CHN2210 : Level B (HE Intermediate) Chinese - Exchange Semester 2

Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Semester 2 Credit Value: 20
ECTS Credits: 10.0
European Credit Transfer System

Aims

(1) To consolidate the linguistic foundation provided in CHN1065 and CHN1066 with a view to further study.

(2) To provide students with sufficient target language competence and inter-cultural sensitivity for communicative interaction with native speakers and to enable them to cope with typical situations met during a potential period of study abroad.

(3) To continue to provide students with skills necessary to become better language learners.

This module builds upon the foundation in language systems provided in CHN1065 and CHN1066, while continuing to develop reading, listening, writing and speaking skills. You will learn more grammatical structures and vocabulary, and will be able to write a further 800 Chinese characters, making a total of well over 1000! By the end, you will be able to communicate effectively enough to cope successfully during your Year Abroad in China.

We use a task-based, communicative approach, and encourage peer learning through pair and group work. Assessment is by portfolio of written coursework, aural exam, oral exam, and written exam. Building a portfolio of assessed coursework helps you to monitor your progress and stimulates independent learning and learner autonomy. Formal exams provide a summary assessment before continuing on to your Year Abroad.

Outline Of Syllabus

Basic grammatical structures and items of vocabulary relating to the list below will be covered (corresponding to Lessons 3-10 in Integrated Chinese of Textbook 3). The following topics and learning objectives will be included:

At a restaurant (talk about what tastes you like and dislike, describe your dietary restrictions preferences);
Shopping (describe your shopping preferences and criteria, disagree with other tactfully);
Choosing classes (state your major and some required general courses you have taken, talk about your plans after graduation and career path);
Dating (describe people’s personality, interests and hobbies, and what you look for in a friend);
Computers and the internet (name the activities you use the internet for, discuss the pros and the cons of using the internet);
Working Part-time (explain how people fund their education, discuss if you work part-time and why)
Education (indicate agreement or disagreement, present your opinions on children’s education)
Geography of China (locate major Chinese cities, provinces and geographic features on a map, discuss an itinerary for travel to China)

Every week you will have six scheduled teaching hours which are divided as follows:

1.       Grammar & Speaking (4 hours): 4 hours in-class seminars.
We shall cover all the grammatical points listed in the syllabus as above.

2.       Reading & Writing (1 hour): 1-hour online session (interactive).
One hour will be devoted to developing skills in reading and writing, using the grammatical points, sentences patterns and vocabulary studied from our core textbook earlier on each week. Translation (English into Chinese and Chinese into English) will also be practised.

3.       Listening (1 hour): 1-hour in-lab seminar.
We shall provide you with listening task sheets to enable you to practice the grammatical points and sentence patterns through listening exercises. You are expected to complete the task sheets, check the answers, and conduct reflective learning.

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities
Category Activity Number Length Student Hours Comment
Guided Independent StudyAssessment preparation and completion221:0022:00N/A
Structured Guided LearningAcademic skills activities111:0011:0011 hours online sessions
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesSmall group teaching551:0055:0055 hours present in person
Guided Independent StudyIndependent study1121:00112:00N/A
Total200:00
Jointly Taught With
Code Title
CHN2010Level B (HE Intermediate) Chinese
Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Key grammatical structures and vocabulary are introduced and practised using an integrated communicative approach in 6 hours of practical classes (5 hours present in person and 1-hour online) delivered in seminar style. Evaluation from last year showed that a majority of students appreciated the online elements as part of the module contact hours. Furthermore, the blended learning mode of teaching showed to be very effective as it allowed students to reflect in their own time, and also learn from other students’ writing scripts. Oral and aural skills (speaking and listening) as well as reading and writing are practised throughout the course in task-based activities. Students are required to spend at least one hour a week in the Language Resource Centre, working on listening work prescribed by the teacher.

Weekly vocabulary and grammar tests will take place online with provision of immediate feedback to help students grasp the grammar points in an effective way.

In order to make sure that 112 hours of private guided study does take place, each contact hour is followed up by homework assignments. Many derive from the compulsory workbooks accompanying the core textbook. Additional materials may be distributed in class or published online and are considered an integral part of the homework assignments. There is a minimum homework submission requirement of 70%, with this percentage being calculated every 4 weeks. Individualised formative feedback is then provided as an integral part of the teaching programme.

This module is taught and assessment in English and Chinese. English will be applied for two activities, 1. Explanation of grammatical structure; 2. Translation from English to Chinese and from Chinese to English.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Exams
Description Length Semester When Set Percentage Comment
Written Examination602A40Unseen written exam: Listening/grammar test, reading comprehension/translation/writing
Oral Examination102M15Semester 2
Aural Examination602M15Week 11
Exam Pairings
Module Code Module Title Semester Comment
Level B (HE Intermediate) Chinese2N/A
Other Assessment
Description Semester When Set Percentage Comment
Written exercise2M301 handwritten writing assignment in-class (20%) & weekly online vocabulary and grammar tests (10%).
Assessment Rationale And Relationship

-       One 60-minute written exam in Semester 2 (40%) on Reading / Grammar / Writing. This exam will test students’ ability to write Chinese characters, to grasp the grammar points and be able to understand the authentic sources. This formal examination provides summative information to staff and student on student's achievement in reading / grammar/ writing in the module.

-       One 10-minute oral exam in Semester 2 (15%) will test students’ ability to produce and present their own output orally, and test their pronunciation in a standard level, and to discuss with a target language speaker directly and spontaneously. The oral examination provides a summary assessment, as well as a chance to review progress before progressing on to the period of study abroad.

-       One 60-minute listening test in Semester 2 (15%). This listening exam will test the students’ ability to listen and understand authentic video/audio sources and to respond appropriately in written form and to summarise information appropriately in written form. This test provides summative information to staff and student on student's achievement in listening in the module.

-       Written Coursework / portfolio in Semester 2 (30%): The one handwritten writing assignment task will test students’ ability to write a given topic in the target language. Continuous assessment in Weekly online regular Vocabulary and Grammar encourages regular work on productive skills and enables students to receive regular formative feedback. This portfolio helps students assess their progress and identify their strengths and areas for improvement in writing thus stimulating their independent and reflective learning skills throughout the Semester 2.

Alternative method to all the assessments is online synchronous exam.

Reading Lists

Timetable