Xin shiyong hanyu keben 1 (New Practical Chinese Reader 1) (Textbook & Workbook).
    Beijing: Beijing Language and Culture University Press, 2011. (Both available at the University Book Shop).

    Graduate Attributes Emphasised
    Global perspective, Lifelong learning, Communication, Cultural understanding, Self-motivation, Teamwork.
    View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.
    Learning Outcomes
    By participating in lectures and tutorials, completing the assigned homework and via other independent learning activities (practice with Language Perfect, meetings with language match partners and exercises based on suggested online resources), students will gain:
    • A basic understanding of the Chinese language structure
    • Elementary conversational skills
    • Basic reading and writing skills
    More specifically, the paper's expected learning outcomes include:
    • Learning basic phonetics and tones
    • Fluency in reading and writing the Pinyin system
    • A written vocabulary of about 300 characters
    • The ability to carry out simple conversations on everyday topics (such as the exchange of personal information, family structure, profession, basic physical descriptions of people and communicating place and time)
    • The capacity to read a simple text independently

    Timetable

    Semester 1

    Location
    Dunedin
    Teaching method
    This paper is taught On Campus
    Learning management system
    Blackboard

    Lecture

    Stream Days Times Weeks
    Attend
    A1 Monday 10:00-10:50 9-13, 15-22
    Tuesday 10:00-10:50 9-13, 15-22
    Thursday 10:00-10:50 9-13, 15-22

    Tutorial

    Stream Days Times Weeks
    Attend one stream from
    A1 Wednesday 10:00-10:50 9-13, 15-22
    A2 Wednesday 11:00-11:50 10-13, 15-22
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