UCL CENTRE FOR LANGUAGES
& INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
SSCs 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
Year 1 students: double-block (16 x 3-hour classes. Block 1: 8 x 3-hour classes; Block 2: workshops and tutorials related
to Project).
Year 2 students: single block (8 x 3-hour classes).
Self-Study
40 hours in total.
Course codes
LCMM6002
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. Medical related issues/vocabulary will also be covered.
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;
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Giving reasons;
Good wishes;
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;
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Seeing a doctor.
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;
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Using ‘ after …’ 以后，and ‘when …’ …的时候.
Learning Resources
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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) 2011 – ISBN: 9780230406391
Discover China, Volume 2 - Workbook (Macmillan) 2011 – 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.