UCL CENTRE FOR LANGUAGES
& INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
Course Units 2015-2016
Mandarin Syllabus B
Prerequisite for entry
Successful completion of Mandarin Syllabus A at the UCL CLIE or a similar course and have limited experience of dealing
with authentic material.
Course duration
20 x 2-hour classes.
Self-Study
80 hours in total.
Course codes
LCMA6002, LCMAG002, LCMAM002, LCMA6012, LCMAG012, LCMAM012 (together with Mandarin syllabus A),
LCMA6023, LCMAG023, LCMAM023 (together with Mandarin syllabus C).
Aims and Objectives
The course covers the revision and development of the four tones in Mandarin and further Chinese characters together
with expanding vocabulary, grammar, morphology, syntax and phonetics to enable students to function at an
intermediate level in a Mandarin-speaking environment. The course will enhance knowledge and use of linguistic
structures (a variety of styles and registers from a range of appropriate authentic material). Various transferable skills
will also be further developed.
Functions
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Apology;
Asking when, where, and how;
Declining;
Description;
Expressing location;
Instruction;
Intention;
Invitation;
Preference;
Reassurance;
Suggestion;
Worry;
Making comment;
Compliment;
Curiosity;
Giving up;
Giving reasons;
Good wishes;
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Information;
Likes and dislikes;
Making a request;
Refuse;
Starting a conversation;
Suggestion;
Supposition;
Surprise;
Talking about past actions;
Talking about past experience;
Urge.
Course Content
Main topics/themes to be covered
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Describing locations and giving directions;
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Read and write an advertisement for a house or flat ;
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Talk about types of transport and make travel plan;
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Write an email invitation;
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Sports and lifestyle – likes and dislikes;
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Talk about holiday plans;
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Respond to online chat messages
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Describing daily routine;
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Diary entry – feelings, opinion, preference and possibilities;
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Season, weather forecast and what to wear;
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Festivals – playing hosts and guest; Festival activities, dishes and customs;
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Different rooms in a house;
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Asking and giving directions; Distance;
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Travel guide and suggestions;
Linguistic Structures
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Expressing existence using 有;
Expressing location with the verb 在;
Alternative questions with 还是;
Expressing superlatives with 最;
Model verb s 可以 and 会;
Past action with 过;
Expressing alternatives using 或者;
Expressing regular events with 每…都…;
The auxiliary word 得；
Topic – comment sentences；
了 as a particle and auxiliary word；
Making suggestion using 一… 就…；
Similarity using A 和 B 差不多/一样；
Making comparisons using A 比/没有 B +adjective;
Expressing future action with 要/会；
Action in progress 正在；
‘Both …and …’ 又…又…;
Expressing sequences with 先…然后…;
Taking about distance using 离/多远；
Distance expressed with 从 A 到 B;
Using ‘ after …’ 以后，and ‘when …’ …的时候；
Learning Resources
Syllabus B
Syllabus A/B
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Discover China, Volume 1 - Textbook (Macmillan) 2010 – ISBN: 9780230405950
Discover China, Volume 1 - Workbook (Macmillan) 2010 – ISBN: 9780230406384
Discover China, Volume 2 - Textbook (Macmillan) 2010 – ISBN: 9780230406391
Discover China, Volume 2 - Workbook (Macmillan) 2010 – ISBN: 9780230406407
A selection of authentic material will also be used.
In addition there is a wide range of language learning materials available for self-study in the Self-Access Centre.