• Offered for Year: 2025/26

• Module Leader(s): Dr Fang Su

• Owning School: Modern Languages
• Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus

Semesters

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

Aims

This module aims to provide students with comprehension skills of upper intermediate/advanced levels to cope with the linguistic demands of real life in general, personal and social contexts. Students will increase their knowledge of vocabulary and grammatical structures at intermediate and post-intermediate levels. By the end of the module, students will be able to converse confidently and naturally—both orally and in writing—using language suited to a variety of situations.

Content aims:

1. To provide students with sufficient language competence to cope with the linguistic demands of real life in general, personal and social contexts.
2. To develop an appropriate level of inter-cultural sensitivity in students.
3. To continue to provide students with the necessary skills to become better language learners.

Outline Of Syllabus

Roughly equal emphasis will be placed on reading, grammar, writing, integrated skills, and speaking. Grammar will be taught throughout to enhance other skills, using an integrated, skill-based approach. Topics will include a wide range of social, cultural, and historical trends and issues relevant to contemporary China.

Reading: 1 hour
Reading materials, including selected topics from textbooks and other publications on cultural and social themes, will be covered in seminars. These sessions aim to help students acquire a broad vocabulary and key expressions related to social topics through online resources.

Grammar: 1 hour
A diverse range of grammar structures will be covered based on HSK3–5 grammar points, focusing on content relevant to social topics. This will include formal expressions, synonyms, set phrases, and idioms.

Writing: 1 hour
Two writing topics will be assigned as practice to help students acquire sufficient formal writing skills in the target language on social topics.

Integrated Skills: 1 hour
This seminar will take an integrated approach, involving reading a wide range of authentic Chinese materials related to various social, cultural, and political trends and issues relevant to contemporary China. Students will also translate these materials into English. Authentic videos will be provided to help students engage with content through both written text and listening comprehension.

Speaking: 1 hour
Using vocabulary and phrases from the textbook and videos, students will respond to questions that range from personal experiences to nationwide perspectives on social topics.

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

This module introduces and consolidates upper intermediate and post-intermediate grammatical structures and vocabulary through a task-based, communicative approach.

Reading skills, including skimming for gist and scanning for detail, are introduced and practiced through classroom tasks that involve pair and group work.

Integrated skills are further developed through task-based activities encompassing reading, translation, and listening throughout the course, utilizing a combination of individual and group exercises.

Biweekly vocabulary and grammar tests will be assessed online. To ensure 145 hours of independent guided study, each contact hour is followed by homework assignments directly related to the material introduced or practiced in class.

Writing skills are introduced in the classroom and practiced independently through creative assignments set by the lecturer. Oral and listening skills are cultivated throughout the course through task-based activities and oral presentations.

Individualized formative feedback is provided when appropriate (e.g., for writing assignments involving a creative element).

Homework includes:

Preparation for readings from core textbooks and supplementary materials
Vocabulary practice
Grammar exercises
Video projects and speech/presentation preparation
Listening exercises

Students are also expected to spend at least one hour per week in the Language Resource Centre, completing listening exercises assigned by the teacher. A listening task based on HSK 4–5 content, along with thematic exercises and authentic materials, will be provided weekly to develop students' listening comprehension skills.

This module is taught and assessed in both English and Chinese (simplified characters). English will be used specifically for:

Explanation of grammatical structures
Translation exercises

Assessment Methods

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

Exams

Other Assessment

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The written examination assesses students' ability to write in the target language. This formal examination provides both staff and students with summative information regarding students' achievements in vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension and translation within the module.

Speaking skills are evaluated in the speaking examination during Semester 2. This assessment tests students’ ability to produce and present their own output orally, as well as to engage in direct and spontaneous discussions with a speaker of the target language.

Regular online vocabulary and grammar exercises are required to help students build a portfolio of their progress. These exercises also enable students to receive continuous feedback on their performance.

Writing skills are assessed as part of the portfolio as well. The writing tasks motivate students' professional development and allow them to monitor their progress.

Reading Lists

• CHN4014's Reading List

Timetable

• Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
• CHN4014's Timetable