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This course is part of the Contemporary Chinese I ExpertTrack

Contemporary Chinese I: 1.2

Build your Chinese language skills and improve your fluency in speaking and writing Chinese Mandarin.

Elderly male teacher reading from textbook while writing Chinese characters on black board.
  • Duration

    4 weeks
  • Weekly study

    5 hours
  • 100% online

    How it works
  • Included in an ExpertTrack

    Course 2 of 2
  • Get full ExpertTrack access

    $39/monthFind out more

Take your basic Chinese to the next level

On this four-week course from Chinese Plus, you will continue to build the foundations of Chinese, while enhancing your learning by exploring Chinese culture and society.

Learn how to describe someone’s appearance in Chinese

Descriptions are key to painting a picture through conversation, and discovering how to describe people and objects will improve your experience of the Chinese language.

You’ll build on your existing knowledge of basic Chinese to learn how to describe someone’s appearance. You’ll then discover and demonstrate how to use certain words to express abilities, wills, and permission, before moving on to discuss holiday plans.

Explore expressions of time and location

Knowing how to ask for directions in the native language is an extremely important skill when traveling to another country. But it is also the foundation for understanding location and place.

This course will guide you through how to ask for and give directions, as well as expressions for key locations such as the subway. You’ll also learn how to express time correctly and fluently, helping you to make arrangements using calendar time.

Demonstrate your new skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking in Mandarin

It’s vital when learning a new language to practice at every opportunity.

Throughout this course, you’ll not only learn through engaging videos and articles but you’ll also be given interactive activities to help you understand and remember language points and cultural knowledge. Plus, by learning with other students, you’ll have the opportunity to discuss the language and practice with others as you progress.

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    Can you make it cheaper?

    • Welcome to Contemporay Chinese I: 1.2

      Welcome to Contemporary Chinese I: 1.2. In this step, we will provide basic information about this course.

    • Weekly Overview

      In this part, we will list out the weekly learning objectives and provide you with the warm-up activity to get ready for your Chinese study journey for this week.

    • How much is this white shirt?

      In this part, we will study a dialogue about “How much is this white shirt” and we will mainly focus on vocabulary learning and text comprehension.

    • What’s the most delicious dish?

      In this part, we will study a dialogue about “What’s the most delicious dish” and we will mainly focus on vocabulary learning and text comprehension.

    • Language Points

      In this part, we will summarize the language points in this week and we will also provide quiz for self-assessment. Please remember that you can always go back to the previous activities to review what we have learned until now.

    • Weekly Summary

      In this part, we will summarize the key sentences this week for practical use. In addition, there will be Chinese cultural notes for your reference.

  • Week 2

    What are you going to do tomorrow?

    • Weekly Overview

      In this part, we will list out the weekly learning objectives and provide you with the warm-up activity to get ready for your Chinese study journey for this week.

    • I have an appointment tomorrow evening.

      In this part, we will study a dialogue about “I have an appointment tomorrow evening” and we will mainly focus on vocabulary learning and text comprehension.

    • I would like to invite you for a cup of coffee.

      In this part, we will study a dialogue about “I would like to invite you for a cup of coffee” and we will mainly focus on vocabulary learning and text comprehension.

    • Language Points

      In this part, we will summarize the language points this week and we will also provide a quiz for self-assessment. Please remember that you can always go back to the previous activities to review what we have learned until now.

    • Weekly Summary

      In this part, we will summarize the key sentences this week for practical use. In addition, there will be Chinese cultural notes for your reference.

  • Week 3

    When will you come back?

    • Weekly Overview

      In this part, we will list out the weekly learning objectives and provide you with the warm-up activity to get ready for your Chinese study journey for this week.

    • I’ll come back before July 1st.

      In this part, we will study a dialogue about “I’ll come back before July 1st” and we will mainly focus on vocabulary learning and text comprehension.

    • She is thin and tall.

      In this part, we will study a dialogue about “She is thin and tall” and we will mainly focus on vocabulary learning and text comprehension. Please spend time practising your pronunciation and identifying the Chinese Characters.

    • Language Points

      In this part, we will summarize the language points in this week and we will also provide quiz for self-assessment. Please remember that you can always go back to the previous activities to review what we have learned until now.

    • Weekly Summary

      In this part, we will summarize the key sentences this week for practical use. In addition, there will be Chinese cultural notes for your reference.

  • Week 4

    Is there a bank nearby?

    • Weekly Overview

      In this part, we will list out the weekly learning objectives and provide you with the warm-up activity to get ready for your Chinese study journey for this week.

    • Go ahead, and turn right.

      In this part, we will study a dialogue about “Go ahead, and turn right” and we will mainly focus on vocabulary learning and text comprehension.

    • We can get there by subway.

      In this part, we will study a dialogue about “We can get there by subway” and we will mainly focus on vocabulary learning and text comprehension.

    • Language Points

      In this part, we will summarize the language points this week and we will also provide a quiz for self-assessment. Please remember that you can always go back to the previous activities to review what we have learned until now.

    • Weekly Summary

      In this part, we will summarize the key sentences this week for practical use. In addition, there will be Chinese cultural notes for your reference.

    • Test & Summary

      In this part, we will provide an overall test for this course and summarize what we have learned in this course.

Prove you're job ready

Highlight the new, job-relevant skills you’ve gained and supplement existing qualifications with a hard-earned, industry-specific digital certificate – plus one for every course within your ExpertTrack.

  • Learn the latest in your chosen industry or subject.
  • Complete each course and pass assessments.
  • Receive certificates validated by the educating organisation.
  • Impress employers with learning outcomes you can add to your CV.
  • Make your career dreams a reality.

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Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Explore the basics of the Chinese language system
  • Identify key categories of vocabulary
  • Practice asking and answering conversational questions
  • Produce basic grammar and sentence structures for simple communication
  • Explore aspects of Chinese culture
  • Develop general knowledge of China

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for anyone interested in learning Chinese, no matter what your previous learning experience was. It lays the groundwork for the Chinese language, making it ideal for a beginner.

Who will you learn with?

AFHEA, a Chinese teacher from Fudan University, has been teaching Chinese in China, Cameroon, Ecuador, the UK, Australia (remotely), and Belgium for over ten years.

Who developed the course?

Chinese Plus

Chinese Plus lends support to domestic and foreign educational institutions, social organizations, and enterprises to take part in Online Chinese Class and set up localized platforms to conduct remote online Chinese education. It offers an all-in-one service package that includes online “teaching, learning, testing, and researching” as well as Chinese-centered online preparatory courses and “Chinese + vocational education” courses, among other services.

  • Established

    2020
  • Location

    Beijing, China

About this ExpertTrack

Discover the basics of the Chinese language, learn the foundations of pronunciation, and explore the fundamentals of conversation.

Start learning today - free 2-day trial

After your free trial you can:

  • Pay $39 per month to keep learning online
  • Have complete control over your subscription; you can cancel any time
  • Work at your own pace and set your own deadlines at every stage
  • Only pay while you’re learning; the subscription will cancel automatically when you finish
  • Complete online assessments to test your knowledge and prove your skills
  • Earn digital course certificates and a final award that you can share online, with potential employers, and your professional network
  • Keep access to the content of courses you complete even after your subscription ends

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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Get a taste of this course

Find out what this course is like by previewing some of the course steps before you join: