Module Catalogue 2024/25

CHN4061 : Level D (HE Further Advanced) Chinese

CHN4061 : Level D (HE Further Advanced) Chinese

  • Offered for Year: 2024/25
  • Module Leader(s): Miss Linlin Fang
  • Lecturer: Ms Linda Cheng
  • Other Staff: Dr Jo Smith Finley
  • Owning School: Modern Languages
  • Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters

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

Semester 1 Credit Value: 20
Semester 2 Credit Value: 20
ECTS Credits: 20.0
European Credit Transfer System
Pre-requisite

Modules you must have done previously to study this module

Pre Requisite Comment

CHN4010 Level C Chinese (or equivalent, e.g. students who passed the Level D streaming test organised by Module Leader).

Co-Requisite

Modules you need to take at the same time

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

In consonance with the overall aims of the degrees offered in the SML, this module will:

- build on language skills gained at Stages 1, 2 and 3
- provide students with an in-depth knowledge of the Chinese language and with the ability to use it with a high level of proficiency in professional, academic and social environments
- prepare students for postgraduate study in areas that make extensive and intensive use of the target language
- develop students’ written translation skills, into and from Chinese
- begin to develop students’ liaison interpreting skills, into and from Chinese

Outline Of Syllabus

This module is aimed at final year students of Chinese, who have reached a near-native command of the language, either because they took the ‘higher route’ (Level B, C, D) through their degree or because they made outstanding progress during the period of study abroad in China and were permitted to skip Level C (Level A, B, D).

The Semester 1 syllabus comprises 6 scheduled hours per week, divided as follows:

1 Speaking class
1 Reading class
1 Writing class
1 Business Chinese class
2 Written Translation classes (1 in each language direction)

The Semester 2 syllabus comprises 6 hours per week, divided as follows:

1 Reading class
1 Writing class
1 Business Chinese class
2 Written Translation classes (1 in each language direction)
1 Liaison Interpreting class

Advanced reading, writing and written translation skills will be based on topical themes emerging from a range of text types. Liaison interpreting skills will be based on a range of professional situations and exchanges.

Specific topics and materials used in group practice sessions will be based on current affairs, and will initially be provided by the lecturer/teacher. Subsequently, students will research and supply
materials themselves, under the close supervision of the lecturer/teacher.

Learning Outcomes

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will have gained knowledge and understanding of:
- The use of appropriate sentence and text structures, lexical items and registers in a range of advanced text and discourse types in Chinese, including extended argumentative texts, critical debates, and so on, from a variety of sources
- All areas of grammar, vocabulary and background knowledge relating to the skills listed below

Intended Skill Outcomes

Subject-Specific skills:
By the end of the module, students will have gained experience in:
- using complex lexical and grammatical structures in a range of advanced text and discourse types, written and spoken
- synthesising information from a variety of Chinese language sources, including extended written and audio material
- intensive reading of complex material from a variety of advanced text types
- extended writing in Chinese, focusing particularly on argumentative and synthetic compositions
- understanding, using and evaluating information from authentic spoken media sources in China
- giving oral presentations, and leading and participating in critical debates in Chinese in a variety of controversial topical issues, using appropriate range and register
- written translation from Chinese into English and from English into Chinese
- liaison interpreting from Chinese into English and from English into Chinese

Cognitive/intellectual skills:
Students will further develop their ability to:
- conduct research on topical issues using the Internet and other sources
- locate, make use of, and critically evaluate materials for the course, under the close supervision of the lecturer/teacher
- apply and evaluate a range of learning strategies appropriate to the demands of the course
- work independently and confidently, on their own or as part of a group, either in- or outside the classroom.

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities
Category Activity Number Length Student Hours Comment
Guided Independent StudyAssessment preparation and completion601:0060:00N/A
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesPractical61:006:00Week 11 of Semester 2
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesSmall group teaching1261:00126:00N/A
Guided Independent StudySkills practice901:0090:00N/A
Guided Independent StudyIndependent study1181:00118:00N/A
Total400:00
Jointly Taught With
Code Title
CHN4161Level D (HE Further Advanced) Chinese - Exchange Semester 1
CHN4261Level D (HE Further Advanced) Chinese - Exchange Semester 2
CHN4040Level D (HE Further Advanced) Chinese for 3-year programme
Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Language classes will introduce, model and offer guidance in each of the skills that students are required to practise during the course, including advanced speaking and listening, intensive reading, summary and commentary writing, participating in critical debate, oral presentation, written translation and liaison interpreting).

The translation classes (into both languages) are taught online because students can complete translation tasks in a setting that is as close to a real-life professional situation as possible.

This module will be delivered in a mixture of Chinese (=the norm) and English (for the purpose of complex explanations).

Reading Lists

Assessment Methods

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

Exams
Description Length Semester When Set Percentage Comment
Written Examination1502A35Unseen written exam, including reading and writing tasks.
Oral Examination302M20Tests discussion and liaison interpreting. Liaison Interpreting exam will take place at the end of Semester 2.
Digital Examination902M15In-class PC test on translation skills.
Other Assessment
Description Semester When Set Percentage Comment
Prof skill assessmnt2M30A portfolio of regular vocabulary tests and business Chinese tasks through Semester 1 and 2.
Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Translation is assessed by means of an in-class PC exam (15%) and students are allowed to make use of online dictionaries so that the exam is performed in a setting as close to a real-life professional situation as possible.

The oral exam in Semester 2 (20%) composes discussion and liaison interpreting tasks. It will test students’ ability to produce and present their output orally and discuss with a target language speaker spontaneously. The interpreting exam task is performed in a simulated real-life scenario, for example, the student will be interpreting for a doctor seeing a patient who doesn’t speak English.

A 150-minute written exam in Semester 2 assessment period (35%) on vocabulary, reading and writing skills. Students will be expected to hand-write in the target language. Students may be allowed to type their own answers if they have physical disability and it is supported by a SSP.

The portfolio of writing assignments and business Chinese task (30%) are necessary in order to allow students to acquire competence steadily. It also provides students with the opportunity to have constant feedback on their performance.

Timetable

Past Exam Papers

General Notes

N/A

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Disclaimer

The information contained within the Module Catalogue relates to the 2024 academic year.

In accordance with University Terms and Conditions, the University makes all reasonable efforts to deliver the modules as described.

Modules may be amended on an annual basis to take account of changing staff expertise, developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback. Module information for the 2025/26 entry will be published here in early-April 2025. Queries about information in the Module Catalogue should in the first instance be addressed to your School Office.