Our Mandarin Chinese courses are designed to develop conversational skills that will be especially useful in business or while traveling. The reading and writing of simplified characters are also taught but not emphasized. The Pinyin spelling system, used to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet, is also presented.
Classes meet either Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:45-7:15 p.m. or 7:30-9 p.m. The schedule for each session takes into consideration placement test results, teacher assignments, and classroom availability.
Beginning-level students (I-IV) focus on pronunciation transcribed by the Pinyin spelling system. Students will acquire basic vocabulary and sentence patterns for everyday communication.
Intermediate-level students (V and VI) focus on vocabulary expansion and on developing spoken proficiency in diverse situations and on a variety of topics. Some attention is given to reading and writing Chinese characters.
Students should plan on at least two hours of homework per class.
Fee for eight-week session (3 hours weekly): $490
Apply for the Foreign Language Program by completing the online application.
Non-beginning students of Mandarin Chinese will be contacted by the instructor during the week before classes begin for a phone interview to determine placement.