Comprehensive Mandarin

• Weekday evenings: £340 full price (£170 for part A or B / £310 for full 10 weeks if both parts booked together)
• Saturdays: £300 full price

None

This course is suitable for beginners keen to develop basic conversational skills in Chinese and understand basic Chinese characters. Whilst focusing on speaking and listening skills, the tutor will also help students to write and recognise basic Chinese characters.

The course covers greetings; introductions; nationalities; professions; enquiring about the date; age and birthday; saying what you do and when; talking about likes and dislikes; what one should and shouldn't do; favourites; ordering simple food and drink; family; expressing states; talking about the weather and seasons; making comparisons and giving suggestions; talking about going and coming somewhere to do something and methods of transport. By the end of this course, students should be able to attempt the HSK 1 Exam or the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFRL) A1.

We recommend that 3 hours of independent study are undertaken each week to ensure students can keep up with the pace of the course.

• Grasp 210 Chinese characters, 250 basic vocabulary elements and 30 basic grammatical structures at least
• Conduct basic conversations in Chinese e.g. greetings, introductions, enquiries (time / restaurant / weather / direction)

Chinese in Steps Volume.1 (Cypress Book Co. 2011).

For an example of the course content view our textbook extract.

• Weekday evenings: £340 full price (£170 for part A or B / £310 for full 10 weeks if both parts booked together)
• Saturdays: £300 full price

Completion of Comprehensive 1 or 40 hours of intensive Chinese.

This post-beginner course focuses on all four core language skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening.

The course covers enquiring about location; giving directions; enquiring about price; bargaining; Chinese currency; telling the time; enquiring about opening/closing times; enquiring about timings and distances; more detailed directions; going to the doctors; expressing a change in state or condition; the contrast between past and present; asking about exchange rates and currencies; ask for and give specific information of a past action; express the length of an accomplished action; asking and saying how far one place is from another; comment on an action with a verb complement; use of verb complements of state and manner; use of duration expressed in a V-O construction; talk about currently continuous activities; talk about continuous activities in the past; talk about two concurrent activities; expressing disagreement indirectly; expressing the idea of “both…and…”; expressing an imminent future action; expressing past experiences, and expressing two consecutive actions in a sequence.

By the end of this course, students should be able to attempt the HSK 2 Exam or CEFRL A2.

We recommend that 3 hours of independent study are undertaken each week to ensure students are able to keep up with the pace of the course.

• Grasp at least 450 Chinese characters, 600 basic vocabulary and 45 basic grammar structures
• Conduct increasingly complex conversations in Chinese

Chinese in Steps Volume.2 (Cypress Books Co. 2011).

For an example of the course content view our textbook extract.

• Weekday evenings: £340 full price (£170 for part A or B / £310 for full 10 weeks if both parts booked together)
• Saturdays: £300 full price

Completion of our Comprehensive 2 course or 60 hours of intensive Chinese.

This pre-intermediate course focuses on all four core language skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening.

The course covers making and discussing plans, making a phone call, seeing somebody off, shopping, talking about drinks, describing a person, talking about changes, looking for something which is missing, talking about the duration of doing something, comparison, etc.

This course is between the HSK 2-3 exam or CEFRL A2-B1.

We recommend that 3 hours of independent study are undertaken each week to ensure students are able to keep up with the pace of the course.

• Have mastered a core vocabulary of 160 Chinese words used in everyday context and 25 language structures used in everyday context.
• Conduct increasingly complex conversations in Chinese and will also have more of an understanding of expressions of tense and the deeper functions of Chinese grammar.

HSK 3 standard course, lessons 1-10. Beijing Language and Culture University Press.

For an example of the course content view our textbook extract.

• Weekday evenings: £340 full price (£170 for part A or B / £310 for full 10 weeks if both parts booked together)
• Saturdays: £300 full price

Completion of Comprehensive 3 or 80 hours of intensive Chinese.

This intermediate course focuses on all four core language skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening.

The course covers registering for a club/course; filling in a course application form; understanding about studying in China; making choices; offering a reasoned explanation for a choice; learning about exercise and health in China; opening a bank account/applying for a credit card; expressing feelings of good fortune; understanding the banking industry in China; how to post parcels in a post office; specifying essential conditions; understanding the Chinese lunar calendar; getting your hair styled and commenting on appearance; using the verbal construction V+ 'qilai'; asking someone to pass on a sick leave message; writing a short note asking for leave; talking about differences and similarities; reading and writing Chinese letters; adverb + verb/adjective construction; writing a covering letter; writing a CV; talking about shopping and where to shop; understanding bargaining tips and practice; verb + complement construction; talking about sightseeing and trips; learning the difference between spoken and written styles and learning acronyms.

This course is between the HSK 3-4 Exam or CEFRL B1-B2.

We recommend that 3 hours of independent study are undertaken each week to ensure students are able to keep up with the pace of the course.

• Grasp at least 1,000 Chinese characters, 1,500 words and 90 grammar structures
• Conduct increasingly complex conversations in Chinese and will also have more of an understanding of expressions of tense and the deeper functions of Chinese grammar

HSK 3 Standard Course Lessons 11-20. Beijing Language and Culture Press.

• Weekday evenings: £340 full price (£170 for part A or B / £310 for full 10 weeks if both parts booked together)
• Saturdays: £300 full price

Completion of Comprehensive 4 or 120 hours of intensive Chinese or have passed the HSK 3 Exam.

This post-intermediate course focuses on all four language skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening.

The course covers talking about partners, love and marriage, talking about friends and party arrangements, interviews and work, making a good first impression and shopping. This course is for the HSK 4 or CEFRL B2 level. After completing the Comprehensive Mandarin levels 5-8, students should be ready to take the HSK 4 exam.

We recommend that 3 hours of independent study are undertaken each week to ensure students are able to keep up with the pace of the course.

• Grasp at least 160 words and 25 key grammar strictures
• Conduct complex conversations and narrations in Chinese and understand the deeper functions of Chinese grammar

Chapter 1-5, HSK 4 Standard Course (Volume A/上), Beijing Language and Culture Universities Press.

For an example of the course content view our textbook extract.

• Weekday evenings: £340 full price (£170 for part A or B / £310 for full 10 weeks if both parts booked together)
• Saturdays: £300 full price

Completion of Comprehensive 5 or 150 hours of intensive Chinese or passed HSK 3 test.

This post-intermediate course focuses on all four core language skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening.

The course covers talking about shopping, sale advertisements, talking about health & wellbeing, talking about beauty and a good mood in life, weight, successful experiences and standards of happiness. This course is for the HSK 4 or CEFRL B2 level. After completing the Comprehensive Mandarin levels 5-8, students should be able to take the HSK 4 exam.

We recommend that 3 hours of independent study are undertaken each week to ensure students are able to keep up with the pace of the course.

• Grasp at least 160 words and 25 key grammar structures
• Conduct complex conversations and narrations in Chinese and understand deeper functions of Chinese grammar

Chapter 6-10, HSK 4 Standard course (Volume A/上), Beijing Language and Culture Universities Press.

For an example of the course content view our textbook extract.

• Weekday evenings: £340 full price (£170 for part A or B / £310 for full 10 weeks if both parts booked together)

Completion of Comprehensive 6 or 190 hours of intensive Chinese or passed HSK 3 test.

This post-intermediate course focuses on all four core language skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening.

The course covers talking about cultural activities, environment protection, children education, rejection, the nature, etc. This course is for the HSK 4 or CEFRL B2 level. After completing Comprehensive Mandarin levels 5-8 students should be able to take the HSK 4 exam.

We recommend that 3 hours of independent study are undertaken each week to ensure students are able to keep up with the pace of the course.

• Saturday classes: Grasp at least 160 words and 25 key grammar structures
• Conduct complex conversations and narrations in Chinese and understand deeper functions of Chinese grammar

Chapter 16-20, HSK 4 Standard course (Volume B/下), Beijing Language and Culture Universities Press.

• Weekday evenings: £340 full price (£170 for part A or B / £310 for full 10 weeks if both parts booked together)

Completion of Comprehensive 7 or 210 hours of intensive Chinese or passed HSK 3 test.

This post-intermediate course focuses on all four core language skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening.

The course covers talking about rejection, humans and nature, science and technology, taste of life, travelling, etc. This course is for the HSK 4 or CEFRL B2 level. After completing Comprehensive Mandarin levels 5-8 students should be able to take the HSK 4 exam.

We recommend that 3 hours of independent study are undertaken each week to ensure students are able to keep up with the pace of the course.

• Grasp at least 160 words and 25 key grammar structures
• Conduct complex conversations and narrations in Chinese and understand deeper functions of Chinese grammar

Chapter 16-20, HSK 4 Standard course (Volume B/下), Beijing Language and Culture Universities Press.